Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-28
SOLDIERS WORK DESPERATELY.
Large Forces Try to Prevent Still Further
Damage===The Conditions in Paris Grow
Worse, But General Improvement Is
Reported from the Provinces
Italy Also Has Big Floods.

places a coating of ice has formed on
the flood water in the streets. The Cham
Der of Deputies has voted recognition OF
the excellent service of police. soldiers
| and officials in the work of rescue.
At midnight the water at the Point
| Royal was still rising, but only small
| fraction of an inch an hour. 1t was
expected that the high mark would be
reached between and 10 o'clock to-
morrow morning when it would be
within a few inches of the highest
flood, recorded in 1915. A gradual fall
is looked for after that, unless there is
a change in the temperature. Reports
from Marine and Yenno, up the Seine,
say that The water is lowering in those
sections
AT 80 \. NJ, the water forced it's way
up through the subway workings in the
Rue st. Lazare, which is inundated the
whole of its length. In several places
the sidewalk fell in. The subway under
the Place De L'Opera has collapsed and
the sidewalk in front of the New York
Equitable Society's building has sunk in
Blue jackets have succeeded in re-
moving the wreckage that had gather
ed at all the bridges. removing in a
measure the danger of various villages
being flood as the result of the dam
ming. At Alfortville, pillaging reached
such proportions as to necessitate
sending out extra patrols tonight with
explicit instructions to shoot at sight
The King of Belgium has sent $4,000
to the flood victims, through the Bel
GUM minister
Wkk1lH3H}s
Paris. Jan. 27.-The river Selma
whose flood has caused death ad de-
structon during the past few days, was
stationary at noon today.
The stage of the water this morn
ing exceeded all records back to 1915
and up to IL o'clock the river continued
to rise at the rate Of three-uuarters of
an inch an hour.
Hope was given to the local authori-
ties by an early report that the Seine
was stationary at it's upper reached.
AT Melun. Nogent and Bray, the maxi
mum flood was reached during the
nlght. On the other hand the river
Marine was reported as still rising
and new and higher flood was rae
ing down the Yonne and the Grand
NORM.
Perhaps the most alarming feature
of the situation in the morning was the
fisSlre at the Auteuil viaduct at the
root Of Paris. Should this give way it
would act as a dam and submerge
the entire city.
The valley of the Seine now presents
a terrifying spectacle The flood is
miles wide for twenty-five miles above
and the raging torrent runs through the
narrow gut of the city at the rate of
% miles an hour. 1t is. flush with the
parapets of the bridges where it is not
actually overfiowing them, turning the
streets into muddy lagoons and chok-
ing underground workings of the city
to the bursting point.
There are 700 miles of sewers and
two rivers, the Bievre and the Grand
Botel Betliere, under Paris. The lat
ter is running under the opera house
wohse combining walls are subjected to
the pressure of thousands of cubic
yards of water. Wherever a break in
ma sorry occurs the streets cave in and
the water and refuse emerge. Thus
dozens of palaces a mile back from the
river streets are flooded and the walls
of adjoining buildings have been rem
derod unsafe. In many instances the
police have forced the tenants to
abandon their threatened homes.
Paris today resembles a beleaguered
city. The military commander in each
OF the five sections into which the Me-
trorolis has been divided, holds his
, soldiers in constant readiness for des-
patch to points of danger The govern
ment of the municipality has placed the
military barracks and public school
buildings at the disposition of the
| refugees. who already number. il is es-
timated, more than 100000. Fifteen
thousand laborers of the city are also
out of work and though subscriptions
are pouring in. 100000 having been
raised last night, of which s14OO was
contributed by the American Chamber
OF commerce. the government this
morning decided to ask Parliament for
an addltlonal credit to be used in re-
| lief work.
| Every minute today brought a new
tale of disaster. At o'clock, the wal
OF the Orleans railway tunnel gave wax
at the Rue Cithle-Coenr. Another bar
cavern occurred in the Rue Lille, flood.
ing the quarters of the German EN-.
bassy. The buildings of the foreign of
five We're surrounded by water thi.
morning and abandoned. The MAR
drain under the Champs De Mar,
broke during the forenoon and tn,
blanket Of water extended back, to tn,
Inva!ides, where repose the bones O
Napoleon.
Several subsidences have. occurred il
;&ha. R|2ca De II Eoncprde, THE Rue st