TERRIBLE FLOODS IN SHANTUNG.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2707, 16 November 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

TERRIBLE FLOODS IN SHANTUNG.

Early in the week (says the Shanghai Gazette, Ist August), there were vaguo rumours afloat that the Yellow River had again burst its embankments, though up to to-day the report was generally discredited. But it turns out to be only too true, and tho scenes of destruction and widespread famine last year and tho year before in Honaa, wrought by " China's Sorrow," as this river is appropriately named, seem about to be reenacted in the provinco of Shantuug. The Shen Fao of this morning publishes a long telegram, addressed to the Nativo Committee of Famine Relief, from the Taotai or Chefoo, saying that the swift current of tho swollen river had again caused it to bi-pak its embankments at Chang-oh'in, which is to the east of Chi nan fu, between the latter and the sea coast. Tho breach occurred on the 25th of the Chinese moon, or, according to our calendar, on tho 22nd of August. It extends for abouD 200 chang, i.e., about 2400 English feet. According to the Taotai'a mot-sago tho waters of the Hoang Ho overflowed into the Tsui-shing River, which enters the sea about 40 miles to the [ south-east of the debouchement of the Yellow Biver, after flowing in a somewhat parallel direction with the larger river for some 390 li. From this it will be gathered that the extent of country submerged is very great, and the flatness of the country in the neighbourhood no doubt greatly contributed towards increasing tho extent of the disaster. The message goes on to say that houses and buildings were swept away by the rush of water, and worse still, countless numbers of tho ill-starred inhabitants of the inundated country were lost. The nature of the calamity may be gauged from the statement of tho Taotai that tho water is 12 feet high over the country. He docs not give any estimate of the number of people who perished in the floods, but says that they are so numerous that they cannot be counted. Ten districts (hsicn) are submerged, and he fears that many other districts to the south, which is low lying country, must have suffered a similar fate. His telegram Concludes with an appeal for charitable contributions to the relief of the sufferers by this latest visitation of China. On an occasion like the present, when fresh appeals will likely be made to foreigners for aid, it is hardly in placo to pass any strictures on tho Chinese Government for the responsibility for this fresh disaster ; but we cannot help thinking that thoy are in a great measure blame worthy. If, when the river wrought such havoc two summers ago, they had listened to the advice of the foreign skilled engineers who studied the subject, and followed that advice instead of pursuing their own obstinate and antiquated methods of simply patching up the great breach in Honan, the preient disaster would not havo occurred. But the methods of the mythical and deified Emperor Yu scorned to them good enough, and they throw many millions of taels away on work that only shifts the sceus of disaster to another province.