Evening star., 1915-01-28
Red Cross Board of Engineers
Makes Recommendation for
10000, 900 Project.
LITTLE DATA AVAILABLE
ON HEIGHTS OF WATERS
U. S. Investigators Handicapped by
Lack of Information on Rivers
and Lakes of Country.

Recommendation of a new project Tor
flood prevention in China. to cost about
S30,000,o00, giving direct benefits TO
more than 100000 acres of land at
fected, which 1t is estimated Will be
worth $4s.35o.o00, is contained in the
report to the American Red Cross
headquarters here from the engineer
ing commission sent to China to study
the flood problem.
summary of the work done by this
board and of the project they recon-
mend to prevent misery In the food
regions Is given by Arthur Powell
Davis, chief engineer of the United
States reclamation service. as follows:
The region investigated was the
basin of the Huai river and adjacent
portions of the great plain Of eastern
China This plain is located in re-
sion of typhoons and is subject to tor
rental rainStorms of astonishing Sc
verify. While the average rainfall is
about thirty-six inches per annum.
local rainfalls of twenty-five inches
in forty-eight hours have been recorded,
and storms of from four to eight inches
in one to three days are quite common.
The fatness of the plain and the in
sufhciency of drainage lines cause these
storms to flood the country. overtiowing
such channels as do exist and submerg-
sufflcient length of time to kill grow
ing crops and to ruin those already
harvested. AS the storms usually occur
in the summer. they are especially de-
Structive to growing crops, and have,
at frequent intervals, caused great loss
of life from starvation and intense suf-
fering to millions Of Industrious and
worthy people. Millions have been spent
to relieve distress and ameliorate condi-
tions. but no considerable betterment
has been accomplished.
About four years ago the American
National Red Cross, which had been ac-
tive in collecting and distributing relief
funds, suggested to the Chinese gov
ernment the advisability of sending an
American engineer to examine the con-
ditions, with a view to the formulation
Of plans by which the conditions could
be remedied by removing their cause.
The Chinese government gladly accepted
this offer and volunteered to pay the
expenses of the engineer and to furnish
such assistance as might be necessary.
Inspected the County.
Charles D. Jameson. an engineer of
many years experience in China, was
selected and he inspected the country
involved, and recommended certain sur
veys, including an elaborate system of
precise levels connecting the afflicted re-
gion with the coast, along various alter
native routes. The surveys recommend
ed were diligently carried out by the
Chinese surveyors and their results be-
came available in 1913. AS soon as
these could be compiled. the American
Red Cross referred them to board OF
hydraulic engineers, headed by Col.
William l. Sibert of the Corps Of En-
gineers, United States Army. the board
being completed by the appointment of
Prof. Daniel Webster Mead. member Of
the American Society Of Civil Engineers,
and professor of hydraulic and sanitary
engineering in the University of Wis
consin. and the writer. who is a mem
ber of the American Society of Civil
Engineers and chief engineer of the
United States reclamation service.
This board sailed from Vancouver
June IL and returned to San Francisco
October 10, having spent about three
months investigating conditions in the
Huai river basin and adjacent regions
We were assisted by ten other American
engineers and large number Of Chinese
technical assistants, who executed va
rfous surveys and Investigations in the
field under the direction of the board.
"The report just made contains brie.
account of the previous work and OF the
surveys lately completed and discusses
the various suggestions that have been
made for the relief of the region in ques-
tion.
After careful consideration the board
finds itself unable to recommend any Of
the projects hereto ore suggested for the
relief of this region, and after discuss