The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-01-24
Rain and Snow Make the Situation
Begin to Assume the Proper
tions Of Great Ma
tionaI Disaster.
PARIS rs NOW IN DANGER
Electric Lights are Out and In Some
Sections Of. the City the People
Have Abandoned Their
Homes.

PARIS, Jan. 24-Rain intermingled
with snow began falling again and the
floods last night exceeded all records
and are fast assuming the proportions
of national disaster In the north,
east and west hundreds are homeless.
1t is impossible to estimate the dam
age. but it will be very great
The rise in the waters continued
during all of Monday. At Paris, the
Seine, had reached 40 at noon Mon
day The normal height of the river
at this season is 2.4S. The torrent
almost touched the arches of the beau
tiful bridges, threatening the destruc-
tion of those works of art. The pont
de L'Alma is in momentary danger.
The arches of the bridges are still
above the water, but the flood threat
ems soon to overtop them.
A dispatch from Chalons Sur Marne
says huge volume of water is sweep
ing downstream toward Paris. M.
Lepins, prefect of Paris, took the grav-
est view of the situation.
The Weather Bureau" he said,
forecasts a further rise of so cen
timeters tonight / do not know what
to do in the face of this situation"
A serious accident occurred last
night. One of the water mains serv-
ing Ave of the most populous arrondis-
sements burst and these districts are
without water. II IS feared the city
will be in like condition very soon.
as the food is invading the pumping
stations. Tie compressed air factory,
which supplies the elevators in Paris,
has. also been forced to shut down.
One of the great engines which
pump the sewerage in the eastern
section of Paris broke down on
account OF the flood, and as result
the sewers threaten to overflow the
streets. Electric lights and trolley SER
vice is out of commission in some
section. The officials of the prefec-
ture are finding great difficulty in Sc
curing shelter for the homeless. Many
persons vacated their quarters Satur-
day and about 200 more vacated Sun
day On the boulevard of ST. Germain
house is tottering and threatening
to fall on the Chamber of Deputies.
There is a big hole outside of the
Foreign office, and the main gas pipe
in the adjoining street has broken,
giving rise to considerable anprehen-
sion The Invalides Railroad Station,
next door. is partially inundated, while
the cellars of the Palaise d'Orsay Hotel
and the Louvre Museum are flooded
One of the few casualties reported
was the sweeping away of a man who
was trying to drag out some float
ing logs from the river.
The situation in the outskirts o
Paris is even worse than within th'
city proper At Alfortville the dan
burst, overwhelming 200 houses, th'
people being forced to fly, Leaving
their belongings behind.
The are signs of improvement il
the situation in Loire, Rhone, Marine
and Aube. On the other hand the So
oine and Doubs valley is one hug
lake, about ten miles broad. OF si
villages. the roofs are alone shown
above the water
The whole Champagne region is in
critical position. Vitry-Le-Franceis
in the department Marne, stands ist
lated in the midst of a lake a mile o
two wide All the country betwee
Arrigny and Larzicourt is under wa
er
At the latter place several house
collapsed The damage is enormous
The weather is warm today and
Is still raining, causing a cortinus
rise of the River Seine, which is a
ready at an unprecedented heigh
threatening the city with great los
The Seine will likely food the roa'
way Of the famous Place de la Coz
corde within few hours. The ei
tire city is in danger of water fan
ME- Five districts are already wit
out water due to the breaking of tn
mains and the contamination by sey
age. The basement of the Louvre, tn
worlds greatest art palace, is fioode
Pictures and plaster casts are oelr
damaged by the dampness and tn
loss promises to be irreparable. I'll
government Is taking active steps
prevent an epidemic of typhoid.