Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-21
EUROPE A TARGET
FOR THE HEAVENS

~ blew" ~ ' - VIM
The old biblical description
might aptly be applied to the atmos-
pheric conditions which have held Europe
in their thrall during the year just
passed, and which still besiege the con-
tinent.
''The windows of heaven have been
opened upon Europe, and the fountains
of the great deep have seemingly been
let loose upon it. 1t is long time since
so much of Europe has been under water
for such a protracted period. France and
England have become absolutely water
logged. Shakespeare's line in Twelfth
Night. THE rain, 1t raineth every day,
was never before SO true, and, accord
ing to the scientists, years of rain are
still to come.
France is, and has been. the worst suf-
ferer. The Seine and Loire have been
in a chronic state of flood ever since
last February, and the streams that
come. down from the hills have inundat-
ed large strips of the narrow Riviera
plain. Visitors to the azure coast de-
clare that 1t may with more justice be
called the gray coast. In Spain all the
rivers from the Ebro in the north to the
Guadalquivir in the south have over
flowed their banks ana the latter river is
threatening Seville In Madrid they
have had abnormal rainfall. Newspaper
cartoons represent the inhabitants going
about in diving dresses. The Manganares.
an insignificant stream, is now a raging
torrent. Italy is no better off. Wash
outs and landslides have tied up several
railroads, and the swollen Pc threatens
the destruction of buildings at Turin.
The news from Switzerland is that a
strong fohn Ca warm Wind is blowing in
the Alps and causing dozens of ava
lanches. 1t has been raining practically
without stopping for weeks in all parts
of Switzerland.
Lakes and rivers have risen several
feet, and much damage has been done to
roads, quays and railroads. The Bernina
route is blocked by large avalanches, and
II will take weeks to cut. through them.
In certain districts in central SwitZer-
land the weather IL SO mild that people
go about their work in their shirt sleeves.
All central Europe is suffering from ex-
cessive moisture, and the latest ADDITION
to the flood news is that the river Dnieper
at Kieff, Russia. has suddenly risen
twenty feet and that many river crafts
have been wrecked and villages been
swept away. Nor is that all. Heavy
rains have interfered with the big
cricket matches in Sidney. Australia,
where it ought to be dry. summary
weather.
The floods of the twelve months past
will make the year memorable one.
1t will stand out in gloomy fame i'm
meteorological and historical annals. The
havoc wrought has been made known at
great length in daily newspaper reports.
The appalling loss Of life and property
has been featured extensively.
A resume of the toll of the floods
would show more than score of lives
lost, thousands of head CT cattle killed,
cottages in rural districts swept away,
architectural masterpieces damaged be-
yond repair, acres and acres Of fields in
undated. soaking the soil so that crops
will be affected for years to come; and
postal, telegraph, electric light, gas, tele-
phone. railroad. trolley and all other
utilities impaired.
The end has not come, and If we are
to accept the forecast Of the weather
wise, it is not even in sight. The slI-
perstjtious aver it presages the SUBJ
merging of the world by water again.
Scientists scof at the assertion. and
although they differ as to the causes,
they all agree in assigning the phenom-
ena to natural rather than supernatural
causes.
The United States is fostered with the
blame by some of the experts They de-
clare our denudement of the forests has
had much, to do with the heavy rains.
Camille F'lammarion, the Paris astron-
omer. is one of those who holds this
theory. He says:
'"Thc determining cause OF this fright