Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-23
PARIS FLOODED;
RIVER SEINE ON
FIERCE RAMPA
Eiffel Tower Is Imperiled;
Quays and Subways
Ruined by Water
THOUSANDS SUFFER
Several Cities Inundated;
Millions of Dollars
Damage Done
Especial Cable to The Herald,

n ARIS, Jan. 22.-The low sections of
Paris tonight present a devas-
II tated appearance Hundreds of
liquor storage plants and warehouses
along the quays are completely mum
dated, several millions dollars dam
age has been done, thousands are
homeless, and the flood waters of the
Seine are still rising to such an ex-
tent that Lille, Chalons, Troyes and
Paris are threatened with incalculable
destruction.
The Eiffel tower tonight is in great
peril. The foundation of this and
many historic structures of Paris have
been infiltrated and much weakened.
Railroad, telephone and telegraph
service is almost abandoned through
out eastern France.
Thousands of people living along the
river are tonight homeless. There is
sixty-one feet of water in the great
new subway extending between the
Place de la Concorde and the Passage
de la Trinite. A large portion of the
famous boulevard of st. Germaine,
over the subway, has caved in, and
several are believed to have met death
under the debris.
Factories Flooded
over 1000 factories, many of them
extensive structures, the under water,
this source alone, are said to exceed
The conditions at Chalons are re-
ported to be desperate. Two million
dollars damage has been done there
to docks, warehouses and wineries.
The loss to the wine dealers at Cha
Ions and Troyes, it is said, will exceed
$2,000,000.
Communication with Lille was aban-
having
gone down at 10 o'clock.
The flood has assumed the proper
tions of a catastrophe. The water at
3 o'clock this afternoon had risen
thirteen and one-half inches since 5
o'clock this morning. Trains are back
ing into Paris from all river points,
and several are stalled, unable to re-
turn, as results of the deluge of va
rious streams.
Canal traffic is completely paraiyzed.
Hundreds of bridges have been washed
away.
Other Rivers Raging
The waters of the Rhone and Marine,
with their raging tributaries, continue
to wreak havoc in many sections, but
are believed to have reached the
height of their flood stage.
The situation in Paris, however,
promises to be worse, as the Seine
pected the river will reach maximum
tomorrow.
Half of the surface and subway
transportation lines have been rem
dered imperative.
The Seine is debris-laden, and its
torrents are almost overfiowing the
banks. Cellars along the quays are
full of water and there will be heavy
loss in wines and other warehouse
goods.
Railroad and telegraphic commune
cation is interrupted in the eastern
provinces, where the streets of many
villages are flooded.
The Rhone and the Marne are re-
ported as apparently having reached
their maximum flood.
Immense damage is reported from
the suburban towns along the Seine
like Charenton, Billancourt, Argen-
tenIil AsniereS, SeVreS and Meudon.
The water at Port Royal is fourteen
feet above normal, and the indications
up stream presage further rise by
tomorrow night.
Troops and firemen everywhere were
called out today to aid in the work of
rescue.
The cabinet has decided to ask par
lament on Monday to appropriate
100000 for the relief of the people in
the afflicted districts.
Railroad traffic out of Paris, espe-
cially to the south end west, is badly
crippled,
thousands of rats are escaping from
the sewers here indicating that the
waters are invading the entire laby-
rinth beneath Paris.
Heavy damage has been caused by
the flood in the Loire and Indre val
leys Two bridges have been washed
away, railroad traffic demoralized and
many tanneries abandoned.
Some cities are without light and
street car service owing to the mum
idation of power plants.
Corpses Washed Out
Although some of the rivers have
reached their maximum, the Seine, fed
by its torrential tributaries, continues
to rise, causing continued damage.
In addition to the heavy property loss
resulting from the flood thousands of
persons have been thrown out of en-
ployment.
At Chalons and neighboring villages
the situation is critical, the water hav-
ing reached the second floor of many
of the houses.
At Chateau Landon the undermined
hillside became an avalanche and
buried four houses. Five of the occu-
pants were killed. Other cave-ins are
feared.
The water is flooding the streets of
the lower suburbs of Paris, and boat
service has been organized AS it
surges through the heart of Paris the
Seine is black with wreckage, and a
score of corpses of persons long since
dead have been dragged out.
The drinking water of the city is
badly discolored and the police and
physicians have recommended boiling.
The Seine is expected to rise three
feet more by Sunday night, when the
worst probably will be over