The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1910-02-01
DISTRESS
IS STILL ACUTE
Two Hundred Thousand Per-
sons Actually Homeless.
SEINE RECEDING SLOWLY


lists Is Shown by the Collapse Of
Sidewalks in Certain Parts of the
city-Many Days Must Elapse Be-
fore Anything Approaching Normal
Conditions Is Reached.
Paris, Feb. with 100000 persons
actually homeless in Paris and subur.
ban towns and 100000 without en-
ployment, with hundreds still imper-
lied by the flood and acute distress on
every hand, the government announced
that it "has the situation well in
hand"
This statement means no more than
that the crisis from the flood itself
has passed and that if everything goes
well and none of the threatened dan
gers materialize the city is in a posi-
tion to recover from the blow that has
fallen on it. .-. -
p The Seine Is receding slowly, but
only at the rate of half an inch an
hour. "~.a.
AS the situation slowly improves in
Paris the people are coming to a reali-
cation that they have not suffered
alone. In the towns and provinces
conditions are as deplorable as here.
At Bru-sur-Marne, town of 10000, it
Is estimated that 1900 persons are
destitute and suffering.
Nearly every city and hamlet along
the rivers of Eastern and Southern
France are in the same condition.
The government will probably as
sumo the task of disinfecting Paris,
as the work will not be done properly
If left to Individual persons. In sew
eral parts of the city the danger of
disease is already imminent.
Danger Is Still Great.
That there is still great danger of
further catastrophes in the undermine
ing of the streets and buildings was
shown by the collapse of the side
walks of the Rue st. Lazare and Cau-
martin. The sidewalks were precipi-
tated into the subways. These streets
have been added to the large section
Of the city that has been roped off
and barred to the public.
One by one the streets of Paris that
were bloodhound are reopening to
traffic and tramways are resuming, al
though from the slow subsidence of
the Seine it is apparent that it will be
many days before anything approach
ing normal condition is reached.
. Paris biggest rebuilding job will be
in her many miles of subway that
have been almost completely wrecked.
It will be several months before the
subway connections are re-estab-
lished.
Every mile of Paris underground
traffic system will have to be carefully
examined by engineers before trains
will be permitted to run. Hundreds
of those who had been driven from
their homes returned in boats and
will live for the next few days in the
upper floors.
Food supplies are delivered to hun
dreds of houses in boats, nearly all
the stores having substituted "boat
lines" for their delivery wagons.
+ Paris overrun by Thieves.
A reign OF crime and pillage, insti-
gated by thieves and apaches, is
sweeping the flood devastated sections
of Parts and it's suburbs, despite the
vigilance of thousands Of, soldiers and
police
The increasing depredations have
10 enraged the people that they are
taking the Law into their own hands
and are even fighting with the authori-
ties who attempt to save the looters
from the peoples wrath.
At A1fordville q boat containing
four apaches was chased by a boatload
of marines. A revolver battle was
fought between the two crews, the
looters' boat finally being sunk by the
fire OF the marines. Two of the rob-
bers were drowned, one was captured
and lynched and the fourth escaped.
Another boat manned by two pi-
rates was captured by a police boat.
The lynching of the pirates was mar
rowly averted by the gendarmes. II
Clerenton is pverrun with thieves
and the people there are arming them
selves, as the officials have proved
impotent to check the lawlessness.