The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1912-01-05

DoTd GuaZl hndu, 4 pace Oh
q, 900 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 a strong cantonment the
flourishing 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 it's way near
er and nearer At last, a violent
scoop, bitten out of the valuable cult
waited lands above the cantonment.
reused all to a sense of danger. The
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 it was not to be denied the
path that 1t had chosen.
The last phase commenced in the
summer Of 1908, a year Of very high
food. It's power, increased by the
pace of the extra volume of waters,
outfanked and cut through the: stone
embankment, which, constructed in
1899, was the sole surviving relic Of all
the protective works. Once this de.
Tense a gone, the: river moved: in
land with great rapidly. The whole
embankment, a mile long, was swal-
lowed up In 81 days, and the Indus,
advancing still further after destroy
ing the rich.groves and garden lands
on the outskirts of the town, fore.
Swallowed its real intentions by nib.
bling OF one angle and sending a food
round the low-lying, poorer quarters
- ~ nhnDrroo11v late vropfnH ~ <kn
season. This much effected, It 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 its
smaller movements 1t travels first by
cutting a bay inwards, and then by
Topping of the projection that has
been thrown out. Thus in 1909, hav.
ing brought its channel directly
against the Inflated town, 1t remained
practically quiescent there, while de.
vouring voraciously all the gardens
and hamlets to the south.
When 1t had quite finished this in.
ward journey below the town, In the
course of which 1t travelled a full two
miles at one place. 1t again turned ita
attention to Dera Ghazi Khan. The
houses 1t destroyed there were among
the oldest and most costly, but the
greatest width eroded was only $50
yards. Then September came. and
with 1t the winter respite. The south
end, which had suffered the most in
the previous year. hardly lost a house
In 1910. but the destruction ranged
from a short piece there to q large
area in the north. The Indus, however,
spent most Of it, time Strengthening
tts course high above the town. and
nus the catastrophe was not com
pletad that year. Nevertheless. the BIZ
eroded Wa conee6tsd with humanity,
- only vsr7 old Indian towns ean
. 81.