Directory_and_Chronicle_1924 — Page 982

908

WENCHOW

last Emperor of the Sung dynasty, when seeking to escape from the Mongols under Kublai Khan. His Majesty Ti Ping has left behind him autographs preserved to this day in one of the temples. A few members of the Customs staff and mission- aries occupy foreign-built houses on the island. The estimated population of the city with its suburbs is 198,287 (figures furnished by District Magistrate). There were Boxer troubles in the Pingyang district, several Christians being murdered, in 1900, and all the missionaries left Wenchow, where, however, the officials were able to maintain order.

There is no foreign settlement at Wênchow, and the foreign residents are a mere handful, consisting almost entirely of officials and missionaries. There is a considerable native export trade in tea, bitter oranges, tobacco, timber, charcoal, and bamboos, but manufactures do not flourish, though some excellent floor-matting is produced by a local factory. The firms engaged in the timber trade are located in the west suburb, where are also the timber yards. Immense quantities of timber and bamboos are kept on hand. The net value of the trade of the port coming under the cognizance of the Maritime Customs for 1922 was Hk. Tls. 6,648,009, as compared with Hk. Tls. 8,859,854 in 1921 and Hk. Tls. 4,860,246 for 1920.

During August and September of 1912 two abnormal freshets occurred in the Wênchow river, causing immense destruction of life and property. In the upper reaches of the main river the water rose 60 feet above norinal level, washing away villages and carrying away houses bodily. Some 30,000 people are reported to have been drowned in the Yungchia, Chingtien, Ch'uchow and Juian magistracies. Such a calamity was unprecedented within the memory of the oldest inhabitant.

Two particularly severe typhoons in the summer of 1920 caused enormous damage in the neighbourhood. Haimen, a neighbouring city, about 85 miles by sea north-east of Wenchow, was partially destroyed on July 15th by a tidal wave with great loss of life; while in the Nanchi River valley, opposite Wenchow, an equally large loss of life was reported in the second typhoon between September 4th and 6th. In September, 1922, a most violent typhoon again caused great devastation in town and country, as well as along the river.

DIRECTORY

司公油火亞細亞商英

Ying-shang-a-si-a-huo-yu-kung-sz

ASIATIC PETROLEUM Co. (NORTH CHINA),

LTD.-Tel. Ad: Doric

司公煙美英華駐

BRITISH-AMERICAN TOBACCO Co. (CHINA),

LTD.-Tel. Ad: Powhattan

Cheng Shang Tai, territory manager

司公船輪商招

CHINA MERCHANTS' STEAM NAVIGATION CO.

T. C. Sze, manager

Hueber Bain, clerk-in-charge

S. Y. Chue | C. Y. Hsu

CONSULATE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Consul-General in Shanghai-Edwin

S. Cunningham

關海甌 Ou Hai Kwan

CUSTOMS, CHINESE MARITIME

Actg. Commr.-C. A. S. Williams

Assistant-C. A. de Bodisco

Do. -Chu Kam Po

Tidesurveyor and Harbour Master-

J. W. Ryden

Examiner-G. E. Cammiade

Tidewaiter-P. W. Coxall

Medical Officer--E. T. A. Stedeford

MISSIONS

會地內

CHINA INLAND MISSION

Rev. F. and Mrs. Worley

Rev. W. A. and Mrs. Schlichter

R. E. Thompson

Miss G. I. F. Taylor

Miss M. Moler

Miss F. Eynon

Miss E. C. Salisbury

(Pingyang)

do.

堂嬰育道海甌

CRÉCHE MUNICIPAL

Sr. Francois, sup.