Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-26
KAISER NOT WILLING PARIS LOSSES HUGE
Germany Opposes Delay in Estimated Flood Has Cost
Appkinq New Tariff. City s20o,0o0000.
)REPLY MADE TO KNOX SEINE Is STILL RISING
Believes Expected High Water Mark Will Be
Settled by February z Reached Tomorrow
WOULD NOT WAIT TILL MARCH PEOPLE SHOW GREAT PLUCK
All Political Divisions Forgotten
Work of Rescue-Thousands
justified. in
SEINE IS STILL RISING
Expected High Water Mark Will Be
Reached Tomorrow.
PEOPLE SHOW GREAT PLUCK
All Political Divisions Forgotten In
Work Of Rescue-Thousands Of
Persons Imprisoned in Houses.

France is in the throes of a
great national calamity. The
floods in Paris and throughout
the country have cost the people
hundreds of millions of dollars.
Many lives have been lost. The
suffering following in the wake
of the waters is intense. The
River Seine and its tributaries
continue to rise, bringing with
it still more destruction.
Great sections of the French
capital are under water. Six
square miles of the historic Bois
de Boulonge are submerged. The
Seine, sweeping over its banks.
has filled the subways, inundated
the Pa'cis Bourbon, caused sew
eral prominent streets to cave in
and menaces many Of the great
public buildings.
The military from all parts or
the country thave been called
upon to cope with the situation.
AT Charenton the food situa-
ton is appalling. Thousands of
residents have been rescued, but
$4,000 still remain helpless on
the housetops.
PARIS, January 26.-Premier BRAND
and Minister of Finance Cochery. after
a consultation today, estimated that the
flood losses would exceed 100000 900.
Paris has been divided into i've sections.
each in charge Of military commander.
who will control the relief and RESCUE
work.
The Seine continues to rise today. and
the situation grows worse hourly.
At Pont Royal this morning the raging
| torrent of the Seine was q feet inches
above low-water mark, and was rising at
| the rate of nearly an inch an hour,
against an hourly rise Of less than half
an inch yesterday.
Maximum Expected Tomorrow.
Although the River Marne was reported
| stationary at Fretesous, to the east OF
Paris, the Fluvial navigation department
declares that the volume Of water rush.
| ing down from the Yonne and the other
affiuents OF the Seine above leaves no hope
that the hgh-water mark will be reached
before tomorrow morning, when the flood
is expected to reach a maximum of thir-
ty-one feet, or a height greater than
was reached by the disastrous flood Of
1902.
| At the same time the department ad-
mits confidentially that it is impossible to
predict anything with accuracy, as the
whole of France is still in the grip of
an unprecedented storm. Rain, snow and
hail are falling everywhere, the coasts
are stormbound and ships are fleeing to
the harbors for refuge.
A binding snowstorm ragged in Paris
today and coupled with the bitter cold,
added to the general CONSERVATION. suf-
fering and misery of the poor and home
| less.
People Showing Pluck.
| In the face of a national disaster
France is giving a fine exhibition OF pluck
| and solidarity. Political divisions have
been buried and the government and peo-
| pie united to solve the problem Of re-
| lief. Powerless to do anything to con-
jure the rage Of the elements, those in
authority have devoted themselves solely
to the work of rescue and Of providing
shelter and food for the homeless
Every resource Of the government In
cluding the army, was employed today.
Boats were requisitioned at all ports and
l IA
Nevertheless Premier BRAND and the
other ministers, who had not left their
posts for forty-eight hours. were unable
to respond to the appeals for help COM
authorities have been instructed to act
on their own initiative. without awaiting
orders from the central government.
Yellow Channels in Streets.
The situation in Paris was not changed
appreciaply from yesterday, except that
more streets had been converted into yell
low canals, more districts evacuated, q
few more pavements had caved in and
traffic communication was more complete
ly paralyzed. One Of the greatest causes
of alarm continued to be the constant
rise of the subterranean streams under
the center Of Paris. which flooded eel
lars and undermined the foundations OF
buildings. Whole streets have been
over tine Seine are still standing, but
traffic over more than half Of them has
been closed. The report Of yesterday that
a steamer had broken from its moorings
and crashed against the Alma bridge was
incorrect Should such an accident occur
it would be necessary instantly to destroy
the bridge with explosives.
The refuse Of the city, which was car
ried off formerly in barges, is now being
dumped into the Seine.
Paris Becoming Isolated.
Another serious phase of the situation
is that Paris is becoming rapidly isolated,
telegraph and telephone wires being
drowned or grounded"
Wire communication is failing in all
directions. 1t is impossible today to CON-
municate by telephone between the two
banks of the Seine This greatly crippled
the work of relief and the dispatch OF
prompt succor. Only two railroads to the
north and west were operating directly
into Paris today.
railroad communication to the south
and with Italy, Switzerland and the Span
ish peninsula Is slow and by long and
tedious detours to avoid places where
the tracks have been washed out The