As others have written about the flood here in Canton, I shall confine myself in this report to telling about how it has affected some of our outstations.
A FIRE MAN
As soon as possible, I went to Im Po, where we have a chapel and a school. I found the workers and some of the members trying to repair the chapel and seats so that they could be used again. The water had been nine feet deep in the chapel. The school building was a little higher, so the water did not destroy much there.
When the water came into the city, the workers removed to the school; but soon found that they could not escape without boats or rafts, and these were very hard to find in such a time. They were rescued in due time, and taken to a high hill, about a mile from the city, which is used as a burying ground. Here, old and young, men, women, and children, were brought by boats and launches engaged in rescue work. Not much could be provided for them, and they were left to shift for themselves as the work went on. Hundreds of people were gathered there among the graves, without shelter from the rain or the burning rays of the sun.
The evangelist pointed out the spot where the villagers were massed together, and said that there, among the graves on every side, old people passed away in death, some who went there in good health became ill, and there babies were born into the world. The food which they were compelled to eat was14the poorest of Chinese rice and what they could find on the hill. Those who were Christians recalled what they had read in the Bible about the flood, and they imagined that the suffering must have been great when all the world was destroyed by water.
I saw many buildings that had fallen on account of the action of the water on them. Streets were covered with sand, trees, and bricks from fallen houses, and altogether the sight was pitiable. People were returning to their homes only to find them ruined and their things spoiled. Some of our people lost all they had, yet they assured me that they believed that the Lord would take care of them, and that they should have a home in the earth made new, where there would not be any destroying flood. One brother felt bad because he had planned on having one hundred dollars ride this year; but the water had spoiled his business, and he would not have very much.
Very little damage was done to our property, yet there will be some repairs needed. We feel thankful to God that he has protected his children in this great danger, and many feel that he has especially cared for them under great adversity.
