Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-02-03

The terrible flood which Is now
causing such great ravages in France
gives us a sad opportunity to glance
at the similar catastrophes which
since the beginning of its history
have afflicted that sunny country
AS everyone knows, there are III
France four rivers, Ia Seine, la Loire
! la Garonne and le RhOne. The most
unruly probably on account Of it's
contact with Paris. is the river Seine
From the year $50 to 1872 this river
left its bed thirty4four times. the
worst floods being in 1896. when the
/ king, Philippe Auguste, was com
PEELED to leave his palace on the Isl,
and Of the Cite and seek a refuge at
the abbaye Ste Genevieve, and in
1896 when, from its normal level OF
seven feet and a half, the Seine rose
to twenty-five feet and One-thIrd.
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 foods in our time were
in 1856 when the Rhone and, few
days later, la Loire, overlooked 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 suTerings Of the French PEG.
pie are aIIeviated 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 $780,
900 to be distributed among the sui
ferers. This is certainly patriotic
move and there is no doubt that. it
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 will be distributed more I'M
partially than the Minneapolis flour
was when San Francisco was visited
by its last calamity.
Let us see now the part taken per-
sOnally in alleyiating 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 III
did, under similar circumstances.
On the last day of May, 1856, dis
astrous news reached Paris. The
Rhone had left it's banks, anu at Ly-
Ons the quarters which divided It
from the SaOne were under water,
and therefore, several quarters OF
the city of Lyons, occupied almost
exclusively by wOrkingmen, were IL
danger of total ruin. Furthermore,
the valley Of Gresivandan, beyond
GrenOble, had disappeared from view,
and the plain of VaucIuse was an
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-camp, Gen
eraI Mel, his first eQuerry, General
Fleury; NJ. Rouher, minister OF pun
lie works; his orderly, Captain r.
Puysegur, and four troopers belong
ing to the Gent Gardes." He was
received at Lyons by Marshal de
CasteIIane 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 big saddlebags the
four troopers had brought with them
gold belonging to himself, not to
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 VaIence and Avlgnon
in a wretched 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 al
the risk of his life, not only to snare