The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-09
CHIyI'S SORROW.
Two Million People Starving as the Result
of the Yellow River Floods.

COIublCtcu HIS T6DOTG Oh lHbJ year . I0TTlDl6
floods In the Hoang Ho. or Yellow River. the
Investigation OF which was assigned to him lsst
fall. and had submitted two plans for remedy
ing the evil. The DowaRer Empress intends.
1t Ia said. to submit the methods proposed by
Ii Hung Chang to the consideration OF nine
tenrds. Meantime the most appalling accounts
OF widespread misery and death inflicted upon
the wretched Inhabitants OF the low-lying
northern and western parts Of ShantunR prov
ince are coming to hand. Only the most
measre REPORTS were received last fall OF the
extent OF the floods, though 1t was said that
some hundreds OF thousands OF people had lost
their lives. But more lingering and piteous
suffering has overwhelmed millions who were
no%tdrowned in the floods that swept away their
homes. crops and every means OF sustcnance
their labor had provided.
Our Government has just published the ap-
peal OF Consul Fowler and five American cltl-
zens living in Chefu. who beg our Pacific coast
merchants TO contribute a steamship load OF
corn. and add II will be distributed under the
personal supervision OF Americans residing In
or near tho submerged districts. They also
ask for money to be sent to the United States
Consul at Cheiu With which food. clothing and
seed may be purchased there for the sufferers.
and they guarantee a strict accounting for
every dollar received. Owing to the food. last
season's crops were . failure and no seed for
this springs sowing was saved. They add
that . conservative estimate places tho num-
Der OF starving at 100000. whose homes,
clothing and furniture have been swept away.
The natives are living In straw huts and sub
sisting or bark. willow twigs and roots. As
usual In such emergencies the Chinese them-
solves are doing all they can to relieve the dis
tress. One native merchant In Chefu has con-
tributed the equivalent OF $4,000 in gold and
10000 bags OF corn. and all Glasses are con-
tributinR. but. say the Americans. Let us not
forget that there are 1000. 900 starving"
1t remains to be seen whether the plan suR-
Rested by Ii Hung Chang for dealing with the
great problems Of the Yellow River floods will
be any more effective than those OF his prede-
cessors. For many years the Pekin Govern
ment has devoted a vast amount OF labor and
treasure to the effort to keep the river within
bounds. but the task seems to be too overwhelm-
ing for the feeble and antiQuated resources Of
the imperial authorities. Invariably whenever
hundreds OF officials are charged with the re-
sponsibility OF restoring the miles OF embank-
ments that have been swept away the Pekin
Gazette is filled day after day with their plain
tive memorials detailing the insurmountable
obstacles that crop up on every hand. One day
they report that fresh breaches In the bikes
have occurred at noints distant from the breaks
they are repairing; another day their grievance
is that only a very small quantity OF the prodi-
Sious amount OF millet stalks to which they pin
their faith for strengthening the new embank-
ments has been delivered then again the I'M
ruly torrents utterly refuse to yield to the pre-
scribed prayers to the river gods. Their lam
e%ntations would be ludicrous II the tragical
consequences involved were not so appalling.
Their methods OF dealing with the problem
have In fact vastly increased the evil done
when once the floods have found the weak spots
in the dikes.
The Chinese have never seemed to recognize
that the excess OF water in food times is not
the primary difficulty and danger. but that the
great trouble is the enormous volume OF silt
brought down the river and deposited all along
its W course. particularly near the coast.
where the proximity OF the sea checks the
speed OF the current. So it happens that the
higher the Chinese rear their dix es to hem in
the waters the higher rises the bed of the river.
Year by year the river shadows and It's banks
IRE gradually raised in proportion. till at length
not merely the surface OF the water but even
the bottom Of the bed is higher than the level
OF the surrounding country. Europeans have
proven this to be the case in move WAYS than
one. At one time when they entered the bed
II Il part OF the chunnel which the river had de-
serted for a new channel it had made. they
found themselves walking up hill to the old
river bed through the riff In the embankment
that the food had opened.
The story OF the causes that make the Yell
low River one of the most unruly OF rivers may
be briefly old. The river rises among the
mountains OF eastern Tibet. whose immen Sc
snowfall is melted late in the spring and
poured into the upper river. It's course then
takes n long detour to the north on the high
Mongolian plateau. and then. through n rift
in the mountains. II descends into China. The
great change OF level gives extra velocity to
the stream. which is in its middle course when
1t drops into China. The swiftness OF its cur
rent here has perhaps not been accurately as
certained. but it is said that some Of the ferry
boats are often carried three miles down the
river. though 1t is only a halt mile vide. Now.
the land through which it flows when It
reaches China consists Of the famous lopss. or
yellow earth. a soil OF inexhaustible fertility IL
:he rainfall is sufficient. but il is very light
and friable and Is carried away in immense
quantities by the swiftly rolling waters. The
river and the sea into which it empties derive
their name from the color this earth i'm parts to
them. The silt thus derived spreads over the
bed OF the lower river. constantly raising IL.
and the embankments must be raised higher
and higher TO retain the water at flood time.
and when q break occurs thousands OF square
miles Of the lower levels OF the country are
converted into lakestwentv to thirty feet deep.
A British engineer. Mr.. j. c. Ferguson. was
the first TO make an expert survey OF a large
portion Of the flooded area. The plan he suR-
Rested. after seeing the ruin wrought bv the
flood OF 1887. was TO construct a system OF vast
reservoirs in which tbs food waters might be
impounded. The reservoirs should be built.
for the most part. he said. in natural depres-
sions and should cover an area Of about 6O0.-
600 acres in all. distributed over the four
provinces OF Shensi. Shansi. Honan and Shan
tung. The reservoirs would cover about ono
tenth Of the area flooded In 1881. and the reser-
voirs would be at least thirty feet below tho
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