Many Killed by Fire on Rafts Frost Oux Owx Contesroxoest Nanchang, May 11.
We have just here emerged from one of the greatest floods for years, apart of the city wall was sub: merged, only a few inches of the parapets being above water, 'Hundreds of houses were in seater up to the roofs, large numbers of people were living on the city: wall Foeldays he lower part of te ety vas an immense lake. Only' once in the memory of your Correspondent has there been, higher' food water, and it was about ten feet higher this year, "Many houses fel, fand those outside the city were Simply swept away. Quite a number'of earn launches vine" thi city "during high Water bringing flee for the troops, This was taken advantage of by the postal authorities to get mail a few days quicker} to, the coast.
iver is still in such a state One or more at-surred en route from local tufei along the way. Thus you can see that the sailing boat has of getting through. why. so much merchandise still awaits transit in Nanchang, while the merchants are willing to pay almost anything to have it brought safely here, To the man street it looks as if escorting a few boats for the 300 miles would not be a job beyond the strength of a regiment of troops. There must be difficulties in the way as in the lone run it is the merchants to pay when money is yet they seem to get very return, Some days ago a number of rafts started down stream with a number of troops aboard who were getting id for escorting them, Rumour sit that when they reached feertain place down. stream where there are other troops, it was dark, land it was impossible to anchor the Big oating' forests. They" were plied Bet net giving satsacton, plied' but not giving. satisfaction, few shots "were fired at them. A [bugle was sounded. to. show' their identity, but this was not enough. 'The result was that the raft escort replied with ries, which made those shore, think they. were dealing with tufei. They. turned on a machine-gun and many are reported {to "have been killed, among' them Just what: is being accomplished cannot it is believed they inthe way of bandit "suppression fare making headway. The facts 0 fas they are at all. known are attested to by the arrival here of hundreds. of refugees from Suikin Hsien, who say that the Reds have put in an appearance there." Some pressure further North must have been experienced which made then move further South. Ruined cities fare being rebuilt, and fortified and arrisons placed in them.
The whole countryside is looking to the Government hoping that short a time as possible it will make it possible once again to carry on business. At present, that is practically impossible, farming fs a very dangerous enterprise, while the ownership of land is not an asset.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.