The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-11-22
Famine in India.

Famine has been makirg fearful
rvages in the Bengal Presidency,
and in the Madras Presidency the
ne distress from the game cause Is
described as only less terrible than
that in Bengal. Residents on the
spot---trustwor,hy wituesses---in Gu.
leavoring TO give some idea OF tho
oxtont Of the calamity, depict scenes.
Of the most narrowing chamctrr
When the famine was at It's hight,
the starving poor, We are told, crowd
ed into the streets of CslcattN, aud Il
was estimated that no fewer than 20,-
900 to $4,000 statving people were
wandering about the capital. At
Mullick's Chat. where the Bombay
merchants raised fund aud distribu-
ted food, there was, at one time, 1000
furnishing applicants crowded up.
They we're described as placed in
order upon an open place waiting for
the distribution. On one side nearly
q, 900 Hindoos, With a leaf platter be
ffore them, each, were scattered on the
wet ground, hastily partakinS Of the
scanty dole they received On the
other side were thousands Of famish.
ing Mussclmans ranged in a like man
ner, and watching with silent and
greedy eagerness the meal Of their
Hindoo brethren, and counting with
bitter longings the minutes ill their
turn should come. Under tue shelter
Of the Chat crowded with women,
girls and children, Outside the gates
were hundreds aud hundreds who had
lost their chance till the next distribu-
ltions But over all q horrible dead
silence. No chattering or coverse
hardly a sound; excepting when a
Intervals some wretch throw up hi
arms with an ejaculation to Heaven
wrung from him by tho unappcasablc
pangs Of hunger" Moro than this
officials wrote home descriptions Of
injecting dead bodies in every morh'
Ting g ride-bodies lying n'thc road
with the village dogs eating them a
leisure, A Calcutta journal state'
that in Balasore,, having a population
of 10000, the deaths amounted to 30
day and on the Government de
: manding Of its officials q repor
against the libel, the Collector Of tb
: District replied that on the Sth (
i August he had 245 deaths in the cit,
i on the 9th, 151, and for the week enI
L ing the 9th, 126 a day, the bodi'
u sometimes remaining unburied fc
s II REQ days. The province of Oriss
Q suffered the most severely, one pape
declaring that 100000 souls hav
9 perished in maritime Orissa alon
0 Indeed, telegram from India al
b nouuccs that half the population
d Orissa have perished in the famine
O. that is, fully two millions and hi
er of peoplet An English journal r.
a marks at is impossible, inconcei
= ible, incredible that so transcende
ra tai q horror, one SO utterly beyol
o. all precedent, so utterly beyond lima
re ination, should actually have occu
e red" yet the same journal express
n serious misgiyiugs, that when 4
en truth shall have been fully ascertai
at cd, it will be found that the estimr
Mt here given Of the desolation wrong
T., By the famine was not, after {
do greatly exaggerated. IL is thus
mi puts the matter; '"rwo millions a
half of peopleI Twice the poPu
Ter liop of Denmark or of GFeecs, eie
IN Suffolks, six Hampshires, fve-sixi
he III Scotland, dead Of hunger. y
he X y Two millions and half
men, women and babies, our subje'
ac- dead Of hunger Why, We are OH
3D. tians, and if but one woman so d
move the whole force of tho State
Jo seeere inquiry and relief from a b
! | rop which ehills tho warm comfort
our wealth. Il is q lie, lncredl
iDg and absurd" Sand yet--and ye
and yet, it significantly adds,
not, seedina to odduse facts and hg'
rot GA calated to show that, after all,
Iery estimate might be nearer the u
than the British people imagine
ara, would Le willing to adElit. ",
'aps For truly this famine-thls feai
+ lesolating calamity-involves 4
bIoteproach to the Government
}, a British India India is ruled by
Eaglish,on yirtupiIy despotic pr
'uia Piles. the despotism beiag qual
profSssedIy by the "Paternals &
the ment. The GovsFDneut sxsreis'
fact. absolute power over the mai
,ara. II has a vast revenue At comp
Itemplsys host Of officials ia
Bara. district. & II Is backed BY an INN
lick / military fOroe. Itrules as i pie
!. without regard to the prelad'e'
* SAT bg.ss~ss9 q