Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-02-09

causing such great ravages in France,
gives US a sad opportunity 10 glance
at the similar catastrophes which.
since the beginning of rs history,
have afflicted that sunny country.
AS everyone knows, there are in
France four rivers, la Seine, la Loire
la Garonne and lie Rhone The most
unruly probably on account of its
contact with Paris. is the river SEINE
From the year $50 TO 1872 this river
left its bed thirtvdour times. the
worst floods being in 1886. when the
king, Philippe Auguste. was com
PEELED TO leave his palace on the ISL
and Of the Cite and seek refuge at
the abbaye Ste. Genevieve. and in
1895 when, from its normal level OF
seven feet and a half, the Seine rose
to twenty-five feet and one-thlrd.
Two days ago the level of this river
was twenty-five feet and two-tnirds.
The Loire comes next with thirty IN
undation the Rhone with twenty
seven and la Garonne with eighteen
The worst floods in our time were
in 1856 when the Rhone and. a few
days later. la Loire, overfiowed their
banks. causing untold damage ana
loss of life.
History is great source OF in
formation and it is certainly most
son or rather a contrast between the
day the sufferings of the French peo-
pie are alleviated under the third re-
public and the way they were under
similar circumstances in the second
empire. We learn that the chambre
des deputies unanimously voted s40O..
900 to be distributed among the sui.
ferers. This is certainly patriotic
move ana there is no doubt that. II
need be. this sum will be doubled or
quadrupled France is rich and patri.
otism is not lacking in that coun-
try.
There is no doubt also that these
funds viii be distributed more I'M
partially than the Minneapolis -four
was when San Francisco was visited
by its last calamity.
Let us see now the part taken per-
sonally in alternating the sufferings
OF the French people by President
Fallieres and by Napoleon III. The
contrast is most striking We learn
that President Falieres and Premier
BRAND made a tour at the flooded
districts of Paris in an automobile
Let us see now what Napoleon M
did. under similar circumstances.
On the last day of May, 1856, dis.
astrous news reached Paris. rhe
Rhone had left its banks. and at Ly.
ons the quarters which divided II
from the Saone were under water
and, therefore. several quarters OF
the city of Lyons. occupied almost
exclusively by workingmen. were IN
danger of total ruin. Furthermore
the valley of Gresiyandan, beyond
Grenoble, had disappeared from view
and the plain of yaucluse was an
immense lake, On hearing this. the
emperor left at once for St Cloud
to direct in person the assistance
given to the sufferers. He was ac
companied by his aide.de.camI. Gen
era. Mel, his first equerry, General
Fleury; M. Rouher, minister OF pun
lie works; his orderly, Captain I.
Puysegur, and four troopers belong
ing to the Gent Gardes." He was
received at Lyons by Marshal de
Castellane and surrounded by some
sixty thousand workmen, who. with
their wives and children, had been
the victims of the flood. The EN-
peror distributed himself uncounted
gold from the t!g saddlebags the
four troopers had brought with them
gold belonging to himself. not &c
France. No wonder these workmen
should shout, Long live the father
of his people!" 1t was an ovation
without a parallel. The emperor
left Lyons for Valence and Avignm
in & ~retched boat, and three times
he came very near being drowned
Everywhere he gave gold by the
handfuls to the unfortunates, who
blessed the ruler who had come a,
the risk of his life, not only to snare