The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-07-19
STORIES OF Big FLOODS
GREAT DISASTERS WHICH HAVE BE-
FALLEN FOREIGN LANDS.


millions Of Lives-som Great Floods
In European Countries.
The earliest records OF China are those
OF floods. In the heart of this mighty
empire there II great plain extending
from Pekin in the north to Hangehow
in the south, having length Of over 600
miles by breadth Of 900. II II crossed by
three rivers, the Yang Use, Yellow and
the Pei-ho, each subject to irresistible
floods during the summer season. The
entire plain Of 1900 square miles, large
enough to make three states the
size OF Missouri, IL crossed and re-
crossed by canals which connect the
different streams and convert the entire
district into islands, few OF greater size
than 100 square miles. In years when the
Yellow river goes beyond its banks, an
event which occurs with such frequency
that this stream b POLITICALLY called the
"Sorrow of China" the suffering II great,
but when, AZ sometimes happens, all three
rivers rise to food height from general
and continued rains, the entire
country Is submerged and over 10, 900 900
people are rendered homeless.
According to the imperial records Of
China, 372 such foods are recorded since the
christian era, each affecting from $780,
900 to 10000, 900 people. One Of the most
disastrous Of these visitations occurred in
the year 1871 when the three rivers rose
almost simultaneously to flood height.
The homes and farms Of 1900, 900 people
were submerged, and crops were destroyed
over 40 900 square miles Of territory. In
the following year came famine and
pestiIence, and by food, starvation and
fever 100000 human beings are re-
ported to have persisted. But the
great central plain Of China is not the
only district which suffers from food.
Most Of the ports are situated ct the
mouths OF rivers, and along the lower
banks dwell many thousands Of poor peo-
pie, who, by various handicrafts, obtain q
meager and uncertain subsistence. In
times OF high water great distress inyari-
ably results among this class, no later
than the year 1883 10000 houses being
swept away In Canton alone, while 1t was
computed that in that city and Shanghai
over q 900 were drowned.
The island empire OF japan Ia even more
densely peopled, according to size, than
the flowery kingdom, and although dis
asters by food are. not SO numerous they
are often terribly fatal. japan has more
seacoast in proportion to area than any
other country on the globe, and owing to
the frequency OF earthquakes tidal waves
are by no means uncommon. Scores Of
such calamities are recorded in the his
tory OF Japan, most OF them involving
immense loss of life. Considering the
fact that until the last few years no reg
ular attempt at taking census has been
made the losses must, of course, be largely
conjectured, but the magnitude OF the
estimates is so enormous as to place these
disasters among the most stupendous o.
history. 1t is stated that in the last CEN
fury no less than six great floods oc-
Cured, over 1,0OO, 600 lives being lost in
each.
The sacred rivers of India do not in tho
least respect the feelings, lives or proper.
| ty Of their worshippers, but from time t.
time deal destruction to those who bow
down on their banks and pour libation,
into their waves. The Ganges has an an.
nual food in early summer.
The Indus Is so far fromthe Ganges that
the one may be in food while the other i:
no higher than usual, but 1t has happened
more than once that the Ganges, the Bra
ma pootra and the Indus were all raging
at the same time, and the consequent dis
tress on the Indian peninsula was terri
BILE. Such disaster occurred in the
autumn of 1875, when series of severe
storms and great precipitation occurred
all over the peninsula, and in the mount.
aims, which constitute its boundary to the
north, over 1900 persons were drowned
500, 600 were rendered homeless, and many
millions of property were destroyed.
With the exception of the Danube, the
Rhine and the Russian rivers the streams
Of Europe are mostly short, but all the
more dangerous on that account, for, al
though almost dry in the summer season,
in times of heavy rain they become tor
rents which do immense damage. The
Spanish peninsula has suffered terribly at
times from the floods in its short and
rapid streams In 1917 over $4,000 per.
sons persisted in Catalonia from a sudden
rise In the rivers of northeast Spain; in
1887 1000 were drowned in Navarro. Tofca
city of Murcia, in Spain, was totally de.
stroyed in 1902, while the great floods o.
1879 in Murcia, Andalusia, Alicante, AL.
maria and Malaga, by which over 2,00(
houses were destroyed and 1900 live.
were lost, are still fresh in the public
| memory.
The Danube has experienced severa
notable feeds. In 1879, the. great storm
year, the city of Szegedin, in Hungary
was almost totally destroyed; out of $3.50
houses only 351 remained standing; sew
enty-seven persons were drowned ant
many thousands rendered homeless. II
| 1911 the Danube destroyed TWENTY-FIVE,
villages near Pesth, and two years late
Turkish corps of z, 900 men was surprises
on small island near Widdin, and al
persisted. In the same summer over 500
inhabitants of Silesia were drowned b.
the foods, while 1900 perished in Poland
and in 1919 1000 houses in Dantzic wer
J destroyed, and many lives were lost by
food in the Vistula.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat,