Chinkiang, Sept. 17.
in common with other pants of the country the people in this dis. trict.are under the bane of a great fear of coming calamity. At the monastery on Consulate Bluff, just, outside the-city wall, a high temporary wooden structure was erected with a platform on the top. I'he intention was for priests to ascend this and beseech the spirits to ward off the coming evil. The higher provincial officials have, however, refused permission for this to be done and so the tower must come down, i: is commonly reported that' the well-to-do people are transferring their movable wealth and valuable to Shanghai. As the time of the 8th moon feast draws near, many of them propose to go down tto Shanghai. 'I'heir idea is that when the earthquake or whatever form the calamity takes comes to pass, they will be able to escape-on steamers which will be in the harbour. Efforts are being-made to appease these fears by articles written in the local press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.