New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-16
THE SORROW OF CHINA.
HUMAN AND DIVINE AGENCIES IN THE VEL
LOW RIVER FLOODS.

,rvow AN ocC AsoNAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRlBrNEl
Canton. August TO-
The latest floods of the yellow River have
spread despair throughout the whole Empire IL
Is not that the eruption was more extensive OF
more destructive than some former catasIrophcs'
But it occurred Unexpectedly in new place. whch
had been deemed perfectly safe. and was alto
re,her invested with features of horror and hope
lcssness. The scene of this latest outbreak is in
Sbantunc. at a place called Lung ng-mioa, near
vhere the Grand Canal crosses the river and about
,,o miles from the point where the great out
break of 1857 occurred The cmhankmcnts COVE
way on July IL, and in n few hours more Than
900 square miles of fertile and populous ceun-
try was transformed into a s"rthin! ana t"rhld
lake Forthwith the quiet waters of the Grand
Canal were transformed into raging torrent,
which bore the muddy foods of the Yellow River
info the Peiho. and thence through the Metro
politan Province of Chill, almost to the gates of
Pekin itself. The city OF lnngchow only
twenty uiles east from Pekln. was completely
surrounded by lake and the gates of the city
had to be closed and covered with huge embank-
ments of earth to keep the food from penetrating
within the walls. Other suburbs of the capital
were actually flooded, and the roads about Pekin
were SO much damaged that the city was actually
ont of for some time from all communication with
the rest of the Empire
All the telegraph lines and other means OF
communication between Pekin and the outer
world and also between the flooded district
and the rest of China, were swept away. While
therefore the immediate loss Of life was not 50
Great as in 1887, the situation was really more
startling and alarming and il is no eXagGeraion 10
saw that in Pckin and elsewhere the panic
stricken people. and even members OF the Gov
eminent believed that the end of the world had
come and that the entire Empire was about TO
be- submerged and destroyed Moreover the
actual loss of life was very heavy and the de-
structon of property incalculable Those who cS-
capped death by drowning must now face the
imminent danger of death through famine Even
after the floods have subsidized. the inundated lands
will not I've tit for occupation for several years.
since they ire covered to depth of many fec'
with silt, wreckage and other debris. while the
number of dead human and other bodies scat
tered about everywhere will threaten the entire
region with pestil"nce.
Not the least terrible feature Of this catastrophe
is the belief, which has gained wide currency
on seemingly excellent ground, that these perl
odcal floods are not altogether the work of nature
1t has been thought that they were caused ny Tue
vast quantities Of sediment brought down by the
Yellow River and deposited in its channel. thus
raising the bed of the river above the surrounding
country II is now openly charged and widely he
lievel that the food Of lss1 and that which has
inst occurred were caused by artificial means:
that in brief, the embankments were secretly
broken by men. II is shown that people WHO
live along the first and scrond lines OF embanE-
nents in ShantunG and elsewhere have \"'N
strong selfish interest in keeping the lever OF
the river Jew by SPREADING lis waters over larger
area Tllt they have been thus tempted I" rut
the embellishments and cause the floods would seem
,ncredib,, any ore not acquainted with tie HI
ncs. character There is. however. in the Chinese
character a very remarkable Indifference 10 pain
and suffering The Ch:naEan j. a thorough st"'.
He will endure in his own pcrsOn the mos; terrible
sufierpcs with scarcely a sicn 81 emotion. ana
with enual colincss will loof upon the misery of
others Ii is therefore entirely within the prov
ince Of belief that thee floods "c!t caused bv
the depravity OF man rather u an by III" ni'lra!
forces Of the elements. The Government Is ac-
cordiney being urged by the press III IN" stI"n--
est manner possible To remove oil Inhabitants from
tie banks of the river. bot. 10 insure their own
safety and to remove them from the temptation
OF bringing ruin upon then fellows.
In the meantime the mos, extraordinary
efforts are being maie 10 propl'n'r TIE dei'N
VINO is supposed 10 ILlc over tie rvci> and III"
rain. Duin. III" month Of june an in'"nN'
drouth prevailed throu"hnu; all tie Northeastern
lrovinces, and for several wells the ";nccia OF
the tiovernuIrlt IT Prkn and els, w.cl" Icsort"d
daily to the temples and offered up prayers for
rain. In Pcknn the Emperor himself took re
lead in these acts oi worship. and az lsihanlu.
tnc.caultal of Si.antuh@ the Governor. Cham" Vac"
sIen: naiv days and rI4his III tAr temple III
e.rr"st suppicdtIon. GoI time We p!AN' -
seemed 70 h. unanswered. Then there sunjirh.
came u trcnirndUH- rainStorIn W!'h !as'c1 10?
many days. and produccc me ll@l'n' S"h,H"l
trcsiict ever Known IN the lci"" ki,rI. I"H
tie banks broke and the hood cHnr. here - to-
the signtcst ,.0Lu' IL any lnoue iili"" MAJ
that these r;i;> were sent Ia Llit'' answer -
prayrr. Consequently. a -""H rs 'hr mo-" Z"
erred. TIER. was Il IIcihcrd" ; iU'H ~ ll' "H
tul u the temples 10 pI y fer ihc ram - stop
ot Taua the EIlcr lrHgo4 vs. carried /" I'M
,rri;l slate thioilci tuc streets Of Irn'>n ana ga
throned in the great truI'!c of lama Mia. ll"h
All The bi.i; officers Of G"tcrHnrn W"lslipi""i y
and impoi,,l IT,. aid III stnppir- H." nD"d' ant
Inc rain Chief Ilion.: them WAS the GTcii u
statesman Of Chint. Ii iIu.@ th+n-. VII" burned
man; us,-.ticl,, and >l,r,i inatN "ui> III :! pros
1r ,tr attitude before IA" UIoI II must d" r.
coide however, that "a! thr,c earnest >"pi!!' -
tons hat htl or Il" eject iJr Ia" rain coli'I"r'
To fall and he nocds I" rl>'.
Not even We; haze means q! Communicating
with tlc dcvle,cd rclioI. ,~cr fully restored.
and IL is Impossible. u maze any accGra'" ">'ini:"
of the loss OF lie and property. II VIII d' H"MA''
hcSfver. bc iouIG within l.nit> 80 SAY ina, h"i
1Lan 10000 people WcI" drowned AT once ~ 'Ic
cuihreak of ne river and tina, several th"pHa'lis
more died from famine and exposure soon "l''f-
ward wi lie iu!ly 4 million ana Il nalf haze btcn
render red Louc.c.s and Iticriy destitute.