New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-03

HORRORS OF THE ASIA MINOR FAMINE.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DEATHS
SCENES OF DREADFUL sUFFERING-THE NEED
OF HELP
TO me Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: The brief Geographic announcements
which occasionally appear In the newspapers In respect
to the famine prevailing in the central portions of Asia
Minor give but a very inadequate presentation or the
extent and severity Of the over an area of
country nearly large the State OF NewYork people
in great numbers dying Of starvation and Of the dis
eases which result from lack OF nourishDg food 1t is
estimated that already as many as 100000 nave died'
Every day ADDS victims while crowds on crowds OF
pale, emaciated. staggering men, women and children
are pouring adjacent cities ana towns begging for
bread II any one will take a map OF Asia Minor and
draw line from Angora to Conia conium on the west.
and from Coma Ngdeh the south thence to Tocat
on east then back again to Angora on the NORTH
one will have the limits. comprising 40 to 90 square
miles within which the utmost severity OF the famine is
felt. This region might formerly have been called
very garden its fruitfulness Even under imperfect
Asiatc agriculture. crops OF grain were secured sur
fcent for all the wants OF the population and for
large expectation. Last year. 1879 through the failure
OF the usual these crops were almost entirely cut
off, and whole population shut up to the very limited
stores remaining from former These stores more
over were heavily drawn upon by the exporting mer-
chants to contracts they had made to supply GUS
toners in foreign markets. Upon all this followed
Winter of very unusual length and severity Before it
passed the famine had begun. The poor peasants were
eating up the little grain they had reserved for seed
and were selling their few household utensils for food.
Their cattle were dying Of cold and starvation Alleges
were turned toward the Summer and the harvest Of
1874 this too has in great measure failed. not
much from lack Of from lack OF seed to SOW, Of
cattle to work in the fields and from lack Of strength
and heart the part OF the sfamished people. Mr.
FarnswOrth American missionary, who has recently
made an extensive Ia the region estimates that less
than quarter OF the usual has been sown and
that this years harvest will bring scarcely any relief to
the suffering already so fearfnly great
Whole columns might be filled with narrowing tales Of
suffering; Of villages where the people living upon
such wild herbs they could gather IN the fields and
along the roadside Of little children left alone die in
deserted houses OF troops Of hungry men ana women
wandering from place 10 place vany seeking for bread
and falling dead by the and their bodies left
buried for days prey TO the famshed dogs Mr. Farms
worth reports that the regions he visited the focks
and herds almost entirely cut off, In one village
than 1900 sheep and goats just one sheep
and one GOAT remain. and of1O0 cows two remain" In
another district, from flock OF 1900 sheep and goats
eight are reported and from another flock in the
village numb ering 800, OF which 700 mohar goats
the same number, eight Is reported" In muttudes OF
eases the poor have sold everything they had to
the mbers Of their houses and the garments that
cred them buy at the exorbant price which
alone Il be obtained. As matter OF course almost
the whole population is demoralized the regular pur-
suits Industry disturbed and broken up and rail-
ing ind honest employment, men resort TO violence
aud Drigandage on the highways.
The question Will be asked-What IL the Government
doing what public private charity in places
these sufferers doing for their relief The Govern
has sent some supplies into the furnished dis
trcts and in few Of the more prominent places deal
lug out raons the starving poor II IS hoped that
Government employment may be given to large num-
bers upon the lines OF railways projected through the
very heart OF the famine region, ana that thus not only
some Of subsistence be secured for the
laborers the OF such fearful state Of
things the future be prevented by the facilities which
these railways will afford for the Of sup
plies from other parts OF the Empire The great
impedment TO the relief OF this famine Is the Of
communication with places from which supplies
might come. There roads, and whatever trans
ported be carried upon the backs OF animals while
the drivers OF the animals and TO an extent the animals
themselves must he fed in the region or famine, upon
the very supplies they carrying there. No who
knows the character OF the Turkish Government will
| ever expect IL to grapple with the difficulties OF the
situation with anything like the energy which char
acerZed the OF the English officials In the
famine In India And whatever II may do. there
will remain the most pressing demand for the supple
mentary aid of public and private charity Contribu-
n0ns have already been wade In various cities Ut