Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-29

Paris, Jan. 2S.-An agonizing cry
goes up from the people of Paris to-
night. Wild the end never Gomez
they are asking.
After slow but steady rise of the
waters throughout the day the tluvial
department at midnight could only is
sue statement in answer saying that
it was probable the crest of the turb-
ulent flood would be reached tomorrow.
The water has begun to fall in all of
the afiluents of the Seine above Paris,
but the passage through the city is
clogged by bridges and an immense
accumulation Of drift, and the seething
waters hourly are spreading over new
acres. Choked underground rivers and
sewers are bursting their confines and
playing havoc with the streets, swamp
ing more cellars and threatening more
foundations of buildings
a story of the details of the great
est food that has swept Paris in years
would simply be a repetition of what
has gore before. Tonight the city pre-
serts a weird spectacle, the soldiers,
sailors, firemen and police hastily con-
structing temporary walls by the light
of camp fires and torches in an en-
deavor 10 keep out the invading va
tiers, while pickets patrol those sections
Of the city which are plunged in dark
ness by the bursting of the gas mains
and the stoppage of the electric light
ing plants.
The situation in the Place D'Opera
tonight is grave. The entire territory
has been roped off as being unsafe. il
is stated also that the new Equitable
Life Assurance building is in danger OF
collapse.
President Fallieries and M. BRAND
drove in automobiles today to the
flooded suburbs whore distress is
greatest. speaking words of comfort to
the homeless and encouraging the sol
diers and others engaged in salvage
and rescue work. On their return they
said that everything humanity possible
was being done to aid the stricken and
prevent further ravages by the flood.
Charitable organizations are coop
Grating with the authorities IN throw
ing open their buildings and succoring
refugees Several converts and a num-
Der Of public buildings have been
equipped with military cots and bell
ding and transformed into hospitals
The Red Cross is performing splendid
service in distributing food and cloth
ing.
Nevertheless, numerous pitiful in
stances are recited of women and chill
dren who refused to leave their homes
in the submerged districts, shrieking
from their windows for bread
1t is difficult to present mental pic
ture of the geographical limits of the
submerged area of Paris, but, rough
ly speaking, it is estimated that the
surface inundated from the Sein which
must not be COMPOUNDED with the over
flow in the back streets from bursted
sewers and subterranean rivers. Gov
ers about nine square miles, or one
quarter of the city.
Beginning above where the Seine
enters the Fertilization, every quay is
under water, and practically the entire
18th ACCOMPLISHMENTS, The largest in the
city. is submerged, the flood extending
back from the Qua De Borcey and the
Quay De La Rapee to the Place De La
Nation and the Place De La Bastile.
Just below. as far as the Place Du
Chatele, behind the Quay Des Ceiest-
ms and the Quay Henry Nv water Gov
ers the old marsh to a depth of Il
feet. The lower quarters of the lie ST.
Louis and the lie De La Cite, where
Notre Dame is situated and 1mmedi-
atelv opposite are covered; the streets
in front of the Tuillieries gardens. the
Louvre aud the Museum are complete
ly immersed, and the same CONDITION
exists in patches in the Place DE La
Concorde. Thence in space bounded
by the river and the Avenue Champs
Elysee is a sheet of water surround
ing the Grand and Petit Palaces, four
feet in depth.
Below the Trocade the floods widen
until at Auteuil it reaches back half
a mile. The left bank of theSenie the
water is generally deeper in the food
ed districts. Beginning above the city
it covers major portion of the 18th
reimbursement back as far as the
Gonolin factory and thence except for
ste Genevieve hill, on which the Pan
tbeon is situated, it is bounded by St.
cermain boulevard to point back of
the Pals Bourbon This district is
called the Old Latin quarter and COM
nrisas the Law Courts. the Institute
Des Beaux Art, the MaZarin Palace and
scientific Publishing Houses.
Farther below, the water surrounds
the foreign Office and sweeps back
across the Esplanade Des Invalides and
from that district to the Champs De
Mars, where the Eiffel Tower stands.
Transverse streets like Bonaparte
throughout this area are under water
from two to five feet and are only ac-
cessable by boats. s
Below the Champs De Mars to the
Notifications the JaYel district ia sub