San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-07-23
"cHINk's SORROW"
Condensed Account of the Most Disastrous
Flood of Modern Times.

Condensed Account of the Most Disastrous
Flood of Modern Times.
The greatest of modern floods was that
which resulted from the overflow of the
great Hoang-Ho, or Yellow river in 1851
This river, which has earned the title OF
'NChinas Sorrow" has always been the cause
of great anxiety to the Chinese government
and to the inhabitants of the country through
which it flows. 1t is guarded with the utmost
care at great expense, and annually vast
sums are spent in repairs OF It's banks In
October, 1887, a number of serious breaches
occurred i'll the rivers banks about 500 miles
from the coast. As a result the river deserted
its natural bed and spread over thickly
populated plain, forcing for itself finally an
entirely new road to the sea. Four or five
times in 1000 years the great river had,
changed its bed, and each time the change
had entailed great loss of life and property.
In 1852 it burst through its banks 80 miles
from the sea and cut new bed through the
northern part of Shantung into the Gulf ct
Pechili The isolation in which foreigners
lived at that time III China prevented their
obtaining any information as to the calami-
tous results of this change, but in 1887 many
of the barriers against foreigners had been
removed and a general idea Of the character
of the inundation was easily obtainable
For several weeks preceding the actual
overthrow of its banks the Hoang-Ho had
been swollen from its tributaries. 1t had
been unusually wet and stormy in northwest
China, and all the small streams were full
and Overlooking. The first break occurred
in the province of Honan, of which the capi-
tai is Kaifeng, and the city next in import
ance is Ching or Cheng Chou. The latter is
forty miles west of Kaifeng and a short dis
lance above a bend in the Hoang-Ho. At
this bend the stream is borne violently
against the south shore For ten'days a con-
tinuous rain had been soaking the embanS-
ments, and strong wind increased the al
ready great force of the current.
Finally a breach was made. At first it ex-
| tended ONLY for a hundred yards. The guards
made frantic efforts 10 close the gap, and
were assisted by the frightened people in the
vicinity. But the breach grew rapidly to
| width Of 200 yards and through this the
river rushed with awful force. Leaping over
the plain with incredible velocity, the water
merged into a small stream called the Lu-
CHA. Down the valley of the Lu-chia the
| torrent poured IN an easterly direction, over
whelming everything in its path.
Twenty miles from Cheng Chou it encoun-
tered ChungmOu, a walled city of the third
rank Its thousands of inhabitants were at
| tending to their usual pursuits. There was
no telegraph to warn them, and the first in
| timatiOn of disaster came with the muddy
| torrent that rolled down upon them. Within
| short time only the tops of the high walls.
| marked where a flourishing city had been.
| Three hundred villages IN the district disap-
peared utterly, and the lands about 800 other
| villages were inundated.
The food turned south from Chungmou,
| still keeping to the course of the Lu-chia, and
stretched out in width for thirty miles This
! vast body of water was from ten to twenty
feet deep Several miles south of Kaifeng
| the food struck a largo river which there
| joins the Lu-chia. The result was that the
food rose to a still greater height, and, pour
| ing into low lying and very fertile plain,
which was densey populated, submerged up
| ward of $50 villages.
Not far beyond this locality the food passed
| into the province of Anhui, where it spread
| very widely The actual loss of life could
not be computed accurately, but the lowest
| Intelligent estimate placed it at 800, e00 and
| one authority fixed it at :, 100000. Two mill
| ion people were rendered destitute by the
flood and the suffering that resulted was
| frighsful. Four months later the inundated
| provinces were still under the muddy waters.
| The government officials who were on guard
| when the Hoang-Ho broke its banks were
| condemned to severe punishment, and were
| placed in the pillory in spite Of their plead
| ngs that they had done their best to avert
| the disaster.-New York Sun.