The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-01-27

the city is completely suspended and the one thought in the minds of the people is the inlminence of a stagger- ing calamity that may yet come if. the Seine continues to rise.
 l For once Paris has been SObered. The gay mood that permitted the peo- pie to look upon the flood in it's early stages as a spectacle for their enter tainment has departed and grim fear is now in the hearts of everyone and is plainly written in the faces of all.
 Every subway in Paris-and Paris has more underground tunnels of one sort and another than any other city in the worlds how flooded. This is the cause of the enormous danage, a damage that in Paris alone is likely to run over $100, 900. These subter- ranean rivers have caused the collapse Of scores of streets and are responsible for the water that now stands in vary ing depths over nearly half of the city.
 Had it not been for the filling of these subways the loss would have been comparatively slight, confined mostly to the property along the river front. As it is, every part of the city has been affected. Engineers declar- ed today that if the waters immediate ly SubSide it will take two years to repair the damage done in Paris "un- derground world.''
 The stage of the Seine is now 2S feet and inches. The river is over the arches of the Pont Royal
 The United Press correspondent wit messed the novel sight today of a flock of wild ducks swimming in the water that has now reached the branches of the trees in the Henry W Park on the Isle De La Cite, in the river Seine. The aged keeper of this park com mitted suicide today when he looked upon the ruin that had been wrought. He had been seriously ill for several days but left his bed today to see whether the terrible stories that had ' been told him were true When he saw that the ravage of the park was complete, he killed himself
 , Police and soldiers are literally driv- ing hundreds of the poor from their homes in the inundated sections to prevent them from being crushed to death in the collapse of their houses. Scores of these houses have already , Public halls churches, school build ings and even such magnificent struc- lures as the Pantheon are being con- verted into refuges for the poor. Through the cooperation of the po- lice, soldiers and Red Cross societies, the thousands of destitute are being fairly well fed. Owing to the scare ity of food, however. coffee and rolls are the principal rations. Huge cof- !, fee boilers are steaming on many of l the street corners
 Never before has such a depressing , spectacle been witnessed as the almost constant procession to Paris of the un- fortunates from the flooded environs. Thousands of these are coming to the city in the hope of finding food shel- ter and medical attention. Scantily clad women, with babies in their arms, aged men pulling rickety carts con- taining their household effects, crip- pies carried on filters or riding on im- provised carts, drawn in some cases by women and dogs, crying children and half crazen men, make up the sad procession.
 , situation. The suspension of prac- tically all railway traffic is a forum ate thing for Paris in one respect. for it has prevented the influx of thou sands of destitute from other stricken cities.
 The disaster is so widespread that each city will have to care as best it can for it's own sufferers.
 The German Embassy in the Rue De Lille was flooded today. The entire Isle De La Cite is threatened. The waters of the Seine have already sub merged a large part of the island. The water is now over the arches of the Archiveque Alma, Solferino and St. Michel bridges and their destruction, either by the river itself or by the au- CnOrlt1GS to prevent UdI1 forming III the river is threatened.
 One hundred boats manned by ma- rines, arrived in the Bercey section to- day to rescue thej imperilled people. This section is badly undermined and it's streets are collapsing. The roof of the subway has fallen in. The Quai St. Michel and the Boulevard St. Au- gustines have been partially wrecked. Other streets are reported sinking
 The conditions at Billancourt Auto uI Passy, Grenelle, Javel, Bercey, Ivry and Charenton are extremely critical. The wealthier residents have removed } to the hotels but the poor have been forced to remain and face the dan ger.
 A small fire occurred today in the building of the ministry of public works in the Rue St Germaine, due to , the destroying of the electric accum- mulators by the flood The firemen and efficiency by standing waist deep F1n the icy waters and successfully fighting the fire. which was put out after a slight loss.
 Food prices are still rising and it is possible that the government will have either to interfere to prevent the price of necessities from being put beyond the reach of the poor or confiscate the supplies which are being rapidly de- pleted The situation regarding food | Is hourly becoming more acute and un- less there is restoration of traffic within the next three days a famine is threatened
 The Senate has authorized depart n1ent officials to urge all of France to I draw on the government for funds.