Introduction
Late May- early June 1856 was marked in France by a sudden and massive rise is the water levels of major French rivers. The flood of 1856 went down as one of the major floods in the history of France.
Exceptional rise in water levels
From 29 May, 1856, local authorities began to be alarmed: “We are threatened by a considerable rise in the water level of the river Allier. The water level increased to 3m23 at the Allier bridge. The increase is on average 6 centimeters per hour “(Dépêche télégraphique de Moulins, 7 am); “The Loire is rising. It has reached a height of 2m49 “(Nevers, 10am). The newspapers followed suit: “The rain that has been falling almost uninterrupted for the last forty-eight hours, threatens us once more with another flood. Already this morning the Garonne was gratly increased, and its muddy yellow waters began to carry along tree branches, roots and debris of all kind. At half past nine, the garonnomètre marked 4m50 above the low water level.”(TL’Aigle de Toulouse, May 29, 1856).
The days which followed knew no respite, the Loire reaching 3m98 in height on the morning of 31 May and 5m75 at 4pm the same day. The damage was substantial: churches, bridges and houses collapsed, dams torn down, roads and livestock washed away, railway lines uprooted, cemeteries ransacked.
Napoleon III visited the afflicted areas
Given the scale of the damage caused by the major floods which befell France, Napoleon III began an extraordinary journey from 1 to 7 June 1856. It begins in the South of France. The Le Moniteur universel of 2 June 1856 reported: “The Emperor left today [namely, the 1st] for Lyon. His Majesty wanted to attend in person to bring relief to the flood victims in the South of France”.
Napoleon III went first to Lyon via Dijon, then Valencia, Avignon and finally Arles, visiting many small towns affected by the disaster. Then the Emperor decided to go to Tarascon. “Communications between this city and Avignon are completely broken, following the breakdown of railway lines severed by the waters of the Rhone at several points. In a boat His Majesty crossed five kilometers of flooded fields, to reach Tarascon. The Emperor, deeply moved, traveled in his boat the streets of this city completely flooded with water, and distributed consolation and relief to residents who had sought refuge in the upper floors of their homes. ” (Le Moniteur Universel of June 4, 1856). It was this scene that Napoleon III decided to have immortalized by the painter William Bouguereau. Back in Paris on June 5, Napoleon III set out again the next day to the Loire region where floods continued unabated. He visted the towns of Orleans, Blois, Angers and Tours.
Several measures were taken
During this trip, measures were taken and many loans were accorded for assistance to victims and for reconstruction. “Paris, 2 June. By decree of this day, the Emperor ordered that a sum of 300,000 francs would be affected as aid to victims of flooding in Lyon “(Le Moniteur Universel 2 June 1856). Not one affected city department will be forgotten. [The town of] Vienne received 10,000 fr., Tain and Tournon 7000, Valence 5000, Montelimar 4000, La Palud 4 000, 20 000 fr. were accorded to the prefect of the Drôme for its victims and 25,000 fr. for the Isere etc. Similarly, 27 million francs were released for the repair of structures, such as bridges, churches, and fountains damaged by the water.
Personal aids and subscriptions were launched for victims. In this way manufacturers and workers of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine in Paris launched a grand lottery in aide of flood victims under the patronage of Empress Eugenie and under the direction of the French Minister of the Interior. (Moniteur universel, 5 July 1856). The Empress Eugénie also launched a subscription in the town halls of the Seine department. Prince Jerome himself subscribed for 10,000 fr. and the Paris City Council allocated 100,000 fr.