The Governor of Shantung reports that on the 7th of August last he received a communication from the Director General of the Yellow River, informing him that there had been a rise on the Ist August of five feet within a few hours in the waters of the river at Nan-chin-loan in Shan Chou. Prompt instructions were issued to the river authorities to take precautionary measures of an effective kind. Between the Gth and 9th of August the Shantung portion of the river rose 2 set 8 inches, and the volume of the water was greater and more violent than it had been for many years past. Breaches occurred in the Chin embankment all along its course great danger were apparent in a number of through five departments, and symptoms of places in the Libs prong? Chu-ho, Lich'éng, P'ing-yin and other districts. On the night of the 9th and on the morning of the 10th of August there was a perfect deluge of rain accompanied by a high wind which lashed the waters into a great fury. A company of 20 soldiers and an officer who were engaged in keeping the embankment from giving way at a village in the Ch'i-ho district were carried away and drowned in a rush of water whic poured orer the top of the embankment afore they had time to make their escape. The Governor visited the spot in person and found that there was a breach of 45 chang in length, at the contre of which there was a depth of nine feet of water. Orders were given for its repair which, was estimated, would cost over Tls. 40,000. Colonel Chang Yung-hung who, with a body of 500 men, has had 140 Ni of this portion of the river under his charge for the last seven years, is blamed for having failed to secure the ends of the embankments after the breach had occurred. When the Governor took him to task for his remissness, his only excuse was that there was no earth available for the Rurpose, It is recommended that he should be cas! lered and sent into banishment. The Magistrate of Ch'i-ho and another officer are held to have been dilatory in their attempts to stem the current, and both are to be stripped of their office. The plea of want of materials the Governor considers to be quite untenable. Permission had been given to pull up and make use of the standing millet crops, and this presented no difficulty as the people in the vicinity of the river had fled and were at any rate to receive a compensation. A number of other officials denounced by the Governor have lost their positions in the public service.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.