THE HONGKONG TE
CALAMITOUS FLOODS.
WEST RIVER DISTRICTS UNDER WATER.
WUCHOW, SHIU-HING, TAK-HING SUBMERGED
SAMSHUI IN DIREFUL DISTRESS
Another of those tremendous freshetssayanty to seventy-two feet, which, if we are smaller class of buildings the final dissolu- which periodically overwhelm the riverine not mistaken, is a record, for previously tion of things. Some managed to ding with cities of China; leaving ruin and desolation known floods on the Fu River The two them articles of clothing, after foraging for in their track, and utterly undoing the tins which marked the height to which the bread and the means of subsistence, in order labours of years, has occurred, the centre of last great flood had attained beside Mr. to guard against the inevitable exposure the catastrophe on this occasion being the Banker's residence were discovered by two which attended a lengthy stay on the house- important trading city of Wuchow, which, Europeans, one of whom was Mr. Cunning-tops, but many only succeeded in escaping with the exception of the walled city, has ham, of Jardiuc, Matheson & Co., Ltd. with their lives. A few managed to erect been practically wiped out of existence, while That is to say, the strength of the water had improvised shelters from the rains with the all the treaty ports along the West River snapped them off in its course, in order to aid of ricketty bamboo poles and preposter- have suffered enormous loss and damage, make room for a new and greater re It la impossible. at the present tims to form cord. In 1907, the flood reached the same to band, Men, women and children
ous awnings composed of anything the slightest conception of the death-roll, height, according to the Acting Commisere huddled together in their miserable although it must beyond question comprise signer of Customs at Wuchow, of 619 feet light hoping for the best but doubtless ex hundreds of the West River floating popula above zero, the date on that occasion being Pecting the worst. tion, and hundreds of residents in Wuchow the 23rd of April, which was the highest itself. The West River, from all descriptions, point recorded during the previous 67 years has overspread its banks for miles around, When that is compared with the 70 or 72 carrying with it a constant stream of wrecke. feet attained last week, the extraordinary Junks, upturned sampans, demolished build-character of the sudden "spate will be ings and all the flotsam and jetsam which are more vividly realised. And when we state to be found on the banks of a waterway of the that the 6 feel tide of igny resulted in commercial consequence of the West River. general distress among the inhabitants for From an observer who was on the scene of three weeks the probable effect of the pre- the disaster which has befallen the people sent cataclysm will be the better appreciated of Wuchow, and other villages we have been ANTIKE HOUSES, SWEPT AWAY. able to secure a graphic and thrilling descrip tion of the terrible occurrences
was
SCENE ON THE RIVER.
along on its bosom, numerous hongs, Before them the river was sweeping or pies as they are called in Wuchow, and some of these floating pontoons are lying thirty miles away from their erstwhite an chorage, Dead bodies and coffina being whirled down by the current and it is believed that many cemeteries must have bean erased by the violence of the freshet. Some few of the greater floating hongs. withstood the strain on account of the extra
were
By Friday the junction of the two rivers
a heterogeneous mass of wrecked moorings provided for them, notably those
RIDAY JUN
1261 1908,
What
Abformant" "must", wae|seas
remaining popul
ho; parche on the roof of those houses which rose above the utmost labourers
of "the" yards away from Only the topmost spire of the pago ro haight reached by the flood and who cluug Altogeth mained visible, the rest having vanished together for mutual support befoto, death, destruction, loss under water. On every aide the water stret which looted imminent, released them Nolther the ched practically to the horizon, especially from their unhappy condition of cumixed by the food along the lower reaches of the river where misery, and wretchedness, How many of even be hinte In many places land was out of sight on them had food to last them through their to property is incalcul either hand. Quite a number of the larger privations? Probably not half those had be- will never be accuratel junks has sought refuge in the, numerous taken themselves to the roofs, and there are be guessed af and the fish ponds for which Wachow is famous. hundreds packed together, looking as if they wide of the mark
VILLAGE SWEPT AWAY.
TEMPLE AND FISH POND, WUCHOW
sat on the keel of an upturned boat. And
the difficulty of rescuing these survivors of
at for the
THE SITUATION.
How the authorities are to cope with the
Yuet Shing, one of the ports of call of tire Steamboat Company's vessels was entirely the terrible visitation can be well understood distressing, position, which has come upon submerged, only the roof of the pawn shop be when it is borne in mind that few of the the people Uke bolt from the blue, re- ing visible. Tak. Hing was in similar state, minerous small craft of the river remain mains, to be seen, but that they will require At Samshui, where the Commissioner of afloat. At Samahui a few of the larger outside assistance to relieve the starving Customs together with his family were driven vessels may remain, having managed to multitude is absolutely a foregone conclu out of the Customs station by the invading evade the vortex of the stream. One great sion. Wuchow it credited with a population stream and had to take refuge in house native passenger boat was seen salling round of 70,000, but we are still in the dark an to boats, the railroad had disappeared, all and behind the European bouse.................. how many of that number resided beyond that could be seen being the top of the rail-
the limits of the walled city. It is certain, way: carriages and the smoke stack of a At Samsbul, again, the inhabitants are try: however, that a great p locomotive: One of the villages between ing to raise embankments by driving for themselves in the position of suppliants for
proportion will findo· Samihui and Sainam has been entirely mense piles into the ground and bolstering the wherewithal to chase away the pangs of swept away. The catalogue of disaster them up with bag of sand along the banks. Thunger. In 1901, when there was a great
AT, SANSHUI, ...)
WUCHOW.
"REFUGE ̃ON"ROOF" TOPS.""
Dosing.
landumalce in blaanelom Hai our
THE FU RIVER FLOOD.
material which was almost as destructive to of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Co., On the afternoon of Wednesday last, the anything withstanding his direct passage as Butterfield and Swire, and that of the 17th inst, the witness, to whom we have re-the furious-current itself. Entire Chinese Customs. The greater number of the flower ferred, arrived at Wuchow. The people ap wooden houses were rocking violently, with boats have been carried down river and peared to be on the verge of distraction, fear never a sign of their former inhabitants to many can be seen between Wuchow and ful that the rapidly rising river would engulf be seen. Four together were observed from them. Wuchow, it may be stated, stands at the deck of a steamer anchored at Wuchow,
BRITISH CONSULATE SAFE, the junction of the Fu or Kuei River and the sweeping their way down to the Canton West River, the former falling directly from delta. It is believed that these houses came British Consulate at Wuchow is safe and Owing to its position on the hill the Kweilio, the capital, of Kwangel, into the all the way from Kweilin.
the Consul has not been obliged to change -greater-waterway: at Wuchow, the trade en- trepot. It was perfectly obvious to the least
his quarters. But the Wuchow Club is Meanwhile the inhabitants of Wuchow, within the range of the inundation. It is im- observant that the Fu River was in flood, outside the walled city, had long since possible to convey in words the actual extent. and even on the afternoon of Wednesday, the abandoned themselves to despair, The of the calamity which has overtaken Wuchow, 17th, evidences were not wanting that the river rose with such extraordinary rapidity except in the most general terms, and not city was in danger of being submerged. The and spread over the adjoining country so only Wuchow, but the entire territory right and destruction could be interminably An sleamers pass along they are warned by flood at Wuchow, with the retultant fam torrent was coming down the Fu-ho, as it is completely that almost before they had time along the river banks as far as Samshul and locally termed, at the rate of eight or nine to think of escape, the deluge was upon Sainam. koots an hour, the seahorses cresting the them, overflowing the lower rooms and waves and striking fear into the hearts of mounting higher and higher with every When seen by our informant the waters those whose lives were spent alongside the minute that passed. The unfortunate of the conjoined rivers at Wuchow had risen river. The force of the water was terrific, people were gathering their household goods far above all but the highest building seen and already wreckage of every description together and removing them to the higher in the background of the first illustration was being washed along.
storeys until they, found themselves doally which we publish. Where there had been
HEIGHT OF THE FLOOD.
ose to
continued, but it is needless to en- the beating of gongs to slow down, in order the Government of Ho large on the amazing character of the that the wash from the propellors may not the occasion and sent a Commission,.com freshet which has exterminated numerous undo the efforts of the labourers Bamboo posed of Mr. Gershom Stewart and Wr, C. villages, wrought inestimable injury to Wu- groves are submerged to such a depth that Clement, to distribute the foods which Chow, which was slowly recovering from the passenger steamers can sail through them had been raised in this Colony for the bene- devastating effects of the fire which occurred without fear of grounding
year ago, Blocked all traffic on the railway As already stated there is no means of com that Captain Dixon, who was
fit of the people in Kwangsi. : Then it was for so unknown period, swallowed up the munication whatever. Officials are depend superinter for Mesira means of communication, including the tele ing on passing steamers for news of what is Swire and the Joint Steamb graphic stations and the wires along the being done to meet the situation and alleviate nailed. tio plate on ose route, brought stark ruln to innumerable the distress which already existe
at.uchow to mak Homes and swept hundreds of coolier to their BARICE, CROP, DESTROYER, death.
the flood had reached.. The rice crop which was partially destroy occurred last week, however
At that time
panies
RECORD PRESI singla night the river and on Friday it reache
VIEW OF WUCHOW AND THE FU HO RIVER,
dlmb upon the
pelled to relinquishy their tr
der to:
and juoks, and uses had
SAN ANG ANGPING