The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-26

the rage of the elements. those in
authority have devoted themselves
wholly to the work of rescue and of
providing shelter and food for the
homeless.
Working TireIessly.
Every resource of the government.
including the army, was employed to-
day.
Boats were requisitioned at all ports
and soldiers and f1remen worked tire
lessly. Nevertheless Premier BRAND
and the other ministers who had not
left their posts for 48 hours. were un-
able to respond to the appeals for help
coming in from every direction. Pro-
vincial authorities have been instruct
ed to act on their own initiative with
out waiting orders from the central
government.
The situation in Paris was not
changed appreciably from yesterday
except that more streets had been con-
evacuated, a few more pavements had
caved in and traffic communication
was completely paralyzed. One of the
greatest causes of alarm continued to
be the constant rise of the subter-
ranean streams under the center of
Paris, which flooded cellars and under
mined the foundations of buildings
Whole streets have been roped Off as
unsafe. All the bridges over the Seine
are still standing, but traffic over more
than half Of them has been closed. The
report of yesterday that a steamer had
against the Alma bridge was incorrect
Should such an accident occur il would
be necessary to instantly destroy the
bridge with explosives The refuse of
the city which was carried off formerly
in barges is now being dumped into the
Seine Another serious phase of the
situation is that Paris is becoming
rapidly isolated. telegraph and teIe-
phone wires being drowned or ground
ed
Wire communication is failing in all
directions 1t is impossible today to
communicate by telephone between the
two banks OF the Seine. This greatly
crippled the work of relief and the dis
patch of prompt succor. Only two rail-
roads to the north and west we're oper-
atlng directly into Paris today.
Death and DesoIation.
Railroad communication to the
south and with Italy, Switzerland and
the Spanish peninsula is slow and by
long and tedious detours to avoid
places where the tracks have been
washed out The newspapers today
are filled with pages of details which
constitute a long and pitiful recital of
death and desolation. of ruined home
steads and fleeing refugees. Half of
the ACCOMPLISHMENTS of Paris are af-
fected directly now and the rich as
" Ctl as tic POOA 10 SUI
fer.
The wealthy Champs Elysees district
is without gas or electricity and some
of the homes have no heat. Many of
the residents are leaving their homes
for the hotels. which are crowded. The
most deplorable situation in the neigh
borhood of Paris continues to be at
Ivry and at Fortville. where the River
Marne joins the Seine.
Prefect of Police Lepine has taken
up headquarters in that district and
Is directing the work of rescue After
ceaseless work through the night
with rOwboats and automobile boats
persons imprisoned in the second
story Of their houses
Pinch of Hunger Felt
Paris is beginning to feel the pinch of
hunger The supply of fresh meat and
vegetables is failing and prices are
soaring famine figures. Some avaricious
bakers who attempted to double the
price of bread, were. roughly handled
today and two of them were thrown
into the Seine at Charanton
Details from the flooded regions of
the provinces are narrowing in their
of broken dizes in the canals
and the inundation of villages. The
rivers in the southwest are rising rap
idly today The swollen Loire has
caused heavy damage in the province
of Touraine.
The immense losses in every branch
Of industry were reflected on the bourse
where a bad slump in industrials and
railroad stocks occurred.