Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-19
THE FLOODS IN CHINA.

Famine and Distress
 Caused by overflow of the Rivers in North China. To the Editor of tho JOURNAL AND COURIER: 1
 One of the striking features upon the | map of northern China is the great Yellow river, which is the second largest river in the Chinese empire. It takes it's rise far towards the region of Central Asia, and flows by most winding course along the region of the great wall and across the great pain of China to pour it's waters into the Yellow sea. It derives it's name from the circumstance of bringing down in it's current from the interior such quan- titles of sand and silt as to change it's color.
 It is useless for navigation on account of the great difference between it's level after the rains of the summer and during the dry season of winter, while it deposits from it's current so much of the silt which it brings down from above as to choke up the channel and frequently change alto gether the course by which it journeys across the last part of the plain to the sea. Indeed, as far back as history goes, for thousands of years, the Yellow river has been changing it's course and although for the last generation or two the river has taken bend to the northeast from the sea to the north of Shantung promontory; maps of China also show the old course of the Yellow river, by which it formerly turned to the southeast, reach ing the sea at point considerably south of the promontory; and more than once dur ing the last few years il. has burstits banks and flowed again in the direction of it's old course. !. -*f
 The situation upon the Great plain of China needs to be remembered to appreci- ate what this means. Upon this vast plain, hundreds of miles in extent. live perhaps one hundred and forty or one hun dred and fifty of the millions of China. The plain is exceedingly fertile, and densely populated. Within radius of six miles from one point, probably not more popu- lous than many other parts of the plain, are stated to be as many as one hundred and fifty villages, an average of three to every two square miles. Many of China's twelve hundred walled cities, also, besides numerous large towns, are upon the plain.
 Imagine, then, what occurs when the great river, swollen by the summer rains, bursts it's banks and pours it's immense vol ume over the plain Houses are destroyed, and probably also many entire villages, and even towns and cities, though these are of ten built at certain elevation above the plain, and may, therefore, escape. Many people are drowned, and what has just been a cultivated plain, with crops smiling for the harvest, is turned into a desert, it's fertile fields buried under a waste of sand and debris deposited by the waters of the river. Many of the level parts of the plain are turned into lake, and desolation reigns far and wide. Such an overflow of the Yellow river, as also of the Grand canal and other rivers in the plain, occurred in consequence of the great rains last summer. The calami- ty in it's extent and the intensity of the suffering which has ensued and still e1- ists is appalling. The neighborhood of PeHng, the capital, and Trentsin, a large city on the Peiho river, which is ''the port of Peking," in which places are located several American and English missions, be- sides district in Shantung province and the Yellow river region, were all the scene of great floods. Ten millions of people were said in recent report to be ''now suffering in a greater or less degree from the summer foods," and this means, in the case of large numbers of them, that they are starving.
 A letter from Chinese teacher living near Peking, written soon after the floods, says, ''The poor people are without food and without houses, needy and wretched to the last degree. Also we think that in your honorable country there are very many good men who make it a principle of their lives to love and to save men, If there are officials and merchants and wealthy families, we desire them to con tribute money, no matter how much, to save these distressed people,"
 Later reports say 'snews of the suffering is already appalling" The people were living on willow leaves and chaff, on cakes containing from two-tenths to nine-tenths of chaf, or on grass seed. ''The people are greatly emanciated" says the report "but with abdomens unnaturally distend- ed. In many places they have absolutely no fuel save that furnished by the ruins of their houses.'
 Spring, when every resource of the poor people should have heen exhausted and no harvest could yet be hoped for, was ex- pected to be the time of extreme distress and late reports show that it is So in some districts at least. Northeast of Tientsin the water had not yet subsided according to recent letter and the villages stood like islands in sea, while ther wretched inhabitants were reduced to the extreme of want and misery
 MT. Hobart of Peking writes, ''help will be needed most in the spring. We appeal to Christians in America to help their brethren here. Funds promptly contrib uted will reach here just at the time of greatest need"
 William w. Farnam, esq, Yale univer- sity, has consented to act as treasurer in New Haven, and contribution of one hundred dollars has just been made by gentleman in this city. Remittances will be forwarded to China by cable, thus be- ing available with very little delay for dis tribution to those in need.
 Before the Yale Kent Club.
 Professor Woodrow Wilson, formerly of Yale and now of Princeton, addressed the Yale Kent club last night on Headers of Men," delivering very interesting Iec- ture. In his address he said: Golden said we must appeal to the peoples sympathies in their unalloyed simplicity. Golden, by following this principle, became leader second to none.