The Portland daily press., 1892-02-17
FAMINE-STRlCkEN RUSSIA.
Millions of People ON the Verge of starva-
ton.

stricken districts of Russia prepared
from evidence of eye-witnesses and most
trustworthy sources, of which the fol-
lowing is an epitome: The territory at
fiicted by the drouth comprises thirteen
provinces of European Russia, where the
famine is general, viz: Kazan, Mil
Novgerod, Orenburg, Oufa, Pensa,
Riazan, Samara, Saratofa, Simbirsk,
Tamboff, Toula, Viatke and Vorenege.
In five other provinces the famine pre-
walls in part, VIZ: Kursh, Olonetz, Orel,
Perm and Tauride. One or two others,
like Kharkey, have suffered to some ex-
tent, but are not included in the official
reports.
The first thirteen provinces in area are
one-third greater than all Germany.
They cover an area equal to the States
of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecti-
cut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl-
vania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia,
West Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky, all to-
gether. The population is about equal,
or about q, 100000 The provinces above
named, if included in the comparison,
would equal combined area of Indiana,
Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Illinois, North and South Dakota, Ne
braska, Kansas and half of Ohio. The
total population of these last five provin-
ces is nearly double that of the eleven
States. This vast section is agricultural
and the richest and ordinarily the most
fruitful soil of Russia. The restitution
is not universal, as there are those whose
accumulations have saved them from
want, and there are some spots pre-
served from blight by irrigation, where
good harvest was reaped, but at the best
estimate the proportion of suffering is
enormous.
those without food or means of support
who require aid is given. as 14,000,0 600
persons, and this is probably below the
true number. For three years the crops
have fallen short of the average, and the
deficiency of the past season left the
storehouses well nigh empty, and with
the increased failure of this year it is
evident, and Minister Smith adds, posi-
tive, that unless equal relief can be sup
piled the great suffering will grow. The
great proportion of the peasantry is not
provident. The peasants make no saw
ing, but live wholly dependent upon
yearly crops, hence long continued and
widespread drouth leaves them subject
to outside relief. Thee scarcity of pro-
visions is not the only misery of the peo-
pie. The crops are the foundation of
their whole economic structure. When
their crops fail various evils follow. The
Government loses revenue, and the peas
ants lack all the necessaries of life, cloth
ing, frewood, farming implements, sub
sistence of horses and cattle, all depend
upon the resource, the crops, the taxes
and rental continues, and it is as difficult
to get fuel as food in some sections.
Coldas well as hunger causes terrible
suffering. Large number of persons
huddle together in some house most con-
ducive to warmth, and even matched
dying embers. Clothing is given away
for bread. Horses and cattle are sacri-
feed. Fodder is as scarce as human
food; in some cases horsefesh has been
sacrificed for substance. During the
winter there is no work, and frequently
fathers have left their wives and children
to fight the battle of want alone, because
they could do nothing and their absence
would leave fewer mouths to feed at
home. The bread many are eating is
composed of wild arreck, potatoes, chaff
and leaves, and these terrible conditions
produce disease. Within tho radius of
one mile there are 120 cases of typhus
fever; pestilence and hunger are daily
gaining ground, and the pestilence is
decimating the people. Through Janu-
airy, February and March the roads will
be good and all energies shall be bent to
pouring provisions into the suffering
province. The rivers are frozen. Two
or three railroads run into the famine
stricken province, but there are no
branches. and all provisions must be
carried for long distances ON sledges.
The problem is how to carry enough
during the next three months, not
alone for the present, but also to tide over
until the next harvest, which should be
in July. In the middle of March or first
of April the roads will become heavy or
difficult. Horses now available for the
spring farming will be in use. Time is a
lief. Every week is vital. One hundred
and eighty million pounds of food are
necessary. Fifty car loads should arrive
every day, but only eleven carloads per
day were received Christmas week. The
emergency pending has not been realized,
unfortunately, but the specter of famine
has overawed everybody and every energy
must be strained to mitigate the calan-
ity. The imperial Government up to the
present time, has applied $42, 800, 900 from
the public treasury for the work of relief.
But the work must still go on, and the
expenditure must amount to a much
higher sum. The Russian Emperor has
personally given enormously, and all
classes are giving according to their
means. The loss to the Government
revenue will be at least 200,000000 rub
les, about $100,000,000 OF more, while
conservative estimates of the loss to
Russia in view of all consequences is
placed at not less than 1000, 100000 rub
les. Up to the present there have been
few contributions from abroad, but the
Government and the people of Russia
are deeply sensible of spontaneous Of
ferings that have been made in various
parts of the United States, and the En-
peror as well as others have intimated as
much to Mr.. Smith in their expressions
of appreciation.