The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-01-04
The Great Flood in China.

For nearly three months past an immense
area of northeastern China, which before
was a fertile, densey-populated plain, has
been a lake of muddy water. Eleven cities
are reported inundated and an unknown
host of the teeming Chinese population are
without homes or means of subsistence.
The Chinese government has taken steps to
relieve the distress, but suffering and death
on an enormous scale must inevitably result
from long-cOntinued flood of this magni-
tude in region where every rood of ground
that possibly can be utilized for the purpose
is made to do its full share toward the main
tenance of human life. The Hoang-Ho, or
Yellow river, whose overflow is causing all
this desolation, is one of the greatest rivers
of the world. 1t is about as long as, and
very much resembles, our own Missouri, but
more turbulent and unmanageable and
more heavily laden with the detritus of its
mountain sources. The gravel, sand and
clay which its swift waters carry in suspen-
sion fill up its bed in its queter months
more rapidly than it can pillow it out again
in seasons of flood. The result is a wide,
shallow, unstable river, gradually rising
higher than the surrounding plain, until the
sediment finally succeeds in eJectlng the
river from its bed altogether. According to
Chinese records, the river has changed its
course nine times in the last $500 years.
The last change was made during the sue
cessve floods of 1918, when the river left
its channel 200 miles from its mouth and
Hldue lot lSell new one, eHttrlhB thc SEQ
about 800 miles in a straight line further
north. 1t is rs if the Mississippi should de-
sert its bed little below Memphis and cut
for itself new channel to the Gulf OF Mex
leo, reaching it in the vicinity of Pensacola
This evolution of a new river-bed implies a
more or less protracted period of general
overflow. Instead of leaving the land
richer when it recedes, like the Nile and
the Mississippi, it leaves barren and I'M
fruitful stretch of sand and clay. In this
way the floods of the Hoang-Ho are not
only present but permanent calamity,
as the loss it causes is irreparable. En-
gineers have studied the river, and some of
them entertain the opinion that system of
levees, which would keep the river in its
channel and compel II to scour out its
channel would prevent these periodic over
flows. We are persuaded, however, that
science will have to make considerable adj
vance before trough can be constructed
high enough and strong enough TO carry the
stormy waters of the Central Asian noun
tains to the sea at all times without over
flow. " The only infallible cure" says the
Chinese Times, " is to atforest the empire on
a complete scale" The mischief is done
in the mountains. which are being washed
down by the rains and melting snow with
a result akin to the hydraulic mines in Cali
fornia. Forests would stop this rapid de-
nudation which fills the river-bed far be-
low, Just as the American river in California
was filled and displaced by Stockings. " Give
us forests" says the Chinese Times, " and
the Yellow river can be changed from
curse bearer to benevolent stream, whose
banks can be made to support in security
many millions of prosperous agriculturists
who will be able without fear TO till the fer
tile fields. "-Ehchdnge.