The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-11-20
F a anime in Tn d a
The People Starving by Thousands
"A Terrible Picture of Suffering
and HDeath--EstfRlated Loss of
Life in One Province, 2,5OO,OOO.

The New York Times correspondent
gives the following interesting particulars
of the great famine in India:
A Calcutta paper, of August 16, says
that 10000 paupers from the famine
stricken district have inundated Calcutta,
and the arrivals are reckoned at 200 q
day, We have, on the highest authority,
frightful picture of the prevailing des
|tituhon, especially in Cuttack. 1t would
be difficult 70 exaggerate the magnitude
and extentoe the calamity. All the ac-
counts [ have seen have underrated it.
1t is difficult to obtain reliable statis-
tics as to the mortality from famine, and
cholera occasioued by it, but all that
have seen and heard has convinced me
thatIit has been on scale Of frightful
magnitude. There are still four long,
dark months before US, though for a
month past there has seemed some slight
abatement in the distress. se
In the four distric IS Of Bolasare, Mid
napore, Sarum and Tirahoot, over 30, ,00C
ncn-laboring paupers we're being daily
relieved, in the latter part Of July beside
L, GOO who were able to make some return
for food by working.
A week later we find "a, 900 daily re-
lieved in Bolasere and Midnapore alone,
while Poree and Nudda add 1900 more
to the sad list. 1t is believed that in Cut.
tack the majority of the people must die
before relief can reach them, while 1000
persons day were perishing at the sin.
gle station of Bolasare.
a vessel, the Tubal Cain, which was
bringing them food, was driven off by a
storm, and compelled to throw overheard
l 500 bags Of rice; but this is not all and
possibly not the worst. The new crop Of
rice will soon be obtained but it is likely
to add a new source of danger; for, lack
ing other food, the poor people will de.
your it in its immature and unwholesome
state, and dreadful pestilence will,
probably, be thus produced. Until the
land can be covered with network Of
railroads and canals, there seems ne es-
cape from the frequent repetition of such
calamities, and that day is far distant.
Another account says:
When the famine was at its height, the
starving poor, We are told, crowded into
the streets of Calcutta, and it it was esti-
mated that no fewer than 10000 or 25,-
600 starving people were wandering about
the capital. At Mullick's Chat, where
the Bombay merchants raised fund and
distributed feod, there was at one time Z,
coo famishing applicants crowded up.
They were described as placed in order
upon an open space, waiting for the dis
tribution. On one side nearly 4,O0o Hin
docs, each with leaf platter before him,
were scattered on the wet ground, hastily
partaking Of the scant dole they received
On the other side we're thousands of fam
ishing Musselmen ranged in like manner,
and watching, with silent and greedy ca
gerness, the meal of their Hindoo breth-
rem, and counting, with bitter longings
the minutes till their turn should come.
Under the shelter Of the Chat crowd
ed.the women, Egirls and children. Out
side the gates were hundreds and hun
dreds who had lost their chance till the
next distribution; but, over all, a horrible
dead silence; ne chattering or conyetse
hardly sound, excepting when, at inter
walls, some wretch threw up his arms with
an ejaculation to Heaven, wrung from
him by the unappeasable pangs of hun.
ger. 5fsf) al
More thau tbis, the officials wrote home
descriptions of meeting dead bodies in
every mornings ride; bodies lying in the
road, with the village dogs eating then
at leisure.
A Calcutta journal stated that in Boil
asare, having a population of 12,0CO,t the
deaths amounted to $50 day, and, or
the Government demanding of its officials
report gainst the libel, the Collector
of the District replied that on the 8th o.
August he had 245 deaths in the city,. Oh
the 9th, 15l; and for the week ending
the 9th, 126 day--the bodies sometimes
remaining anburied for three days. The
province of 0rissa suffered the most Sc
verely, one paper declaring that 100000
souls have perished in Maratime Oriss;
alone. Indeed telegram from India
announces that half the population Of
Orissa have perished in the famine; tina
is $500, ,O00 of people.