St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-27
Starved Peasants Dying in
Droves Of Famine and
Deadly Fever.
Russian Priests HeaptleSsly
Refuse Aid or Comfort
Unless Paid.
Revolving Disclosures Made
by a Pair Of Fiends at
Vienna.

thousands of peasants from the famine
stricken districts have started for
Siberia in the hope that they will be
able to effect some betterment in their
condition in that part of the empire.
Saturday last it was announced that 400
of these emigrants, who had the city of
Tobolsk as their objective point, had ar
rived at TioOmen, town of Siberia. 10
miles southwest of Tobolsk. These
people had no money, sickness was deci-
mating their numbers, and altogether
their condition was about as miserable
and hopeless as could we'll be imagined.
Tioomen has population of about To-
600 inhabitants, and the more kind
hearted among them did all they could
to alleviate the distress among the poor
emigrants, who, with the forlOrn hope
of at least getting enough to eat to keep
life in their miserable bodies. had
tramped many weary miles over the
almost trackless. snow-covered country
until they had reached fioOmen.
Charity Alone Can Save.
OF course these men, women and chill
dren, for many of these emigrants had
brought their families with them, could
hot pay for conveyance, they were too
sick or exhausted to walk the 100 miles
to Toboisk. and, being thus unable To
go forward or to return, they are conf
PEELED to SubSiSt entirely upon charity.
Their number was constantly added TO
by fresh arrivals. Daily, hourly, there
was constant stream of these I'M
fOrtunates pouring into the town, and
every newcomer made the situation
worse for those already In the town.
The condition of affairs at TlOOmen Is
now too horrible for language to de-
scribe, and no one can tell what the
final outcome will be. In the town and
its immediate vicinity there are now
$4,000 persons who are absolutely desti-.
tute and helpless, and whom it is im-
possible for the residents of the place to,
help. The scenes of misery and Woe.
of abject and hopeless poverty and
actual starvation are almost beyond tlls
power of pen to portray. go
A Feast fOr Death.
Of shelter it may be said that they
have practically none. their only pro-
lection from the elements being sheds
constructed of light boards, which,
though they may in a measure protect.
them from snow, do not i'll any way
save them from the effects of the
bitter cold Siberian winter. There
is not particle of fire in these sheds,
and the only warmth the sufferers have
is that furnished by their own bodies as
they huddle in groups.
In this dense mass of humanity
typhuS fever and scarlet fever are max
ing sad ravages. Weakened by their
long and painful journeg, by their en-
forced abstinence from nourishing food,
and by their utter hopeleSSnesS. they
fall ready victims to the ScOurge of dis
ease that has broken out among them.
1t is impossible to rendcrmedical aid to
the sufferers. However willing they
might be. the few doctors in TIoomen
are completely pOwerless to battle
against the diseases that are carrying off
the peasants in enormous numbers.
TO be attacked by either of the fevers
is almost certain death. No care can be
taken of the sick, no precautions to
prevent the epidemic from spreading,
and the people of Tioomen are fearful
lest they, too, fall victims to the scourge.
The Dead Are Carbon.
So numerous have the deaths become
that there is no pretense of holding a
funeral over the bodies. Neither are
the last sacramentS of the church adj
ministered to the dying. So intensely
cold is the weather that in very short
time after death the bodies of the vic
tins are frozen stiff. The bodies are
then thrown into carts and taken to the
cemetery, where they are unceremo-
niously buried in common pit.
Amid all this deep and bitter misery
the action of the priests of the Greek
church stands out in vivid contrast to
the humanity which it is thought should
be shown by these in their calling.
Tioomen, which is the oldest town IN
Siberia, has many churches and many
priests, and here, if anywhere, it would
be expected that some compassion
would be shown for the sick and dying.
But the priests fatty refuse to officiate
at the side of the dying. or to perform
any funeral rights unless they are paid
by the wretchedly poor people, great
majority of whom have not a kopeck to
call their own. The priests give as an
excuse for their heartlessnesS that they
are too busy to attend to the poor emil
grants.
LONDON. Jan. 26.-Advices have been
received from st. Petersburg that tn.
powers of several governors of Russian
provinces have been increased to the
extent of allowing them to declare mar
tial law. This is to meet the dangerous
Vaccinations of the nihilists, who are
taking advantage of the suffering of the
peasants from the famine to incite them
to revolt.