The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1891-09-16
DEATH And RUIN.
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NARROWING ACCOUNTS THE FLOOD
IN SOUTHERN
SPAIN.



flowing Of the Consuegra threatens to
cause further damage. Two-thirds Of
the houses, practically destroyed, are
still standing, but their foundations
are sapped, and threaten to fall at any
moment. The families saved from
drowning are camped near the dwell
lings formerly occupied by them, and
arc IA the greatest distress for want Of
food. An estimate, classed as mod
crate one, and which is within, rather
than over, the actual number, places
the total Of the death list at 1000.
Large numberI Of corpses still rest
where they were found. Unless they
are inferred, an epidemic Of fever is
feared. The municipal aud govern
ment authorities are exerting them
selves to the utmost, IN order torelieve
the extreme distress existing. So far
as possible, the bodies of the drowned
are being gathered from the streams,
mud banks and ruins, and are being
buried in trenches dug for their re-
ception
Many Of the bodies found are en-
tirely nude, showing that they must
have been washed from their beds, or
else, in the hurry TO escape, the drown
ed people must have jumped in night
dress from the windows Of their habi-'
tations, only TO meet death IN the
swollen waters surging around them.
Sorrow and privations, mourning and
restitution, are to be met everywhere
through the inundated provinces, and
from one end Of Spain TO the other
prayers are uttered for the dead, and
collections are being taken up for the
living.
Along the river banks, near the
scenes Of the most severcly-visited dis
tricts, heart-rending occurrences are
witnessed hourly asthe survivors Of al
most exterminated families recognize
their dead, and try to save them from
consignment to the common death
trench. The utmost praise is due to
the troops, physicians and clergy and
Sisters Of Charity, who, in this emer-
gency, have shown themselves TO be ca
pable Of almost superhuman exertions
on behalf Of the sufferers from the
most disastrous flood. All seem actual
ed by the desire to do everything pos
sible for both the living and the dead.
Unhappily, the worst is not yet known,
and months Of terrible priyations and
extreme suffering are before the utterly
impoverished survivors. The crops are
gone, the cattle swept away, houses
and household furniture ruined, and
all that would enable them to earn
their bread has vanished beneath the
torrents Of water which have rolled
over town and village, field and farm.
The extreme distress, positively
ravenous feeding Of starvation pre-
vailing in many sections Of the flood
devastated country has another, and,
possible, blacker side. The gripings
Of hungeH the wailing Of starving
women and children, have, in several
instances, driven men to desperation,
and they have been goaded to pillage
their luckier or more wealthy compat-
riots. Bands Of desperate men, de-
termined to obtain bread at any cost
for their destitute, hunger-tortured
families, have been driven to making
raids upon and pillaging buildings
where they expected to find food. In
some cases the rioters were successful
in obtaining limited supply Of -four,
wheat and corn in most eases they found
that they had had their trouble for moth
ing, and that all food had long ago
been removed to place Of safety or
else distributed or sold to the starving
peasantry Of the neighborhood. The
troops have been instructed to take
the most severe measures to project
property. Two thousand kilos Of army
bread have already arrived in the
flooded districts, and the commissariat
corps Of ell the military divisions are
working night and day to supply pro-
visions to the starving people.