The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1912-01-05

oCoSi iiPIiOh VA ShO SAtA cOA NA
nary attack made by the River
Il Indus on the hapless town Of
Dera Ghazi Khan, a place of
$1,000 inhabitants in the Western
Punjaub. Founded 400 years ago by
q great Baluch chief, Ghazi Khan,
1t has seen dynasty after dynasty of
rulers pass away-Baluchis, Kalhoras,
Duranis and Sikhs-until the district,
mainly in the possession Of five
Baluch tribes, settled down to peace
under the British flag. Dera Ghazi
Khan became the headquarters of the
civil administration. and under the
shadow of strong cantonment the
fourishing trade mart for river-borne
traffic prospered exceedingly, and in
its buildings and places Of religious
worship showed the existence of con-
siderable wealth.
But at last, the Indus, which knows
no fixed bounds between the gorge
at Kalabagh and the low rocks of Suk-
kur in far-off Sind, and wanders about
at its own sweet will, made up its
mind that Ghazi Khan's capital had
stood in it's memory too long. Slowly,
but persistently, it approached. some
times cutting to the north and some
times to the south Of the doomed
town, but always eating its way near
er and nearer. At last, a violent
scoop, bitten out of the valuable cult
waited lands above the cantonment,
rn,,cod oil RI q nf HnpUnr Tho
troops were removed, and the garri-
sons in further Baluchistan were
strengthened. Then several protec-
tive works Of different types were de-
vised, and bit by bit a very large sum
of money was spent. Some years
passed, during which the Indus made
various and gradually successful at
tempts to counteract the power of
man, for 1t was not to be denied the
path that 1t had chosen.
The last phase commenced in the
summer of 1908, year of very high
flood. It's power, increased by the
pace of the extra volume of waters,
outflanked and cut through the stone
embankment, which, constructed in
1899, was the sole surviving relic of all
the protective works. Once this de-
fense was gone, the river moved in
land with great rapidity. The whole
embankment, a mile long, was swal-
lowed up in. 55 days, and the Indus,
advancing still further after destroy
ing the rich groves and garden lands
on the outskirts Of the town, fore
shadowed it's real intentions by nib
bling OF one angle and sending a food
FOUND the low-lying, poorer quarters
at an abnormally late period of the
season. This much effected, 1t sank
quickly down into its more sluggish
winter channel, and did but little harm
until the next food season of 1909
The Indus, however, does not work its
wicked will by advancing in straight
lines, but both in its larger and in it's
smaller movements 1t travels first by
cutting bay inwards, and then by
looping off the projection that has
been thrown out. Thus in 1909, hav-
ing brought It's channel directly
against the ill-fated town, 1t remained
practically quiescent there, while de-
vouring voraciously all the gardens
and hamlets to the south
When it had quite finished this in
ward Journey below the town, in the
course of which 1t travelled full two
miles at one place, it again turned its
attention to Dera Ghazi Khan. The
houses it destroyed there were among
the Oldest and most costly, but the
greatest width eroded was only $50
yards. Then September came, and
with It the winter respite. The south
md, which had suffered the most In
ne previous year, hardly lost house
In 1910. but the destruction ranged
ksom a short piece there to largo
area In the north. The Indus, however,
arent most Of It's time STRENGTHENING
lis course high above the town. and
nus the catastrophe was not COM
plsted that year. Nevertheless. the bit
srOded was congested with humanity.
= only very old Indian towns can