The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-01-27
For Once the Gayest City in the World
Fails to Smile For 1t is Threat
ened With Great
Danger.
FEAR HAUNTs PEOPLE
City is Topplng and Trembling Over
Subterreanean Torrents In the
subways and the End is
Not Vat.

4 IARlG, jail. Gf.-WlCQ the mercury |
below freezing and the relentless Riv-
er Seine continuing its devastating I
progress toward the top of the retain
ing walls, Paris awake today to what |
may prove the most terrible dey in
her history.
What the end of the unprecedented
flood will be no one can say But it is
certain that never before has the gay
capital been so sorely smitten. Miles
of her boulevards, one of the city's
chief points of pride, have been
washed away. Many of the most not
able structures in the city, to see
which travellers have been wont to
com from the corners OF the earth.
have already suffered heavy loss and
are In danger Of collapse.
Fifty thousand are homeless and
subsisting on scant provisions, fur
nished by the city. The industrial life
Of the city is completely suspended
and the one thought in the minds of
the people is the imminence of a stag
gering calamity. which may yet come
if the Seine continues to rise.
For once, Paris has been sobered.
The gay moods that permitted the peo-
pie to look on the flood In its early
stages as a spectacle for their enter
tainment, has departed and grim fear
now haunts everyone.
Every subway in Paris, and Paris
has more underground tunnels than
any other city in the world, Is now
flooded. This is the cause of the enor-
nous damage, damage that in Paris
alone is likely to run into one hundred
million dollars. These subterrannean
rivers have caused the collapse OF
scores Of streets and are responsible
for the water that now stands in vary
ing depth over nearly half the city.
Police and soldiers are literally
driving hundreds of the poor from
their homes in the inundated sections,
to prevent them from being crushed
to death in the collapse of their
homes. Scores of houses have already
tumbled in. Public halls, churches,
school buildings and even such mag
being converted into refugees for the
poor. Through the cooperation of the
police, soldiers and Red Cross socie.
ties, the thousands of destitute are
fairly we'll fed.
AT / o'clock this morning the water
of the Seine was rising rapidly and
had reached within a few inches OF
the parapet of the quay of Louvre, and
the food threatened momentarily tc
inundate the Venus de Milo and Other
priceless art treasures.
The subway station at Bercy col
! lapsed with eerrific roar this morn
4 ing, nearly carrying go ruin the near
! by police station
AT o'clock this morning the walls
/ of the D'Orsay railway station gave
way under the pressure, and vast
| volume OF water poured under the
roadway, lifting it bodily and washing
the blocks of wood along like straws
/ The whole quarter is now flooded to a
depth of two feet
The pinch of hunger is rapidly Civ
ing way to the actual danger of starva
| ton for hundreds of fiood-ruined un
fortunates in Paris and other parts oi
France, and all because of the red tape
with which the French government al
! ways conducts its affairs in suct
crises as the present one.
Unless private charity meets the
urgency If the situation, starvation
/ for many is believed inevitable. The
! government is acting with its usua
deliberation in sending out supplies
and every bit of relieb it furnishe.
must first be passed upon by lont
/ list of functionaries.
"Our City in Ruins
NEW ORLEANS, La, Jan. 27.-Tht
hundred thousand French residents o
/ New Orleans today put subscription
lists in circulation to raise fund fo
/. the relief of the flood sufferers IL
1 France. 1t is expected at least $100
! 600 will be raised
! The movement is under the auspice
! of the Sosiety OF the 18th of July
Pretty girls with subscription list
today invaded the hotels where Mard
4 Gras guests We're stopping and aske
donations. 1t is expected the visitor
will furnish large sum of money
4 On the night of February 2, tn
4 French Opera company will give
benefit performance for the food SUI
ferers. Many persons here who hav
relatives in Paris received cable
! grams todav