Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-02-06
THE FAMINE IN RUSSIA.
Report Of Minister Smith From st.
Petersburg.
1t is Much Worse Than is Generally
known--About Twenty Provinces
Affected--Great Suffering.


Affected--Great Suffering.
The Depar ment of State has received from
Minister Smith at ST. Petersburg, an interes.
ting report of the actual conditions of the
stricken districts of Russia, prepared from
evidence of eyewitness and most trust
worthy sources:
He says the territory afflicted by the drouth
comprises thirteen provinces of Russia, where
the famine is general, viz: KazIn, Mini
Novgorod. 0renburg, Guia, Pensa, Razan.
Samara, Saratof, S.mbirsk, Tambof, Toula,
Viatka and Vorenge. In five other provinces
the famine prevails in part, viz: Kursk,
0lonetz, 0rel, Perm and Tauride. One or
two others. like Kharhov, have suffered to
some extent, but are not included in official
reports.
The first thirteen provinces in area are one
third greater that all Germany. They cover
an area equal to the states of Maine New
Hampshire, Vermont Massachusetts,, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia,
West Virginia, North Carolina, South Caro-
The population is about equal, or 1900, 600.
The five provinces above named, if included
in the comparison, would equal q combined
area of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin
Minnesota, Illinois, North and South Dakota
Nebraska, Kansas and half of OHIO. The
total population of these last five provinces is
nearly double that of the eleven states. This
vast section is agricultural, and the richest,
aud ordinarily the most fruitful soil Of Rms
STA. The restitution is not universal as there
are those whose accumuations have saved
them fromiwan;, and there are some spotslpre-
served from blight by irrigation where a good
harvest was reaped, but the best estimate the
proportion of suffering is enormous. An
official est innate of the number of those with
out food or means of support who require aid
is given as 100000 persons, anu 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 that, unless adequate relief can be
supp lied, the great present destitution and
suffering will grow worse as the season con-
tiuues The greater portion Of the peasantry
are not provi ndt. The peasants make no
savings generally but live wholly dependent
upon yearly crops, hence long continued and
widespread drouth leaves them a subject to
outside relief
The scarty of provisions is not the only
misery of the people. The crops are the
foundation of their whole economic structure.
When their crops fail, various evils follow.
The government losses revenue, and the peas
ants lack ] the necCssaries of life. Clothing
hrewood farming implements, subsistence of
horses and cattle-sll depend upon this one
resource, the crops. Taxes aud rental con-
tinue, and it is as di q cult TO get fuel as food
in some sections.
Cold as we'll as hunger, causes terrible suf-
fering. In some neighborhoods large mum.
bers Of persons huddle together in some houses
most conductive to warmth. Barns have been
torn down and the boards used for firewood
oven matched roofs are torn off andthe straw
made to feed the dying embers; clothing is
given away for bread; horses and cattle are
sacrificed at 1.-THE OF their value; fodder is as
scarce as human food, and, in some cases,
horsefiesh has been sacrificed for.sustenance.
During the winter there is no work, and fire.
quently fathers have left their wives and chill
dren TO fight the battle of want alone, becaus
they could do nothing, and their absence
would leave fewer mouths to feed at home.
The bread which many are eating is composed
of wild arrock, potatoes, chaff and leaves, and
these terrible conditions inevitably produce
disease. Within the radius of one mile there
are 100 cases of typhus fever. Pestilence an /
hungar are daily gaining ground and pestil.
ence is decim0ting the people.
Time is most important factor in the work
of relief-every week is vital. One hundred
and eighty million $4,000, 000) pounds OF
food are necessary. Fifty carloads should
arrive every day in these stricken provinces
but only eleven carloads per day were re-
ceived Christmas week. The emergency
pending has not been realized: unfortunately.
but the specter of the famine has oyershad-
owed everything, and every energy must be
strained TO mitigate the calamity. The i'm
perial government has, up to the present time
appropriated s., 900, 900 roubles (S42 800, 00O)
from the public treasury Tor the work of re-
lief 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 accord
ing to their means. The loss to the govern
ment revenue will be at least 200, 000, 900
roubles (about 500, 600 COO or more), while a
conservative estimate of the loss to Russia, in
view o. all consequences, is placed at not less
than one thousand million roubles 900, 600, :
000). Up to the present there have been few
contributions from abroad, but the govern
ment and the people of Russia are deeply
sensible of the spontaneous offers that have
been made in various parts of the United
States, and the Emperor's ministers, as well
as osners, have manifested such to Minister
Smith in their expressions of appropriations.