Ichang, July 17.
The river at Ichang continued to rise right up until midnight of last} night. At that time it was 51 feet and seven inches above the low level in winter and some 10 feet higher than it was about three weeks ago when the current of the river was so swift that sampan navigation was extremely difficult and the sad accident which resulted in the death of Mr. Hooker occurred. Then it was a raging torrent confined between the Bund of Ichang on one side and the steep sides of the hills on the other. Now it has spread out almost half a mile inside the bunding at the eastern end of the city and the current yesterday, was still 8.2 knots per hour, During several days only one merchant ship and one gunboat have been able to reach Ichang from down river and no steamer at all has come in from above the Gorges. One steamer had been here six days and has been unable to discharge her cargo. Such steamers as are in port have been in, great danger due to the strain on cables and the dragging of anchers. Two nights ago the U. S.
Eleano dragged anchor and slipped down almost on the U.
8. Monocacy which was anchored at the £tandard Oil Case Oil Godown. As a result, the two gunboats are now anchored a quarter of a mile apart.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.