Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-02-02
MILLIONS STARVING
Minister smith Writes of
 Rus IS Condition.
TRUsTwoR ny ACCOUNT.
The District Affec ed L. La.ger Than Ger
 a,any, With 27,oOoOO) Population.

The Scarcity of Provisions Not the Only
 Causes Great Distress, While Pestilence
 is Declmating the P0puIatiOn--The CZar
 Has Given EnOrmOusly ly--Russia's Loss
 Said to Amount to One Thousand
 Million R0ubles.
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-In response to many sympathetic inquiries and proffers of aid received from friends in the United States, the Department of State has re- ceived from Minister Smith at St. Peters burg, an interesting report of the actual conditions of the stricken districts of Russia, prepared from evidence of eye witnesses and most trustworthy sources of which the following is an epitome:
 The territory affected by the drought compromises thirteen provinces of Euro pcan Russia, where the famine is general and in five other provinces where it pre- vails in part.
 The first thirteen provinces in area are one-third greater than all Germany, the population being about twenty-seven millions.
 This vast section is agricultural, and the richest, and, ordinarily, the most fruitful soil of Russia.
 An official estimate of the number of those without food or means of support, who require aid, is given as IA, GOO, 900 per tons, and this is probably below the true number
 The great proportion of peasantry is not provident. The peasants make no savings, but live wholly dependent upon yearly crops, hence long-continued and widespreading drought leaves them sub ject to outside relief.
 The scarcity of provisions is not the only misery of the people The crops are the foundation of their whole eco homie structure. When their crops fail, various evils follow. The government loses revenue and the peasants lack all the necessaries of life-clothimg, fire wood, farming implements, subsistence of horses and cattle, all depend upon this resource, the crops. The taxes and rental continue and it is as difficult to get fuel as food in some sections.
 Cold as well as hunger cause terrible suffering. Large numbers of persous huddle together ill some houses most conducive to warmth, and matched roofs are torn off and the straw fed to the dying embers. Clothing is given away for bread. Horses and cattle are sacri- feed. Fodder is as scarce as human food, and in some cases horse flesh has been used for sustenance.
 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 noth- ing and their absence would leave fewer mouths to feed at home. The bread many are eating is composed of wild arrock, potatoes, chatf and leaves And these terrible conditions produce disease. Within the radius of one mile there are l2O cases of typhus fever; pestilence and hunger are daily gaining ground and pestilence is discriminating the people
 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, O00, 900 roubles, about $10O,- 0OO, 900 or more, while conservative estimate of the loss to Russia, in view of all consequences, is placed at not less than 1 1000, 900, 900 roubles.