Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-02-04
WATERS OF SEINE
BEGIN TO RECEDs
AMID FRENCH JOY
Stricken Capital, However, Is
Still Scene Of Peril and Great
. Devastation.

Paris, Jan. 28.-The sun is
shining in Paris today. The
rain ceased throughout the af-
flicted districts before noon,
and, as the waters of the Seine
appear to subside, the lamenta-
tions of the populace gave way
to rejoicing. It is hoped the
worst is over, but the wish is
father to the thought. At IL
o'clock the guage showed a
drop in the waters of the Seine
at Pont Royal. The subsistence
continued for 80 minutes,
amounting to three quarters Of
an inch.
Cries of JOY from the watch
ers were taken up by thousands
along the quays. Later it was
claimed that the falling was due
ITO the rapid overflow into the
Bercy quarter from Paris,
where the Seine had broken
its barriers. The experts say
the river was still rising this
afternoon, but that the maxi
mum food had been reached
at 3 o'clock.
The Bercy quarter has been
abandoned by the residents.
The temperature has mod
Grated to a great extent, af-
fording much relief to homeless
ones.
President Fallieres and Pre-
mier BRAND today visited the
hospitals and other places
where refugees have been
sheltered. Notre Dame was
surrounded by water today and
the Crypts were flooded. The
rotten palisades back of the lie
st. Louis gave way and the
situation in the overfiowed
quarter back of the Quai Bercy
was rendered critical. During
the forenoon the Quai D'Auster-
iitz embankment gave way with
a roar, flooding new districts.
The water has not yet reached
the Catacombs, where rest
5000, 600 skulls.
Fissure Source Of Danger.
Perhaps the most alarming feature OF
the situation in the morning was the
assure at the Auteuil viaduct at the
foot Of Paris. Should this give way il
would act as a dam and submerge the
entire city.
The valley of the Seine now presents
a terrifying spectacle. The flood is
miles wide for rs miles above, and the
raging torrent runs through the city
at the rate of rs miles al hour. 1t is
nush with the parapets of the bridges
where it is not actually Overlooking
them, turning streets into muddy la
goons and choking underground work
ings to the bursting point.
There are 700 miles of sewers and two
rivers, the Biervre and the Grange Bo-
tel Betliere, under Paris. The latter
is running under the opera house whose
combining walls are subjected to the
pressure of thousands of cubic yards
of water. Wherever a break in mason
ry occurs the streets cave in and the
water and refuse emerge. Thus dozens
of places a mile back from the river
streets are flooded and the walls Of
adjoining buildings have been rendered
Sansafe. In al instances the police
have forced tenants to abandon their
threatened homes.
Resembles Besieged City.
Paris today resembles a beleaguered
city. The military commander in each
of the five sections into which the me-
tropolis has been divided holds his SOL
diers in constant readiness for dispatch
to points of danger.
Fifteen thousand laborers of the city
are out of work n though subscrip-
tions are pouring In, $500, 900 having
been raised last night, of which 81, 40C
was contributed by the American cham
Der of commerce, the government today
decided to ask parliament for an addi-
tiona, credit so be used in relief work.
Eve:y minute today brought a new
tale of disaster. At s o'clock the vault
of the Orleans railway tunnel gave way
at the Rue Git-Le-Coeur Another bad
cdVe-lH occurred III the Hue Lille, mood
ing the quarters of the German en-
baSSy.
Foreign Office Abandoned.
The buildings OF the foreign office
were surrounded by water this morn
ing and abandoned. The main drain
under the Champs-De-Mars broke DUR
ing the forenoon and the blanket of wa
ter extended back to the Invalides,
where repose the bones of Napoleon.
Several subsidences nave occurred in
the Place De La Concordo, the Rue st.
Hondre and the Rue De Lappe. The
Easements OF the Grand Palace and the
nome OF President Faiiieres are nIled
with water. Whole sections OF the city