Floods in China.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1735, 18 September 1885, Page 3

Floods in China.

OVER 10,000 LIVES LOST.

From the Overland China Mail ol July II nd we learn that a must calamitous flood lately devastated part of the provinces of Cant <u, causing the death of over 10,000 people, eijgulphiug whole villages, nearly ruining he rice and silk crops, destroying an inane me amount of property, and reducing to absol ite poverty and starvation a vast number of people. The flood began its destructive wuk on Friday, the 19th June, when it hi rst through an embankment at Tam Kong, a place about two days’ distance from Fatscb .n, some 11 miles from Canton. Since the.; it has burst through the embankments of he ol the river at numerous places within si ;ty or eighty miles of the city of Canton, wh.oh was under water itself to a certain extent for for ,-ome and completely flooded the whole country over a large area. In eurne places parents tied their children on the liigh branches of trees, while they themselves instituted measures for their general safety. The trees were washed up by the roots, aud the heartrending cries of the children wore silenced in the taping waters, ft is estimated that considerably over 10,000 people have lost their lives. The suffering that is being endured by thousands is simply heartrending. The subsiding waters will leave an alluvial dep> sit that will burden the atmosphere with malarial poison. Thu people ate obliged to use the filthiest and dirtiest water, which must give them all sorts of diseases. The non-progressive character of these people leave them helpless aud undone in the face of calamity, aud all they cau do is to beat gongs, burn inceuse, howl to the heavens that are as brass, pray to one idol to go aud cause ano her to stop his raining, prohibit the killing of pigs, close tlie north gate, snub the Gulden Rule and then—take their chance.