We are in the midst of "the rainy season and are hearing the usual reports of erratic behaviour on the part of Shansi rivers. The motor roads have all been broken in many places, so that the motor-bus traffic in every direction from Taiyuanfu has been temporarily suspended. The ubiquitous ricshas, however, continue to take care of a large number of passengers. The Chengtai Railway has had two breaks in its line, in spite of the greatest care and watchfulness on the part of the engineers. The first occurred in Showyanghsien and wag repaired in a few hours. The second break was made in Pingtinghsien, near the Tse-shihyi station. This break was four in length, and passengers have been put to the inconvenience of walking that distance to reach sound track on the other side. However. the officials of the road are working with all speed to make repairs.
The most serious case of dani-age from high water thus far re-southwest cf—this, Kihsien. ported was in the district just There, on July 28, the waters of the Chang-yuan River, debouching upon the plain at the important market town of Tzehung, rushed down upon the east suburb of Kihsien and through the moat spread quickly to the other suburbs. Fortunately, the city gates were quickly closed and filled with bags of earth. Reliable witnesses have told me that the flood waters rose to within a foot of the top of the city gates. Great damage was done to buildings, particularly in the east suburb, and there was some loss of life, probably 20 persons being missing. The shopkeepers of the suburbs were heavy losers. They had prepared to barricade their doors against a flood of six or eight feet, but when the waters rose to eight or nine feet their shops were inundated and the loss, especially in such stocks as salt, sugar and oil, was very heavy. The. flood came down in the daytime, else the number of lives lost must have been far greater.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.