Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-24
SEINE RIVER
STILL RISING
NATIONAL DISASTER IMMINENT
IN FRANCE
Capital City of Republic Threatened
Because of Breaking of Munich
pal Utilities by Volumes
of Water
ASSOCIATED Pressl

l<A'oo1AalNNAt
PARIS, Jan. 24.-The Seine continues
to rise rapidly, and at 2 o'clock this
morning had reached within two feet
of the roadway at the Place de la Con-
corde.
Many additional buildings have been
flooded, including the printing works
of the Official Journal.
River authorities say the Marine will
rise three feet by Monday, and they
have instructed the moyirs of all
towns along it's banks that the river
side houses must be evacuated at once.
Monterau is totally under water. An
urgent request has been sent to mill
tary authorities at Fontainebleau for
three thousand rations.
Floods tonight exceeded all records
and are fast assuming the proportions
of a national disaster. In the north,
east and west hundreds are home ess
and ruined. Although it is impossible
to estimate the damage, it will be great
The water continued to rise all cay.
In Paris the Seine, which measured
SIS meters yesterday, had reached z 40
at noon today. The normal height of
the river at this season is 2.4S The
torrent almost touched the arches Of
the beautiful bridges, threatening their
destruction.
The Pont des Arts and the Pont de
TAlma are in momentary danger.
The sharp cold of yesterday led to
the hope of abatement of the floods.
but this morning a heavy snow set in,
turning in the afternoon to rain, which
is still falling. This aggravated the
situation and has caused great suf-
fering.
A dispatch from Chalons-sur-Mar
says that a huge volume of water is
sweeping down stream toward Paris.
M. Lepine, project of Paris took the
gravest view of the situation.
1.-THE weather bureau he said, fore
casts a further rise of thirty centime-
ters tonight. do not know what to do
in the face Of this situation"
Water Main Broken
One of the water mains serving one
of the most populous ACCOMPLISHMENTS
burst tonight and those districts are
without water. 1t is feared the city
will be in a like condition soon, as the
flood is invading the pumping stations.
The compressed air factory, which
supplies elevators in Paris, also has
been forced to shut down.
One Of the great engines that pump
the sewerage in the eastern section of
Paris broke down on account of the
flood. and as a result sewers threaten
to overflow the streets.
Electric light and street railway
service are out of commission in some
sections.
Officials of the prefecture are find
ing great difficulty in securing shelter
for the homeless. Many persons va
Gated their quarters yesterday and 200
more vacated today. On the boulevard
of ST. German a house is lettering
and threatening to fall on the cham
Der of deputies.
There is a big hole outside the for
eign office The main gas pipe in the
adjoining street has broken, giving rise
to much apprehension. The Invalides
railroad station, next door, is par
TALLY inundated, while cellars of the
Palais d'Orsay hotel and the Louvre
are flooded.
One of the few casualties reported
today was the sweeping away of a
man who was trying to drag some
floating logs from the river.
Many Forced to Flee
The situation in the outskirts of
Paris is even worse than in the city
proper. At Alfortville the dam burst,
overwhelming 200 houses, the people
being forced to flee, leaving their be-
longings behind.
There are signs Of improvement in
the situation in the Loire, the Rhone,
the Marine, the Yonne, the upper
reaches of the Seine and the Aube. On
the other hand the Saone and Doubs
Valley is one huge lake, about ten
miles broad. OF six villages the roofs
alone are showing above the water.
The whole Champagne region is in
a critical position. Vitry lie Francois,
in the department of Marine, stands
isolated in the midst of lake a mile
or two wide. All the country between
Arrigny and Larzcourt is under water.
At the latter place several houses col
lapsed Several villages outside of
Marine are submerged. The damage is
enormous,