Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-01-30
Drop, While Small, is Sufficient to
Bring Sense of Relief.
POSSIBILITY OF EPIDEMIC
Thousands of Acres to Be Cleared
When Flood Subsidies.
PAvEMENTs TORN BY PRESSURE
Huge Fissures Appear in Streets
and Large Sections of the City
Have Been Converted
Into Lakes,

PARIS. Jan. 2o.-slowly, very slowly,
the swollen waters Of the Seine, which
reached their high mark at o'clock this
morning were subsiding and at midnight
the fall measured about four and one-half
inohes-not much. but enough TO bring
sense of relief to the desolated and dis
tracted city.
The danger OF some great calamity, such
as has been predicted, now seems over,
although the situation continues to be
critical, particularly in the neighborhood
of the ST. l.azare station. where the entire
streets and solid blocks of buildings
threaten to sink through the crust into the
waters beneath.
The effect Of the removal of the water
pressure has been to weaken foundations
generally and this causes the greatest
anxiety Besides there will be thousands
of acres to be cleared or repaired when
the water has receded. and there is also
the possibility of an epidemic breaking out
1t is generally believed that the break
ing Of the dam at GeBneviliers appreciaby
hastened the climax by RELEASING an i'm
mense volume of water, but the conse-
quences below are appalling. Gennevillers
and Colombes have $4,000 inhabitants; they
are completely submerged, the water
reaching the tops of the houses in the
lower section, while the flood is backing
up into the very center of Asnieres.
Figures as to the number of persons af-
fected bv the flood in the valley of the
ssine are pure guesswork, but certainly
10000 have been driven from their homes
to the hospitals and other buildings which
I have been placed at the disposition of the
refugees.
Such dispatches as have reacned here
from the provinces Indicate q general i'm
provement in conditions except in the
lower valley OF the Seine.
High Point Reached.
The high mark reached by the River,
Seine at pont Royal wSa thirty -one feet one
inch. This is the highest known record.
The flood of 1915 Is said to have attained
its crest at thirty feet six inches.
The situation throughout the city con-
tinues grave and there is fear that the
n recedlng waters will cause the collapse of
many building whose foundations have been
weakened.
The crest of the flood was reached at
late midnight. The waters remained sta
tionary until 2 o'clock, after which they
fell slowly. At 8 o'clock there had been
cial statement issued this forenoon.
During the night the storm clouds dis
appeared and the weather cleared. This
morning the sun shone brightly.
The delay in teegraphic communication
throughout France and to Italy and Switz-
erland continues today.
Despite the fact that the waters subsidized
during the forenoon the situation within
the city was not improved. on the con-
trary the surface water further. invaded
the streets, while the pressure from the
4 choking torrents underground opened new
crevices in some places and at other points
forced up the pavements into great OBJ
structing hummocks, fitting and sometimes
tearing up trees and lamp posts.
This was especially noticeable in the
Place de Laconcorde, the Rue Royale and
the Place de Lopera. The greatest dam
age has been done at the Place de ropera
and at the St, Lazare station.
Equitable Building Damaged.
At the former four bad cave-ins occurred,
) one in front OF the new building of the
Equitable Life Assurance society, where
the water has poured into the basement.
Workmen have succeeded In erecting tenn
porary walls to protect the furnaces.
Z, The situation, however, is not as critical
In the Place de rOpera as in the region In
front OF the st. Lazare station. where the
waters racing through the Due de La
Grange-Bateliere subway, Joining the flood
OF overflowed sewers. has turned the Place
du Havre into a lake and some sections
OF the Rue de L'Arcade, the Rue de LIsly
and the Boulevard Haussmann, in front of
the Expitori chapel erected to the memory
OF the decapitated Bourbons. into veritabe
rivers. All OF the buildings within this
Quadratorial have been evacuated and are
surrounded by a Gordon OF soldiers.
The big department stores. including the
lPrintSmps and the galleries Lafayette have
been closed. Firemen and sappers were
engaged In constructing dams In this vicin-
ity There was great danger In the streets
as some OF the buildings appeared likely
TO collapse.
People Disappear In sewers.
There have been dozen instances where
persons have disappeared in crevices sud
denly opened under their feet or been
swept away in the sewer flood
Many pltiful stories are told OF the rescue
of half starved persons who had been inn
prisoned in their houses. Two families
with nine children, who had been drifting
about on a raft all night were discovered
in the Cavel district at daylight and res
cued number Of persons have become
insane through fear and suffering.
4 One sailor, who had engaged In the work
or rescue until he reached the limit OF
physical and mental endurance. became
eraEed, jumped into the Seine and wa:
drowned.
Two hundred additional canvas boats
with crews arrived at points on the water
'front.' above ana below the city this morn.
. ing. They have undertaken TO aid the resi-
dents OF the suburbs, The government ha.
requisitioned very boat obtainable and
posted notices everywhere warning FLOOD
sufferers not 10 pay the boatmen anything
fpr their services.
Many private individuals Including tn,
Athschilds have placed their automobiles