THE PARIS FLOODS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 344, 21 March 1910, Page 2

THE PARIS FLOODS.

REPAIRING THE DAMAGE. PUNISHMENT OF MARAUDERS. London, February 4. Slowly but steadily the Seine began io recede on Sunday, leaving a trail of mud and wreckage. The sewers recommenced draining the streets, and as the ■water retired scavengers took possesion of the principal thoroughfares, and «luiced them with a disinfectant solution. Paris is now assuming her old aspect and ways of life, but even under the most favorable conditions, the Parisians will have to endure much inconvenience and discomfort for some weeks yet. Many miles of streets in the richest quarters, as well as in the poor districts, have been turned into oanals, and the damage will amount to over £40,000,000, without taking into account the loss of employment by some hundreds of thousands of workmen.

The strong measures taken by the Go. Yernment have thwarted the avaricious ness of certain merchants who counted upon taking advantage of the misery ot the distressed people, and forming a "food trust." Figures obtained from the Central Markets showed that the prices of provisions which rose nearly 40 per cent, on Thursday last, when the food panic was at its height, have now fallen to their normal rate. The threat •f M. Briand to prosecute criminally anyone attempting to create a "corner" in the necessaries of life had a salutary •ffect, and aaved Parisians irom being •exploited by unscrupulous tradesmen. All the inundated quarters are now beginning to show signs of returning commercial activity. The leading part in tihe work of rescue and relief has be£n-played by the army and the navy. Ten battalions of infantry anil IS companies of sappers hav# been brought from the provinces to Paris in order to assist and relieve the faarison, which has "been on duty day and night, fortifying menaced points against the inroads of the river, guarding dangerous streets, erecting wooden bridges and gangways, rescuing the inmates of inundated 'houses, and distributing boatfuls oi bread, waiter and milk to the destitute. The popularity of the troops is unbounded, and has been increased by their invariable good humor, friendliness and gaiety, ' Sentries posted in flooded streets conversed freely with pedestrians and prevented adventurous sight seers by persuasion, rather ■than force, from risking their lives in perilous places. The gang of soldiers, who were engaged in damming back the flood on tne quays with bags of cement and of sand, sang cheerfully at their work, and were everywhere congratulated and thanked by the grateful inhabitants. In addition to the proposal, which has been made in the Chamber, to give speoial promotion in the Legion of Honor to those who have distinguished themselves in the work of rescue and defence) it has been proposed that a special "Paris Floods, 1910," medal should be distributed. Many marauders, , making their way from house to house | in boats, have been caught in the act, ; and have been summarily punished. A | few others, in attempting to evade ca.p----j ture by taking to the river, have been i drowned. At Ivry, where these pests have been numerous, one man who waß , captured after a determined resistance. | was tied to the stern of a boat and •towed through the flooded sireets for ! three-quarters of an hour. He is now ! in the hospital in an exhausted condij tion. Another man in the same disi trict was hanged to a tree before being handed over, half throttled, to the police. ■ln "tihe same district a gang of eight thieves, among whom were some women were arrested. At Vitry, the Mayor! who was accompanied by a party in a' boat, gave chase to a suspicious character and pursued him through the flooded streets for nearly two hours, until the man was driven into a blind alley, where his boat was .ultimately sunk by the soldiers, and he himself was captured in the water. A large sum of money wa3 found in his pockets, and the boat was laden with rabbits and fowls, stolen from deserted shops. Incidents of this kind were numerous. The Council of Ministers Las approved the appointment of a Grand Commission to enquire into the causes of tlie inundation and to suggest means of preventing a repetition of the catastrophe. 8