Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-24
PARIS FLOOD INCREASES
SEINE RISES TO HIGHEST
POINT SINCE 1902.
Bridges Endangered by Terrible
Tempest-Large Part Of City
Under Water.

PARIS. January 4.-The flood sitution
in Paris reached a more critical stage
this morning. The Seine has risen nine
inches since o'clock. and the river now
registers 7.53 meters at Port Royal This
is the highest the river has been since
1902. when it reached $50 meters, the
highest point recorded in the history of
France, except in the year 1915.
A terrible tempest of rain and wind
which broke over the city at daylight
and to the suffering of the poor and
homeless.
Although the waters of the Seine af-
fiuents above the city still are rising
rapidly. the municipal authorities were
hopeful this morning that the maximum
stage Of the waters will be reached by
nightfall. The river presents an awe-in-
spring spectacle.
Throngs Watch Flood.
quarter of a million people in a
drenching rain throng the stone para
pets and quays. watching the yellow tide,
which is crowded with driftwood, wine
casks and other wreckage, rushing sea-
ward. The water now is almost flush
with the arches of the bridges. Fire
men. police and troops are working like
blockades resulting from the floating
debris. and it is hoped thai all the
bridges will be saved. Traffic on Several
of the frazier ones, however, has been
stopped. All of the cellars of the quays
are filled with water. One of the chief
dangers is the weakening of the founda-
tions of the buildings along the water
front by the seeping waters. The re-
tanning walls of the foreign Office are
surrounded by water, and the beautiful
1-L1r To-, H. e L,,;I
veritable lake.
The streets around the chamber of dep
uties are considered unsafe, and all traf-
fic in these thoroughfares has been for
bidden
The tunnel between the Quai d'Orsay
and the Quai d'Austerlitz stations is a
rushing stream. The basement of the
Palais de Justice Is full of water, and
the first floor of the central police station
is untenable.
Water Famine Feared.
The partial >crippling of the water sup
ply threatens the capital with water
famine. The police are making a house.
toulouse canvass, notifying the inhabit-
ants to boil all water used for drinking
purposes, and thereby avoid the danger
of a typhoid epidemic.
T. The surface and underground railways,
which barely are sufficient under normal
conditions to cope with the traffic. ra-
main partially suspended, although no
worse today than yesterday. Railroad
traffic, however, now is utterly demoral-
ized and completely suspended to the
southwark of Paris.
The situation at suburban places up
and down the river is deplorable. The
lower quarters of all the towns on the
river below Paris are under water, the
streets of Auteuil resembling those of
Venice A dixie near st. Germain broke
today, flooding the valley as far as NAL
maison.
The lower portion of Bois de Boulogne
is a blanket of water reaching to Baga-
telle Judging from reports received to-
day from the provinces, quarter Of
France is under water.
Floods Chamber of Deputies.
At 10 o'clock this morning the Seine
was still rising at the rate of three
quarters of an inch an hour. Two ad-
ditional sections of the subway have sus-
pended operations.
The Quai de la Rapee is submerged and
the water is even with the top of the
Ouai Louvre Villiot, Travesiere and
Watt streets have been invaded by the
streams and the Lyon and st. Michels
stations are flooded. The water poured
into the basement Of the chamber of
deputies and drowned out the electric
light plant. In front of the aPlais de
Justice the street has caved in for q
distance of 100 feet. At Ivry one of the
walls)o of the hospital has fallen out.
Dragons have been dispatched to AL
fortville and Thias to rescue the people
on the islands where 1000 persons are
without shelter. Troops also have been
sent to Choisy-le-Roi to prevent piIlage.