The mild weather has caused a rising of the River Vilya, with the result that it is flooding its banks and menacing the low-lying Jewish streets of Vilna. Several streets are already submerged.
Serious flooding occurred in the entire Vilna district last April, the waters rising higher than in any previous year since 1888. Thousands of people had to be evacuated from their homes, and tremendous damage was done and several lives were lost. Relief committees were set up by the Government, the Jewish Community, and other bodies to help the victims. The Archbishop of Vilna ordered prayers to be said in all the churches. After the floods had subsided, an outbreak of typhus occurred and the authorities had all the wells sealed, and the population was instructed not to drink any water without first boiling it.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
