Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1910-02-04
FLOOD in GAY PARIS
MUCH SUFFERING is RESULT
OF CALAMITY.
Water Is subsiding, Bringing Some Re
lief-Fear Fire and Pestilence-Loss
to France Will Be 100000, ooO-
Paris Disaster Worst in Many Years
100000 Homeless.

Paris, Jan. 3O.-Paris disaster in
facts and figures:
Damage, $3OO,oOO,OOo.
Lives lost, 100.
Area of inundated regions, four and
a half square miles.
Maximum height of Seine, 80 feet
II inches.
Sewers flooded and burst by water,
200 miles.
Worst flood since 1868.
Persons homeless, penniless or other
wise affected, 100000.
Refugees who fed into city, 975.
Americans in Paris, 10000.
Relief funds contributed, $1,5O0,OOO.
River falling now.
New perils are fire, Apaches and
pestilence.
London, Jan. 30.-That the full story
of the devastation and suffering caused
by the French flood is being carefully
suppressed and censored out of tele-
grams by the French government is the
statement made here by refugees ar
irving from the French capital.
"The French government does not
care to scare the horde of tourists
whose millions annually make Paris the
city it is, and for that reason, the true
situation is being kept from the outside
world. "
Water Receding.
Paris.-Slowly the swollen waters of
the Seine, which have reached their
high mark, are subsiding, and the fall
measured four and one-half inches
enough to bring sense of relief to
the desolated and distracted city.
The danger of some great calamity,
such as has been predicted, now seems
over, although the situation continues
critical, particularly near the st. La
zaire station, where 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 is to weaken foundations
generally and this causes the greatest
anxiety. Besides, there will be thou
sands of acres to be cleared off when
the water has receded.
1t is believed the breaking of the
dam at Gennevillieres approximately
has fastened the climax by releasing
an immense amount of water, but the
consequences below are appalling.
Gennevillieres and Colonies have
$4,000 inhabitants. The sections are
completely submerged, the water reach
ing the tops of houses in the lower
section, while the flood is backing up
into the center of Asnieres
Certainly 10000 people have been
driven from their homes in the valley
of the Seine to hospital and other
buildings placed at their disposition
Premier BRAND gave categorical de-
NAL to reports that the government
contemplated proclaiming a state of
siege in the city. He said that there
would have been no hesitation to do
this if the necessity had arisen, but that
the public had manifested complete
confidence in the government and was
cooperating in such splendid fashion
that France might well be proud before
the world.
Free Food and Clothing.
Sixty relief stations have been es-
tablished in Paris, as well as camps
for the free distribution of soup, food
and clothing in the outskirts of in
undated towns and villages along the
INV NaxrorHholnes
cially in country districts, are pitiful.
The houses of farmers are submerged
to their roofs and in many cases in
habitants have lost everything.
1t is estimated that the Seine, which
under normal conditions moves through
Paris at the sluggish rate of less than
mile an hour, is now carrying 80
times the ordinary volume at 20 miles
an hour.
A number of deplorable incidents
have been reported. Several shop
keepers who attempted to charge
quadruple prices have been mobbed,
while grocery man who was driven
to the upper story of his house by an
angry crowd fred a revolver, wound
ing woman. Rowdies have attempted
to pillage many houses and at several
towns they have been driven off by the
military.
Explanations of the floods given by
French scientists are of especial in
terest. Etienne Stanislas Meunier, an
eminent geologist, considers the phe-
nomenon to be more of a geological
than meteorological nature. He de
clares the soil of the entire basin on
the Seine has become filed to the point
of complete saturation in the proceed
ing three months of general rains with
moderate temperatures, which retarded
evaporation. When the heavy rain:
came last week the ground was abso
lutely impermeable and the water rar
off as if from cement floor.
Ambassador Bacon Active.
The American chamber of commerce
presided over by Ambassador Bacon
adopted resolutions of sympathy. Tht
American ambassador said he and Con
sui General Mason were receiving cable
grams offering aid if agreeable to tn,
French government.