SEVEN HUNDRED DEAD.

Wairarapa Age, 8 March 1930, Page 5

SEVEN HUNDRED DEAD.

SOUTHERN FRANCE’S AWFUL ORDEAL. MANY HEROIC RESCUES. SOLDIERS PRAISED. United Press Association.—By Electric Telearrauh—Conyright. PARIS, March 6. Flood devastation continues throughout th© south-west. It Is estimated that seven hundred are dead. A family of seven were found dead beneath the ruins of their home.. A peasant, seeing his house collapse, whipped out a revolver and committed suicide before the horrified spectators could prevent him. A husband and wife were clinging to the branches of a tree together when their strength failed and they dropped into the flood. The population praise the Senegalese soldiers for their magnificent work in rescuing the sufferers, some remaining thirty-six hours in the chilly waters. Two German youths are credited with saving more than a hundred lives. A group of cavalrymen, who set out to rescue screaming children marooned on a diminishing island, met disaster. Three horses and their riders were drowned. MOISSAC HIT HARD. FIVE HUNDRED HOUSES SWEPT AWAY. HEARTRENDING ACCOUNTS. (Received Friday, 11.30 p.m.) PARIS, March 6. It is estimated that five hundred houses were carried away at Moissac. The countryside is littered with debris and furniture. At least 10,000 are homeless in the flod area. Aeroplanes rescued 16 men at Saint Rafrice. They had been in the water for forty-eight hours. _ The death roll at Moisshc, which is two hundred, would have been much higher but for the fact that most of the people were at Hagenback’s circus. Otherwise they would have been trapped in their beds. The market place is now an encampment for the circus animals. A shocking story is told by one villager, whi clutched two small children and climbed to the top of a wall, from where he was obliged to watch helpless while four others of his family, including his wife, were swept off by the flood. Weeping, a mud-stained woman was seen pushing a barrow piled up with furniture and clothes. Asked where she was going she replied, “Anywhere. I do jot carl My husband has been drowned and my child was in his arms.” A wealthy youth was drowned after he had helped over a hundred to escape from their homes. The Minister of Public Works pinned the ribbon of the Legion of Honour on the dead youth’s breast at the hospital. It is impossible to estimate the total death roll until the end of the week, as bodies art continually being found in the ruins of houses.