Twenty Steamers Held Up niven the Pei Ho Nanking, Jan, 11.
The cold spell which has swept over the country during the last three days promises to. bring in its wake the severest winter China has experienced for several years past. Reports received from different parts of the country indicate the heavy snowfall accompanied by strong winds and sandstorms have taken @ heavy toll of lives among the poorer inhabitants.
According to a telegram from Tsingkiangpu (Kiangsu), an inceséant fall of snow for the. last three days has resulted in the freezing up of the water of the Grand Canal, and navigation has been suspended.
Considerable havoc in the form of demolished houses and fallen trees Was wrought by the snowstorm which blew over the territory between Hsuchow and Chengchow along the Lung-Hai Railway con-wu ously since the 8th inst., the cities of Kweiteh, Lanfeng, Chung-mou and Paisha bearing the brunt of the blizzard, Telegraph wires and poles recently repaired have again been torn up.
In Tsinan, the temperature has dropped to 14 degrees below zero, with signs of a further fall, The snowstorm which raged over Tsing-two yesterday destroyed a large number of telephone lines. Tele Phone communication has been com= Pletely suspended,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.