Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-09

well constructed, and as consequence
they are often cgt through to the level of
the plain. Burrowing animals infest parts
of them, and undercut them from one side
to The other. Such injuries no one in
China thinks of repairing beforehand.
When the floods come the army is called
people hurry to the works, and engage in
frantic efforts to keep back the waters.
This improvidence is characteristic of the
domestic government throughout China.
General Wilson examined one of the
embankments of this river, built by the
Emperor Kien-Lung, who was contemp-
eraneous with the time of George Washing
ton. 1t is near Kai-fung-fu, and it was
part of this embanknent Which gave way
in the most recent inundation. 1t ex-
tends for many miles above and below the
city, is from forty to fifty feet high, and
fifty to sixty feet in width on top. Its
solid contents he estimates to be 100000
cubic yards per mile, and to have cost,
| even with the abundant and cheap labor
Of China, $4,000 per mile. Where the
General crossed this great levee it was
surrounded by the walls and gates of a
fortified city, and compared to the dead
level plain, seemed to be a mountain, COM
manding an almost illimitable view of the
country. In the great food Of 1858 this
| enormous embankment was broken through
about thirty miles below the point where
it gave way SO recently. From that break
| the river left its old bed and made new
one across the plains to the Tatsing-h no
and along that rivers bed to the gulf In
the flood of 1858 the water was higher
| than ever before known, or given by ira
it is probable that the last flood gave
| higher water than even that of 1858, since
the devastation appears to have been over
broader area and much greater in loss OF
life and property. Able Hue, who wrote
very early of the Yellow river, and whose
work is before lis, states that the bed OF
the river was then higher than the plains
in the provinces Of Honan and Kiang-su,
for more than two hundred leagues, but
General Wilson insists that the Able was
in error. 1t is remarkable that Able Hue,
after examining the embankments of the
Yellow river, predicted that great inun-
dation would take place.
Engineers of all leading nations have
given great deal of attention to the his
tory of foundations by the Yellow river,
with view of enlarging the worlds
knowledge of river treatment, but all in
quiries upon the ground have been pur-
sued under very discouraging circum-
stances, owing to the illiterality of the
| local Governments. In 1886 both French
and German engineers proposed plans to
the Chinese Government for the repair of
the rivers embankments, the restoration
of its waters to its old channel in the delta
and for the effectual regulation of the
stream, but the offers were rejected. Now,
| however, the Imperial Government has
detailed a General of the army to inspect
the river and report upon its embank-
ments. 1t appears to make no difference
that this official protests that he knows
nothing of engineering or river problems
and is wholly uniformed concerning what
ought to be done when any given state of
facts is established. He has his orders
and must go on with the inspection-it is
the Chinese way.