The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-08-24
MANY THOUSANDS
 OF CHINESE ARE
 AWAITING DEATH
They Believed Dragon God Is Angry and Are Dying From Cholera and Floods
BY WILFRED LING Limited Press Stan Correspondent

l IbuHhoW, ff'S' of Chinese who be- ,lievcd they had ankercd the dragon god of the Yangtze awaited death In inc yellow waters of the river or from cholera with oriental stoicisn o-day.
 Firm in their belief that the dragon god intended to unleash the power of tho mighty stream until It 1 hnd swept over UankoW. Wuchnng and ITanynng and washed the cities | to the altar of sacrifice, the Chi- nese looked so1enIy at rescue par ties and declined to be removed to safety.
 : The River Dragon Temple was demolished recently. So tho River Dragon must have revenge. And the refugees waited, on roof tops, on mnkeshift rnfts. some on tops or collins the flood hnd swept from their resting places.
 A week ago they fought for scraps of food. To-dny they awaited death
 Famine and disease followed the flood and took up the trails of death where the River Dragon had been merciful. White men and Chinese officials estimated that the death toll would reach 100000 before Christmas. The number of destitute already had reached millions.
 Officials of the Standard oil com pnny who dispatched nirplanes over the flood area snld that 3b.0OO square miles lhy beneath the yellow torrent in Hupeh province and BE- 900 square miles in Human prov incc. The destitutc were estimated at 5000, 900 and 2,060, 900 respcc- lively.
 Heroic efforts were made 10 rec licve the refugees and save them from epidemics. Conditions In refugee camps. pltifully over crowded. presented apparently in- surmountable obstacles. Arrange ments were completed to-day to Inc nocuiate nt least 100000 against cholera, although hospital accom- modations and supplies were dis- trcsslngly meaeer.
 The United Press correspondent entered tho valley Of death nt dawn. travelling over the crest of the Hood on a samDnu H0undlnes revealed the water 10 be rarely less thhn ten feet deep and often as deep as 20 feet. Bracklsh. stiUblng water stretched hs far ns ths eye could sec.
 Rescue parties aboard junks and aamp0ns offered fresh water 10 refugees pcrchcd upon rafts or house tops. Inc water was refused md the Chinese drank from the Hood water In which corpaes and chrcnssrs fonted. The heat became I. L II A t.., Ing.
 Many native streets were wiped out by the collapse of buildings. In the sWlrling waters of the Hood bodies pinned beneath debris often weer liberated and suddenly pros jectcd to the surfncc. to iont with other victims of the dragon god. Power plants in the flood area were inundated and night brought impcnct rable darkness Survivors able to bear the suffering of in- tense beat during tho day became panic stricken when night brought the fenr that the flood might cn. gulf them before dawn.
 Walls and screams of sufferers. Of mothers holding dead babies to their breasts. penetrated tho night in n thousand cries rising to h cres- cendo of agony. But rescuera were helpless,
 Realizing that when tho Hood rec cedes it will take with it all their crops, tho survivors seemed to pres fer death immediately to tho suf- feriDg and starvation Of \ long win- ter
 Condition in the Hankow nrea were duplicated in scores of other cities and villages.