Some Great Floods.
Terrible as was the recent disaster in the Conemaugh valley yet, looking back over the world’s record of great floods, we find several which were attended with greater loss of both life and property, and a few instances in which the devastation was so widespread as to dwarf the proportions of this newest calamity.
The greatest of modern floods was that which resulted from the overflow of the great Hoang-Ho, or Yellow river, in 1887. This river, which has earned the title of “China’s Sorrow,” has always been the cause of great anxiety to the Chinese government and to the inhabitants of the country through which it flows. It is guarded with the utmost care at great expense, and annually vast sums are spent in repairs of its banks. In October, 1887, a number of serious breaches occurred in the river’s banks about 300 miles from the coast. As a result the river deserted its natural bed and spread over a thickly populated plain, forcing for itself finally an entirely new road to the sea. Four or five times in 2000 years the great river had changed its bed, and each time the change had entailed great loss of life and property.
If you are a current subscriber,login here访问这些内容。
If you would like to become a subscriber, please visit ushere.
