The Detroit times., 1910-02-10
ENGINEERS BLAMED
FOR PARIS FLOODS
Mason Says Restoration Will Be
Merely Stupendous 0ppor-
tunity For Graft.

| PARIS, Feb. 10.-The onslaught OF
roproof and reproach to which the en-
gineering profession is now subjected
in France on the theory that its mem.
bers are responsible for the invasion
OF Paris by the floods is bitter in the
extreme.
Frederic Mason, of the French
academy asks who are more nefarious,
the parliamentarians or the engineers,
and substantially declares that the
! latter are.
lie says that the presumptuous and
arrogant confidence OF the engineers
in their dry formulate prevents them
from seeing plain facts, OF which the
ycriest ignoramus would take cogniz-
ance, such for instance, as that the
windows which open on the river only
few feet above its ordinary level all
along the subway that skirts it's left
bank invite disaster He predicts
that once the city Is dried and scour-
ed out the engineers will sketch out
plans for its restoration, the cher
feature OF which will be that they will
merely AFFORD another stupenduous op-
poiunity for political jobbers and cor
rupt contractors to make colossal for
tunes.
Charles Bos asserts point.blank
that Paris is the victim of the pseudo
science Of the engineers The dry
rot of formal technology, he says. has
done the harm. These engineers, In
their fatuous conceit. commanded
nature, as did King Canute, TO pause
at certain point, and nature refused
TO pause, simply because their modern
constructions, which were TO have re.
strained her, proved much feebler and
much less the creations of common
sense and honest workmanship than
those OF the modern engineers who
worked under the ValOis Kings aud
the BOurbons.
The estimate that the material dam
age caused BY the inundation is at
least equal to that inflicted on Paris
by the Germans and the communists
in 1870 and 1871 has since been con
flrined by the opinions OF other writ
ers. majority OF whom even declare
that II is much greater Further than
this, vast harm has been done which
II Is utterly impossible TO estimate
The life Of Paris was 20 very large
degree disorganized for almost a fort
night. In many departments OF busi-
ness delays were caused which are
irreparabie, as we'll as others when
1t will take a very long time to over
come.
FOR one thing. the spring fashions
will be considerably later than usual
that is to say, their full bloom will
be retarded in all the high-class dress.
making establishments iu Paris.
which, under normal conditions. are
| lighted by electricity Most OF the
work in these world-famous ateliers
cannot be we'll done without n. These
! places were suddenly deprived of
every bit OF electric light and were
Gimly Illuminated with oil lamps and
candles instead About the same time
/ the telephone service was absolutely
paralyzed In the whole-central shop
/ ping district. Appointments with fair
patrons TO try on gowns could not -
promptly made PHOTOGRAPHERS who
make much money every year by pro
ducing early pictures 0f the most
stunning creations OF the seamtress'
art are wrugng their hands In de.
srair However. 10 Is the small shop
I keepers OF the flooded sections OF the
Icity who will probably suffer relative.
I Nv the greatest losses OF all. Then
there we're whole trades which were
/ Indirectly stopped by the flood