Percy M. Othus collection on Chinese hydrology, 1919-1947.

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Percy M. Othus collection on Chinese hydrology, 1919-1947.

This collection documents engineering efforts to control Chinese rivers. Following a devastating flood in 1917, the Chinese government sought help from Western experts. Documents from the years 1919 to 1923 include H. van der Veen, "Floods in the Plain of North China: Their Causes and How to Mitigate their Effects"; transcripts and oversize plans by John Ripley Freeman pertaining to "General Specifications for the Design and Construction of the Yellow River Bridge," 1920-1921; a Chinese translation of Freeman's work on controlling the Huai River, 1923; and Hubert Engels, "The Regulation of the Hwangho," also 1923. In an attempt to stop the Japanese from invading in 1938, the Chinese blew up levees on the Yellow River, flooding 9000 square miles, killing or starving one million people, and leaving twelve million homeless. A flood of 1943 destroyed crops, starving three million people. The bulk of the collection concerns this latter period. Documents include a "A Project for the Control of the Yellow River and Construction of San Meng Shar Dam," circa 1940; a preliminary report on soil, water, and forest preservation in northwest China, 1943; and reports of extensive studies of hydrology, geology, and the regulation of the Yellow River, the lower Yellow River, the Yellow River Basin, and the Sanmen Gorge (1946-1947).

1 cubic foot.

eng,

chi,

Related Entities

There are 4 Entities related to this resource.

Othus, Percy M. (Percy Monroe), 1892-1965

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60s0wst (person)

Percy M. Othus served in the Portland, Oregon, district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was executive engineer of the Yellow River Consulting Board in 1947. From the description of Percy M. Othus collection on Chinese hydrology, 1919-1947. (Pennsylvania State University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 460624323 ...

Engels, H. (Hubert), 1854-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6349swq (person)

Veen, H. van der

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6mw3r0m (person)

Freeman, John Ripley, 1855-1932

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qz363z (person)

John Ripley Freeman, 1855-1932, BS 1876, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was an internationally known hydraulics engineer who served as a consultant on water power, river control, water supply, and allied problems of hydraulic engineering. He worked also as an expert in the area of fire protection and prevention and studied the role of design and construction in relation to earthquakes. Mr. Freeman was elected a member of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Corporation ...