The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-08-26
FLOOD
DEVASTATESA
LARGE AREA
ALL THE LOWER PORTION OF
CITY OF CANTON is UNDER
WATER-PEoPLE ALONG RIVER
SUFFERING TERRIBLY.

Peking. Aug. 25.-The floods in the
| Canton delta are the worst that have
I been experienced in many years. AL
the low portions Of the city OF Canton
are under water, including the island
OF Shameen Oh which the foreign
consulates, including the American,
are situated. The American gunboat
Wilmington" has been placed at the
disposal OF the relief committee at
Hong Kong for the purpose OF carry
ing food to the destitute people. Navi.
cation up and down the rivers is
difficult and dangerous, not only
owing to the terrific rusn of water,
but also because of the fact that
buoys and other aids to navigation
have been washed away. The enor-
nous population that lives on small
boats along the Canton rivers and
canals-often a whole family living
on a boat twelve feet long-are suf-
fering no less terribly than the people
who have been driven 20 the upper
floors or roofs OF their poor habita-
tions
1t is said that junk loads of corpses
are to be seen from time to time
afloat upon the rivers and naturally
many bodies. No estimate can yet
be made Of the loss of lite. but it is
supposed that it will number many
thousands, and those people who sur
yive the flood must subsequently face
the usual famine and pe3tilence that
will follow. The governor 70 Kwang-
tung reports to the central govern
ment that a fire destroyed two thou
sand houses in Canton, burning oil
floating from one house to another on
the current of the food.
Fires have caused great devasta-
ton. The entire length of Tung-
hingkai has been swept away by fire
and water. Hundreds OF men, women
and children, taking refuge on the
housetops in the fire zone, during the
confagration, stood between death by
fire or water. Those who elected to
leap into the water were drowned,
while others were incinerated A
soldier shot dead one ruffian who was
attempting renewed ince ID iarism. \
gruesome spectacle was witnessed
when seventeen corpses were re-
moved from the Chinese postoffice.
The soldiers worked nagnifcently,
rescuing women from the canal near
the French bridge and removing them
to the hospital. While engaged in
rescue work many soldiers were
drowned. The staff of a Japanese
firm, Messrs. NTitsui Buscan Kaisha,
whose office is on the Shameen boil
ed huge cauldrons OF rice, which was
distributed among refugees on board
INT Hhllu4 Gus VI bOabo SLNiIOllA5 IL
the creek at the back of the foreign
concession. The police were helpless
to suppress extensive looting. People
on the Shameen could hear distinctly
revolver shots being exchanged be-
tween robbers and the police in the
neighborhood of the canal. Food is
at famine prices. Missionaries and
other foreigners have been amply pro
yided for from Hong Kong
Wealthy Chinese and Britishers at
Hong Kong have organized relief
funds and relief expeditions, and Am
erican and British missionaries are
making earnest efforts to relieve the
distress of those people whom they
are able to reach. President Yuan
Shi-kai has contributed ten thousand
Chinese dollars (about $4,000 gol6
and the central government has ap-
propriated-alth it is hard press
ed for funds-one hundred thousand
Chinese dollars.
The American consul bas made
brief report by telegraph to the lega-
ton in Peking, and is following with
description by mail which Will be
sent to the state department.