Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-03
HURRYING TO RUSSIA.
Carpenter on His Way to the Famine
Districts for The Dispatch.
$50 SIMILAR CASES IN HISTORY
And the Suffering In the Csars Domain
Ranks Among the Worst.
CLARA BARToNs Red CROSS w0RK
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE prsrAron.,

| VIC AoLuluc ulbbIlCbb VI Susni& 1 moii As -
I leave the steamer. From her will 60
direct to st. Petersburg by rail, stage coach
and drochsky, will make my way through
the country where 1t is said from thirty to
forty millions of people are starving.
The famine will be at its highest from now
on until the harvest in August, and the
crops must be very large in order to prevent
its extension on into the winter. Within
the past month have spent some time in
looking up the great famines of the world
and find that this Russian famine is one OF
| the most terrible mankind has ever known
There have been since the world began $50
| mighty famines, each Of which has killed
thousands and most of which have carried
off people by the milliona
The Notable Fsmines Of History.
The Scriptures speak of famines In the
time of Abraham, and the story of the
seven years famine, which prevailed when
Joseph was Secretary Of Pharaoh's Treas
ury, is q matter of Biblical history. Rome
had its famine hundreds of years before
Christ, and about 800 years after Christ
wheat was worth 400 pieces of silver q
bushel in Antioch and about . hundred
years later parents were eating their chill
dren in Italy to keep themselves from
starving. Great Britain has had famines
back to the earliest of her records, and
about the time the Normans came over it is
said that there was such famine over the
Northern country that many of the inhab-
itants sold themselves for slaves, and that
the flesh of horses, dogs, cats and rats had
fixed prices in the markets and some even
ate human flesh. Twenty thousand people
starved in London during the Twelfth CEN
tury, and in the times of Queen Elizabeth
wheat was worth s. bushel in London.
ireland has had many famines and every
time the potato crop fails there are numbers
OF deaths from starvation. Less than 20
years ago the great potato famine OF 1916
took place, in which more than quarter OF
a million Of people lost their lives and dur
ing which more than million Irishmen
came over to America. This famine lasted
more than six years and it reduced the pop
ulation of ireland 2, 100000.
Some Great Indian Faminsa
India has always been land of faminea
The people live from hand to mouth and
they do not get fat when the crops are
good There are more than 250, ,000, 600
people in India, and nearly every year there
or less affected by want of food. One of the
biggest famines of India was just six years
before cur Declaration of Independence.
At this time more than 100000 people
died for want of food, and the air was 80
infected by the smell of the dead bodies that
it brought disease as well az death. Whole
villages were depopulated, and when the
new crop came on 1t had, in many cases, no
owner. This famine was caused by drought
Ten years later India had another great
famine, and when George Washington irst
took his seat in, the Presidential chair
people were killing and eating their chill
dren in some parts Of India and thousands
were diving of famine. At this time ter
rible famine was caused by an army of black
ants which swarmed over the country and
destroyed tho vegetation, and few years
later on army of locusts came along, and
this was followed by plague of rats. which
ate up the crops and almost attacked the
people themselves In 1866 million and
half of people perished from famine in Ben
gal, and about ten years later q famine in
Madras cost the English Government some
thing like $5o, ,oo0, 900.
Selling Human Beings in China.
1t is much the sams In China The peo-
pie are so many that at the time Of great
food or great drought they die by millions
1t is estimated that between 10, ,000, 900 and
20, ,000, 900 people were wiped ont by the |
ago, and in 1877 10000, 900 were suffering |
from famine, and an appeal was made to
England and America for assistance. At |
this time women and children were offered
for sale on the streets, and the price for
married woman was $6, and you could buy
q little girl for 81. Many parents killed
their children rather than witness their pro-
longed suffering, and the scenes of destitu-
ton and starvation were terrible. It 10 the
SAME as the story of Russian famines, which /
seem to have occurred at intervals back to
ise, it is said, to continue in the future.
One of the great causes of famine In the
past has been foods Whether the Deluge
covered the whole world or merely . part
of it, it certainly killed millions, and 1t re-
msined upon the earth 100 days England
and Ireland have had many floods which
have killed thousands, and the inundations
Of Holland have several times nearly de-
stroyed the entire population. In 1874 the
floods of the Mississippi covered 25O, 900 j
acres of cotton, 100, 900 acres of corn and 500,-
700 acres of sugar, and the rising of one
river in France about this same time caused
! loss of S75, 600, 900. Some of the floods of
India have carried off men by the tens of
thousands, and in one inundation in Hol
and 70 towns were destroyed and 100, 900
people perished.
Faminss Caused by Heat.
Hundreds of famines have been caused
" heat and drought thas carried away mil
ions We have such case now in Mexico.
All of the Eastern countries have been af-
ected by drought and nearly every year
lees famine in some part OF India India
,as had "a big famlnes In a century but
lone of these famines have covered the
yhole country. and had the means of
been better there would have
,een no need for loss OF life. Such of the
oil as is under irrigation always produces
crop, and the English Government is now
loing what 1t can to increase the, irrigated
Irea and it has covered the country with q
network of railroads
One of the great troubles about the
anime in Russia is the defective transport
The railroads, while they run between the
ew, and 1t is not possible to get the food
uickly to the people Australia is another
ountry which has been troubled with
rought, and nearly SO, ,0o0, 900 worth of
heep were lost through lack of water in
s77 in New South Wales just about
be same year 10, ,000, 900 sheep were lost in
be Australian colonies and in South
Africa, and about this same time there was
period of drought in the United States
Causes of. tho Famine in Russia.
The Russian famine of to-day was caused
v drought For five months these Russian
rovinces lad not drop of rain, and this |
reat heatlhad been preceded BY terrible
rosty wi1ds in the spring. All sorts Of
lssses wSe burned up and withered by the
eat, and rairie rats by the tens OF thou