Small Vessels Prest Our Own Commsroxarst Chungking, Feb. 9, With the Yangize waters at nearly cone foot below zero and no prospect of anything except further dropping until March the steam navigation on the river is almost at a standstill, Tt is now reported that the old Shuho which was sunk at the famous Hsin-fan rapids is showing above the surface, which, "along with the lately damaged old Shutung, is now making the of the' famous "mille race" almost Impossible.
"The owners of junks who have been able to hold out against the competition of steamships these last years Bre now smiling In. anticipation of profitable contracts for parcel mail haulage and other urgent cargoes. The Junkmen are busy forming a guild to supervise activities for the ext two months.
The Ming Sung Industrial Ca, is making a stout effort to keep steam Havigation open by putting their smallest vessels on the Ichang-Chung-King run. Tt was reported yesterday afternoon that they were still 2 cepting passengers for Tchang.
This steamship line has made marvellous progress since the coming of the Central Government to Chuni king and in the year 1990 let contracts for fourteen steamships with Shanghai construction firms, They say that they are leifing contracts for eight more this year. They expect Yo. be transporting railway material for the next {wo years and after that to be prepared for the extra down river cargo which the railway will bring.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.