Hankow, Aug. 2.
In the district behind Hankow the water has been rising steadily, due to the breaks in the railway embankment, and at times the rise has been as much as 10 inches in an hour.
The Race Club is totally flooded, water being up to the verandah. The cricket and football grounds, the golf courses, and the race tracks are one huge isle with here and there a lone bush or tree sticking out of the water. A sampan faery is running to the Race Club, The Chinese Race Club is also} badly under water as well as the aerodrome belonging to the Chit Aieways. The hangars are only beer partly showing above the vast ex-
messed further flooding in arise, of water, "Yesterday wit sely populated native district the upper end of the Road, where the waters burst through the railway arches, the adams in these giving way.
Thus further thousands of refugees have teen added to the estimated number of 85,000 who were flooded out by the previous-break near the /Socony installation, These poor people are in dire straits. The Race Club private road and the railway embankme fare crowded with hastily built mat sheds, to shelter some of them. The public stand in the Race Club also crowded with refugees, while andah has been turned into sri. The Japanese authorities ave shown great effi ency in getting their -concession dry and now housing and feeding in the Japs jose barracks, ing sampan men were ordered to do the bidding of their captors. The ficial reason given is that the sampans were needed to transport Fefugees to Wuchang on the ocher ide of the river. This may have been 0, but in some cases there is little doubt sampans were command ldeered because the soldiers concern ed'did not like walking in the flooded streets, One" sampan which was taken oficialiy for the transport of refugees was. to be loaded with coal and other stores, for hire that could have been hired There were many sampans ply
by the military, but the soldiers apparently preferred the private san: pans, for which the hire money had paid, When the water broke through the railway arches behind Hankowr, the floods rose slowly owing to the large area to be covered. The pos place, therefore, -had some. sort St warning, but even so large quantities of farm-stock had to be left behind to drow On the other hand, the district between the railway and the town was taken' by surprise, as. great Tutth had bess pinned to the cover 'AMforded by the railway, the arches of which "had been dammed. by Sand-bags, "When the water came Uirough the arches with a rush this densely' populated" district was fulekly inundated and many lives Although there is little evidence of any attempt at organised relief work, various benevolent -aociet tre doing what they can to Viate distress.
The Public Safety Bureau has commandeered several native hotels for" the accommodation of the destitute, but refugees are stil This evening the Chinese made a move to deal with ver growing. mass of refugees were commandeered in order to con-these people over the river to Wuchang where it is believed they: will be camped on the hills.
With the return of the hot weather the question of "public health. is being seriously consider-With the stagnant water on, the streets and the failure some sewerage systems, and. ths [crowds of refugees it is feared tha: if disease breaks out it will spread rapidly, districts and most of them-are in fa sad plight, "having lost' everything they possessed, 'The Bureau now reports that when the water rushed through the 1 tway arches over 100 people lost their lives and 5,000 households were submerged and' the inmates forced to flee. The cause of the break is a tragedy in itself. "It seems 1 the coolie gang, who were filing sand-bags and placing them position, suddenly went on strike demanding more money. The foreman refused these demands and the 7 Aug. 3. the Mood situation here except that eres litle change to report
the water level in the Concession area to-day rose about three inches. ports report slight water level, but the the same showing that there iso iakiang water ma that there is a surplus of water tobe ran off 'The Hankow population is settling down to make the best of the prevail. ing conditions, although the' return of the hot weather does not tend to Improve matters ters. To-day, the military were much in evidence com: mandeering private ott the pistol. Hong ational flags were ignored or mand rx Drivate sampans of the} thrown overboard, wi the protest-men and women work. Some have been making fervent resolutions and, in the process, have forgotten to make their usual contribution to the volume of lamentation which properly proceeds from a community anxious to preserve a reputati for progress. Others are preparing to welcome with due ceremony the legions of air-travellers who threaten before long to cond on the banks of Shanghai own river.
On the whole it may be said that, having put behind them the last holiday authorised by British custom before Christmas, there will be a general feeling with many that the year has begun to mellow, that it is time to be tolerant of its shortcomings and that, with a reasonable dose of optimism, it is possible to set in train the preparations for the greeting of its successor in the high hope of something turning up to everyone's advantage. in another 15 minutes the matter had become serious and the water was pouring through.
Even than, however, with an energetic foreman and willing coolies Shi the matter could hat ed. But seeing th water increasing the foreman and his gang hastily beat a retreat. The water the whole dam with terrible results. Several bodies were observed togting near the—interna-anal cemetery. to-day.
Strict martial law continues and strong military patrols in sampans are maintaining order.
Aug. 4, There has been little change in the flood situation during the past 24 hours.
Refugees from the 1 zone are bei possible to. Wuchang, [but to-day there was a halt in proceedings as the stricken people fare now very reluctant to go. They fear to lose' what possessions they} Ihave managed to save from the cod, and. they feel that there is guarantee that they will better off in Wuchang than they are at. present, Tt is estimated that 40,000 refugees are now residing "on the railway" embankment, and. the Public' Safety Bureau, realising the seriousness of the position, is Jendeavouring t2 persuade them to find quarters of some sort. spagreral foreign adowns situated in the Iway zone are accommodate-|j ing some of the people, the figures beng given as follows: Messrs. Jardine, Matheson—1,000_ or more Mitsui" "Bussan Kaisha—1,500; Messrs. Melehers—2,000; "Messrs. Borioni—600. But godowns can provide Yot only a small number of Those in need of shelter and. the Safety Bureau are now consider taking over all temples, publ buildings and recreation grounds in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.