The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-25
GREAT FLOODS OF HISTORY.
THE MAP OF EUROPE CoMPLETELY
CHANGED BY HIGH WATERS.

Loss of Life From Overlooking Riv-
ers in China Has Been Appalling.
Hollands Disasters--Big Floods o.
the Mississippi.
From the st. Louis Republic.
The first great calamity of which the
Bible treats is the food, which, II the
holy scriptures are to be understood lit
orally, came so very near eradcating
the whole human race. Throughout his
tory water has been the most destructive
of all elements. the most hostile to man
and his works. No confiagration has done
so much damage as often one spring
freshet has wreaked upon mans domain
So terrible have been the disasters caused
by the unforeseen overflow of the ocean
waters by the treacherous foundations OF
rivers and rivulets that even races of men
otherwise most destitute OF historical rec
ords date their origin from some great
flood. The tradition of the deluge is hand
ed down, not only by the Hebrews, but
by all the Oriental races the Greeks and
Romans. the ancient Germans. and among
the American Indians very few tribes have
been found who are not able to relate
stories of a food which devastated their
lands hundreds of years ago.
1t is well-known fact that Europe was,
a score of centuries before this era, much
greater in expanse than now, and that,
for instance France and England were
not separated by the present English
channel. AS late as the beginning of the
eighth century a dry road led from Con-
tances, in Normandy, to the present
Island of Jersey. Within two months the
ocean submerged ALL sought its way into
the province of Neustra. mutllated the
coast of Brittany, and left, when 1t re-
ceded, few barren islands in a place
where vast forests had stood.
The Netherlands where the coasts are
more exposed to the fury Of the ocean ana
the northwest wind, where the soil is low
and level. have suffered of foundations
more than any country on earth. From
SIC until now Holland has been visited by
sixty-two foundations, whose ravages
have been, at times, most fearful in every
respect. OF the storms which have caused
notable revolutions, the first recorded in
authentic history is that of $50, which
carried away great part of the western
coast of the Netherlands and gave a
more southerly direction 70 that branch
its waters near Catwyk. On ST. Mich
aeis day, 1914. a great part OF Flanders
was swallowed up. OF the coast Of Fries
land. certain part disappeared during
the st. Juliana's food Of 1164, and all the
lowlands of the Elbe and the Weser we're
submerged. Still more disastrous was the
All Saints food of ITO, the first of that
name The formation OF the Zuyder -Zee
and the separation of the Texel and Vile
inRen eFFnppOH1alW attributed -
for the Zuyder-zee had been
already formed by more ancient floods.
and the islands were more recently sew
cred.
In 1919 occurred the MarcelIus flood.
which was only OF temporary character.
but in 1877 the Gulf Of the DoIlart at the
mouth of the Ems was formed. while in
1862 the Mandrakels food swallowed up
more than thirty villages on the coast OF
sleswick. In 1877 the Gulf of Biervliet
In Dutch Flanders. then much wider ana
deeper than now was formed The most
disastrous food that visited the South
ern Netherlands was the St. Elizabetb
food, which formed the Biesbosch. sub-
merged seventy-two villages and chang
ed entirely the lower course of the rivers
Rhine and Mas. This disaster, Whole
Is still felt, resulted from tba
Of maritime and a fiuvial
The branch of the Rbina
named WAL. which had previously dis
charged It's waters near the town Of
Brieile now took the direction OF the
outlets of Browershaven and Hellevoetg-
ius.
In 1910 a flood formed IN the Zuyder-Zee
4 practicable channel for vessels OF heavy
iraught, and thus gave TO the town OF
amsterdam its commerce and Importance.
TIL that time the southern portion OF the
had been too shallow for ex-
tended traffic.
The food OF All Saints Day, 1870 de-
stroyed no land, but submerged Binges.
all the islands In the provinces
Jf Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Dordrecht and
Iceland, parts OF the provinces OF Gronln- |
gen and Frlesland. the coast OF Olden- |
burg, Bremen and the city OF Hamburg.
II drowned az the lowest estimate 5000 |
inhabitants. Before the breeches OF the |
likes, which, 10 a certain extent. protest |
~ theso lands from the sea, could be re- |
paired new storms flooded the country |
and within the eight years following the |
provinces Of Friesland and /
5roningen were partially submerged no |
less than six times.
Ia 1913 another food dld great damage !
N the Netherlands, but the Spanish gov