New-York tribune., 1910-01-30
SEINES WATERS
SLOWLY FALL
ASPECT OF FLOODED
CITY APPALLING.
Scores of Fast Lakes-Fears
of Falling Buildings
and Epidemic.
rBy cable to The Tribune.

TBv Cable 70 The Tribune.T
Paris. Jan. 29-In regard 10 the actual
rise OF the food. the worst in Paris Is
now over. and with a continuance OF the
present bright clear weather. a ther-
mometer at 8 degrees Centigrade and
rising barometer. the level OF the Seine IS
slowly falling The aspect OF the city is.
however. more appalling than ever.
Scores of vast lakes OF foul water. the
color of pea soup. are formed. embracing
the Champs E,lysees from ROnd Point 70
the Place de la Concorde- The fashion
able Jean Goujon quarter. the Care de
St Lazare, the Easements of the Louvre
the Jardin des Plantes. the Gobeln tap
estry factory. Passy and Auteull are all
under water. as is also nearly the whole
OF that portion OF the city on the left
bank of the Seine within half mile OF
the river
A boat service is organized in the IN
undated sections for the conveyance Of
the inhabitants TO and from their
houses and TO supply drinking water and
provisions During night these parts OF
the city. deprived OF gas. electric light
and drinking water, are plunged in dark
ness. which has a weird Gustave Dore
note owing TO soldiers and policemen
standing at intervals holding lanterns.
and in some cases motor lamps The i'm
mersiOn of the Easements at the Halles
CentraIes at one time threatened
breakdown in the food supply. but this
danger is now averted-
PANORAMA FROM CATHEDRAL
BY a special favor on the part OF the
authorities l was able TO get myself
punted in an ancient barge. which was
being utilized for rescue purposes, to the
great open space surrounding Notre
Dame This place is now covered with
ripping water. There is no finer point
from which TO view the Seine than from
the top Of the north tower Of the cathe-
draI where, after an ascent OF three
hundred winding and narrow stone steps
1 found below me vast gray panorama
of a city blotched. smea-ed and dappled
with lakes. ponds and puddles Of yellow
water, between which flew along with an
audible rush the raging river, plunging
furiously. and. as 1T were. blindly for
ward like team OF mdddened horses
which had taken the bits between their
teeth I was reminded most vivtdly OF
1he inundation by the Nile. OF the same
color as the surging Seine. and with the
same muddy. nauseous exhalat1ons-
ONLY the author OF Paradise Lost"
could have described the chaotic horror
of this catastrophe force. which seemed
TO be gripping the entire city. huge as IL
is. in ring OF watery death
Three parts of Paris's thOroughfares
had disappeared beneath this oozy wave
An ocean seemed TO be rising up instead
of a capital. and deep covering or
snow further served 10 render Paris uu-
recognizable The famous chimera or
N6tre Dame lie Penseur, with its
diabolic medieval grin and protruding
tongue. stared down at my elbow from
his thousa and-year-old parapet across the
dismal scene 10 the Einel Tower ghost
like in the hazy distance beyond and
seemed TO be laughing at the efforts or
modern engineers 70 triumph over
Nature. To the right OF me was the
onIv solid bridge not endangered. and
this is the Oldest of them all. the Ponr
Neuf. built four hundred years ago The
Paris which I had seen IN May. 1871 the
victim of FIRE. is to-day suffering as
greatly from food
BEASTS IN zoo SUFFER
The Jardin des Plantes. the Paris Zoo.
which I visited this morning by special
permission. il being closed 10 the gem
eraI public. presented a most lan,entabie
aspect. The pits reserved for bears are
a ward deep in water Piles Of stones
have been thrown in, thus enabling the
wretched beasts 10 find refuge from the
food. Furnaces for heating the houses
where the serpents. snakes and monkeys
live are flooded The result is that the
reptfIes seem dead with cold. and the
monkeys are all huddled together. pitt
fully moaning as they try TO keep each
other warm
The rhinoceros is plUnging in water
and the polar bears are swimming about.
enioying themselves immensely The
lions. tigers, leopards and wildcats ara
stiff and fiat on the floors OF their cages.
suffering from cold The elephants stand
motionless. now and then uttering
uIaintive grunt as they shiver- The
giraTes are all huddIed up IN blankets
Although foot deep IN water. so far -
rare or valuable animals have perished-
and it is hoped that temporary fires VIII
suffice 10 supply enough heat to keep
- +~~-soay T,aaS-S and raprfIaS aTfN-a