Page 85 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 85
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
the Tu Tu and other high officials here. Poor Mrs. Stevens is undergoing a
tremendous strain and only the Lord Himself can sustain her physically and mentally.
On Friday evening late, a telegram came to Mr. Shorrock from Peking (Beijing) which
reads: "Your telegram 5 May. Matter being vigorously pressed here. Would it be
possible to get in direct touch with the captor through British missionary Andrew
shortly passing Sian (Xi'an) on way to Kansu (Gansu). If so please arrange with him
and inform Legation. Alston." I propose proceeding on my way to Gansu tomorrow
and travelling with all possible speed to Binzhou. At Binzhou I can leave the main
road and go over the hills to Longzhou or Qianyang at one of which places I hope to
see General Kong who is the commander of the Gansu troops and who has been
appointed by Presidential mandate to command all operations against Fengxiang. I
know General Kong personally and will ask him to do what he can and in the event of
the city falling, to take all possible precautions to get Mr. Stevens out.
Since I commenced this letter, we have heard of a special messenger just in from
Fengxiang bringing a letter from Mr. Stevens. He writes that all the schoolgirls have
been got away to Mei Xian and that the besieging troops are now all round the city
within about two li of the walls, but that not much fighting is going on."
EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN GANSU
Casualties from the fifteen minute quake on the night of 16 December had numbered more than a
quarter of a million. Whole towns collapsed and at Haiyuan alone 80,000 people had perished. From
Guyuan 24 cartloads of wounded people were taken to Pingliang where a missionary named Tornvall,
though not a doctor, had attained fame as a physician and surgeon and did all he could to ease their
sufferings.
Huge mountainsides had shifted burying entire communities and blocking river valleys, creating new
expanding lakes. The greatest danger was that these would overflow causing floods, not only in
Gansu but in heavily populated provinces far down the Yellow River (Huang He). It was decided to
employ men who had lost everything to cut channels through, and clear these lakes. They all had to
be housed and fed in remote mountain areas where fresh earth tremors were constantly occurring.
These men were paid well so that they could rebuild their farms.
GFA found himself in charge of 15,000 men working to release twenty lakes. His official assignment
was "to clear the valleys of the debris which blocks them, to push the mountains back into place, to
restore communications and to stabilise the economy"!! Under him were three missionaries,
"R.Koenrgswald formerly one of Uncle Sam's 'doughnut boys' but now with the
Christian and Missionary Alliance, R.Seaman from Australia of the CIM and
R.Jamieson from the Canadian Assemblies of God. A number of Chinese deputies
sent out from the Lanzhou Christian Church worked with them in taking charge and
oversight of the above operations. It was to the ingenuity and faithful service of these
men, and to the spirit of wholehearted co-operation between Chinese and foreigner
that the success of the undertaking was due". So GFA wrote in one of his reports
and again in glowing terms he referred to the men who worked with him. "What a
grand thing to come among such a people serving their material interests to the limit
of strength and means, and bringing them that glorious Gospel of redeeming love
85
Amy Moore
the Tu Tu and other high officials here. Poor Mrs. Stevens is undergoing a
tremendous strain and only the Lord Himself can sustain her physically and mentally.
On Friday evening late, a telegram came to Mr. Shorrock from Peking (Beijing) which
reads: "Your telegram 5 May. Matter being vigorously pressed here. Would it be
possible to get in direct touch with the captor through British missionary Andrew
shortly passing Sian (Xi'an) on way to Kansu (Gansu). If so please arrange with him
and inform Legation. Alston." I propose proceeding on my way to Gansu tomorrow
and travelling with all possible speed to Binzhou. At Binzhou I can leave the main
road and go over the hills to Longzhou or Qianyang at one of which places I hope to
see General Kong who is the commander of the Gansu troops and who has been
appointed by Presidential mandate to command all operations against Fengxiang. I
know General Kong personally and will ask him to do what he can and in the event of
the city falling, to take all possible precautions to get Mr. Stevens out.
Since I commenced this letter, we have heard of a special messenger just in from
Fengxiang bringing a letter from Mr. Stevens. He writes that all the schoolgirls have
been got away to Mei Xian and that the besieging troops are now all round the city
within about two li of the walls, but that not much fighting is going on."
EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN GANSU
Casualties from the fifteen minute quake on the night of 16 December had numbered more than a
quarter of a million. Whole towns collapsed and at Haiyuan alone 80,000 people had perished. From
Guyuan 24 cartloads of wounded people were taken to Pingliang where a missionary named Tornvall,
though not a doctor, had attained fame as a physician and surgeon and did all he could to ease their
sufferings.
Huge mountainsides had shifted burying entire communities and blocking river valleys, creating new
expanding lakes. The greatest danger was that these would overflow causing floods, not only in
Gansu but in heavily populated provinces far down the Yellow River (Huang He). It was decided to
employ men who had lost everything to cut channels through, and clear these lakes. They all had to
be housed and fed in remote mountain areas where fresh earth tremors were constantly occurring.
These men were paid well so that they could rebuild their farms.
GFA found himself in charge of 15,000 men working to release twenty lakes. His official assignment
was "to clear the valleys of the debris which blocks them, to push the mountains back into place, to
restore communications and to stabilise the economy"!! Under him were three missionaries,
"R.Koenrgswald formerly one of Uncle Sam's 'doughnut boys' but now with the
Christian and Missionary Alliance, R.Seaman from Australia of the CIM and
R.Jamieson from the Canadian Assemblies of God. A number of Chinese deputies
sent out from the Lanzhou Christian Church worked with them in taking charge and
oversight of the above operations. It was to the ingenuity and faithful service of these
men, and to the spirit of wholehearted co-operation between Chinese and foreigner
that the success of the undertaking was due". So GFA wrote in one of his reports
and again in glowing terms he referred to the men who worked with him. "What a
grand thing to come among such a people serving their material interests to the limit
of strength and means, and bringing them that glorious Gospel of redeeming love
85
