The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-31
FLOOD RAVAGES
GROWGREATERAS
WATERSGODOWN
Situation in Paris Seems
Graver as Seine
Recedes.
CITY In DARKNESS,
PEOPLE STARVING
Houses Turnbling Down, and
Many Persons Are Rescued
From Roofs Where They
Have Clung for Days.
,Ghouls at Their Work
of Robbery.

imminent peril is over, the fall of the
Seine since yesterday morning has
measured only 10 1-c inches. At this
rate 1T would require a fortnight for
the river to reach its normal level.
Fortunately, tidinEs from the flooded
sections above Paris give hope OF =
more rapid subsidcncc after to-mor-
row.
In the meantime the situation in
Paris and In many places throughout
the country shows little Improvement.
Indeed the rnvnses of the flood within
the city seemed actually to Increase
to-day. The water was higher in
some OF the streets, while the situa-
ton at the Inundated towns between
Paris and st. GERMAN was distinctly
srnvcr.
A stream of water twelve feet deep
was rushing through Gennevilliers
and Colombes. making the work OF
| rescue and succor more difficult even
than yesterday Several of the houses
collapsed, and many persons We're ta-
| ken off the roofs of their homes, where
they had been clinging for days. Hun
dreds are reported without food and
shelter, and all day an army of troops
| and civilians worked in the flooded
territory bringing succor to the dis
4 tressed, and distributing provisions by
boats to the thousands of victims sur.
rounded by water. who refused to quit
their homes.
4 Within the city itself great :hrongs
of sightseers, in the bright sunshine,
besieged the cordons of. troops which
frlnged the flooded districts.
Danger of Cnvc-Ins.
On account of the danger of cave
! ins from the pressure of the boiling
| waters beneath, hundreds of points
were vigorously guarded. Pumping
engines, belching forth smoke and
| sparks, added to tho thrills and gave
an impression that universal con-
| hagration was raging.
Tonight the city was plunged In
darkness. relieved only by the camp
fires of the soldiers at the waters
edge or the flIckering torch of some
hoa ting sentinel.
The Champs Elysees, ordinarily q
pathway Of brilliant light, tonight
had hand lanterns strung along the
curbs. The usually gay boulevards
we're wrapped in silence and dark
| ness. and the restaurants and cafes
were reduced to dim candles and Ve-
netian lamps
IL, otra yxrA 30 ri
but the Comedie Franchise, with both
Its electricity and heat gone. was
open, Jules Claretie. the manager. eN-.
plaining to the meagre audience be-
! fore the curtain rose that he cnnsid-
| cred the National Theatre of France
should not close its doors
Although there Is no intention on
the part of the government to declare
martial law, the completely submerged
districts, such as Javel. are In the
hands of the military. to prevent pillas-
| ing. The soldiers have orders to give
| short shrift to criminals caught In the
act Of lootlng Thus far there nave
been no such cases within the city, but
the danger is great. as the French us
1 ualIy keep their money and valuables
i In their homes.
]. rhicve, mt Work.
l Outside of Paris, however. many de.
i nlorahlc instances of looting have been
i reported. A band of thieves has been
i at work in the vicinity of Charcnton,
II but the soldiers have been shootlnS
thcm at sight Tho Iouaves last night
killed two of the pllagers at lnvry and
two at Bre These ghouis nave now
! transferred their operations TO the de-
q wasted region below Paris many at
i tempts to pillage the deserted villas
and homes helms 9 reported.
The papers recount many deeds OF
\ heroism of priests at Alfortville, who
n continued the work Of rescue between
4 midnight aud daylight, when the sol
diers, jackies and tlremen, after sey-
l eral days without rest. had become en-
j hausted sisters of Charity rowed To
i houses giving assistance IN seNerdl
] cases of starvat ton.
Besides the aid distributed directly
by the government and the nuntet-
pallty, more than sa5oooo from the
! fund raised by the newspapers has
| lief societies and the local arthori-
| ties Of the various towns and villages
near Paris. The press refers gratefully
| to tho spontaneous help coming from
| abroad, and makes particular mention
of the evidences of sympathy In the
| United States,
In Pitiabie PLIGHT.
a pitlable feature OF the food In
| Genneytllers Is the plight or the col
ony Of 5000 rag pickers one-fonrth5
| of whom are children. They are tho
poorest of all the Paris poor. and early
| each morning they cross the Seine 10
| sort tho refuse barrels OF the great
Lofty. Their village was cluster of
thanked with heaps OF bones, rags aud
iron and odds and ends,
\ Upon the bursting Of the dam the
torrents OF the Seine swept away
L Iaxt n
who had remained in the Village.
snatched up their children and fied for
their lives, most OF them scaatiiy clad.
N