Paris, Mar. 4.
Phe worst floods in a hundred] years are afflicting a number of downs and villages in the south of France, the most serious inundation eceusring in the Montauban dis Arie, Here the inhabitants, roused rom their beds last night by the your of waters from the River Barn, which burst its banks, fled eeantily clothed as the stream' Gnvaded their homes, many of which collapsed. Several "persons were reaught by the rushing waters: and drowned, though the majority man-faged to escape safely.
squad of a dozen dragoons, who engaged in the work of rescue Gollowing the inundation, are at present missing. A boat was seen capsize and itis feared the pome of the soldiers were in it.
Deaths are reported from the Villages of St. Antonin, Perpignan, Mazamet and Lo There, Six hundred workers are maroon~ ed in a cereal factory in Villemur, fon the River Tarn, and rafts are. from a school in Orgueil.
The waters of the Tarn are strewn with wreckage, amongst which are wine casks, uprooted trees and even. motor Over 40 persons, up to the present, are known to have perished in the floods which axe ravaging the Montauban district, in the south of The dead include seven soldiers who were engaged in rescue work in the neighbourhood of Albi, in Haute-
The death-roll is unofficially estimated at over a hundred.
'A dam burst today near Moi on the River Tarn, and the waters overflowed fresh areas—Reuter. Toulouse, Mar. 4.
Up, to the present it is known that 20 people have perished in the floods which are still, spreading. 'The outlook is most serious. 'The village Castres has been complet submerged, and the mayor's house and other buildings have collapsed at Villemur which' is isolated. The inhabitants are to be seen crouching, on the roofs, desperately signalling for aid, but it has been im= possible to reach many of them.—Reuter.
National Calamity Paris, Mar. 5.
'The catastrophic flood in the south' of France, whose toll is now estimated at over 300, is assuming the proportions of a national ealamity such as France has not experience at Nature's hands for over Five southern departments Tarn, Haute-Garonne, Ande, Lot and Hersault are forming a huge lake with ruined houses, shattered bridge heads isolated hamlets as and pouring additional musie feet of water into. the lake, on whose surface uprooted trees are being washed about " together with dead cattle, household goods and so forth, The damage cannot at present be! assessed and the Government's first relief. appropriation of 30,000,000 franes is merely a drop in the bucket. The second appropriation, 100,000,000 francs, which Bf. Tardieu has promised he would move in the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday, will also be inadequate for the necessary relief work; and for this reason the press is appealing to private charity to supplement the: oficial appropriations. Meanwhile the Government, has decreed moratorium for the stricken area—
Wireless through Reuter. burst over the Careacenne arca, in the department ended the affeir—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.