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Show ( PARISIANS' ARE DESPERATE . With Streets Flooded the Once Gay City Presents Desolate Appearance of a Vast Lake. Paris. Tho flood situation Is Ira-proving Ira-proving In this city, and it is believed the worst phuso has been encountered. Officials are convinced that tho end Is In sight and that the waters will bogln bo-gln to recede. Tho city presents a weird spectacle. Soldiers, sailors, firemen and pollco aro hastily constructing temporary walls by tho light of campflros and torches in an endeavor to keep out tho invading floods, whllo pickets patrol thoso sections of tho city that are plunged In darkness. President Falllorcs and Premier DrI-and DrI-and on Friday drove In automobiles to tho flooded suburbs, where distress Is greatest,, Bpeaklng words of comfort to tho homeless and encouraging soldiers and others engaged In salvage and rescue work. Charitable organizations aro co-operating with tho authorltles In throwing throw-ing open their buildings and In succoring suc-coring rofugoes. Several convents and a number of public buildings havo boon equipped with military cots and bedding nnd transformed into hospitals. hospit-als. Tho Red Cross is performing splendid service In distributing food and clothing. Nevertheless numerous Instances aro cited of women and children who had refused to icavo their homes In tho submerged districts shrieking from tholr windows for bread. Tho number of refugee arriving hero is enormous, Charenton alono sending In .'18,000, who had got thoro from Calais and other afflicted points. Many thrilling rescues aro recorded. The family of M. Barthou, former minister min-ister of public works, whoso home In tho Avenue d'Antln Is surrounded, was taken out on the backs of soldiers and in boats. A largo number of schools aro closed becauso of lack of heat, and the municipality Is considering tho advisability ad-visability of closing all. Communication with England, Holland, Hol-land, Denmark and Austria and many cities and towns In Franco Is completely com-pletely cut off. The telephone has been practically abandoned In Paris. New districts aro being flooded constantly, con-stantly, and tho peoplo aro ovacuatlng blocks of buildings. Several hospitals whero sick refugees were taken aro In a dreadful plight, the water having quenched fires In the furnaces. |