StrangethingswerehappeninginthecountrysideinnortheastHebeiProvince.Forthreedaysthewaterinthevillagewellsroseandfell,roseandfell.Farmers'wivesnoticed 　　thatthewellwallshaddeepcracksinthem.Asmellygascameoutofthe 　　cracks.Inthefarmyards,thechickensandeventhepigsweretoonervousto 　　eat.Miceranoutofthefieldslookingforplacestohide.Fishjumpedoutof 　　bowlsandponds.Atabout3:011amonJuly28.1976,peoplesawbrightlights 　　inthesky.ThesoundofplanescouldbeheardoutsideTangshanevenwhenno 　　planeswereinthesky.Inthecity,thewaterpipesinsomebuildingscracked 　　andburst.Buttheonemillionpeopleofthecity,whothoughtlittleofthese 　　events,wenttobedasusualthatnight. 　　At3:42ameverythingbegantoshake.Itseemedthattheworldwasatanend!Elevenkilometers 　　directlybelowthecitythegreatestearthquakeofthe20thcenturybegan.It 　　washeardinBeijing,whichisonehundredkilometersaway.One-thirdofthe 　　nationfeltit.Ahugecrackthatwaseightkilometerslongandthirtymeters 　　widecutacrosshouses,roadsandcanals.Steamburstfromholesintheground. 　　Hardhillsofrockbecameriversofdirt.Infifteenterriblesecondsalarge 　　citylayinruins.Two-thirdsofthepeoplediedorwereinjuredduringthe 　　earthquake.Thousandsoffamilieswerekilledandmanychildrenwereleft 　　withoutparents.Thenumberofpeoplewhowerekilledorinjuredreachedmore 　　than400.000. 　　Buthowcouldthe 　　survivorsbelieveitwasnatural?Everywheretheylookednearlyeverythingwas 　　destroyed.Allofthecity'shospitals,75%ofitsfactoriesandbuildingsand 　　90%ofitshomesweregone.Brickscoveredthegroundlikeredautumnleaves. 　　Nowind,however,couldblowthemaway.Twodamsfellandmostofthebridges 　　alsofellorwerenotsafefortraveling.Therailwaytrackswerenowuseless 　　piecesofsteel.Tensofthousandsofcowswouldnevergivemilkagain.Halfa 　　millionpigsandmillionsofchickenshaddied.Sandnowfilledthewells 　　insteadofwater.Peoplewereshocked.Then,laterthatafternoon,anotherbig 　　quakeshookTangshan.Someoftherescueworkersanddoctorsweretrappedunder 　　theruins.Morebuildingsfelldown.Water,food,andelectricitywerehardto 　　get.Peoplebegantowonderhowlongthedisasterwouldlast. 　　Allhopewasnot 　　lost.Thearmysent150.000soldierstoTangshantohelptherescueworkers. 　　Hundredsofthousandsofpeoplewerehelped.Thearmyorganizedteamstodig 　　outthosewhoweretrappedandtoburythedead.Tothenorthofthecity,most 　　ofthe10.000minerswererescuedfromthecoalmines.Workersbuiltshelters 　　forsurvivorswhosehomeshadbeendestroyed.Freshwaterwastakentothecitybytrain,truckandplane.Slowly,thecitybegantobreatheagain.