Morning journal and courier., 1893-04-19
LETTER TO MRS. HUME

Concerning the Recent Dire Calamity
at Malatia-The Christian Quarter
of the Town Suffers Greatly-The
Deep Distress Prevailing.
The following letter has just been re.
ceived by Mrs. a. D. Hume of this city
from Rev. d. N. Barnum, D. D., mission
airy of the American Board:
''HARPooT, Turkey, March z, 1898.
"a great calamity has befallen the city
of Malatia. About 2 O'Clock last Friday
morning an earthquake occurred, which,
SO far as we can know by telegraph, has
left good part of the city, especially the
Christian quarter, practically in ruins.
The pastor telegraphs that the church, the
school buildings Of the four schools and
the parsonage are all thrown down.
The Pssha informs US that $50 dead have
been recovered from the ruins up to the
wounded. The shocks have continued for
some days, aud even the houses still stand
ing are considered unsafe, and the people
are living out of doors in their gardens, in
the mud, while rain and snow are falling
nearly every day. A second telegram from
the pastor Gays: 'Fifty thousand people
are living in the mud and water, with rain
and snow falling on them. For love of
God, help usl Send tents, medicines and
money as soon as possible"
The people of Harpoot, Turks and
Amenians as well as Protestants are max
ing every effort to meet the present dis
trees of the people of all classes in Mala-
tia. Even the poorest of the Protestants
are helping. About ninety Hras have been
collected by the Protestants and mission
aries and sent. The theological students
are scattered among the villages to secure
help. The present distress Is very great
and we are doing what we can, at this dis
tsnce to relieve 1t. There was much sick
ness in Mslatia before this calamity, and 1t
is inevitable that the loss of life from ex-
posure will be greater than from the earth
quake itself.
A little more than three years ago the
principal part of the market, embracing
more than one thousand shops with their
goods, was swept away In q single night
by fire, and in less than year the calamity
was repeated on larger scale. This dou-
BILE blow almost paralyzsd the whole city
Many were ruined, but the majority, with
rare pluck, re-established their business,
although the city had regained but small
share of its former prosperity. Malatia
was regarded as much stricken city, but
these fires were trifs as compared with
the calamity that has now fallen upon 1t.
Their homes are in ruins, and before the
people can De 6hI6ly uOuHco tuoIo Will De q
serious thinning out.
MaIatia has been one of the best of our
out-stations. It has q congregation of
about 800 and q church membership of
over 100. For many years the church with
great effort and self denial has been self
supporting, except that they have received
aid from the board In support of their
schools. It was also the best equipped of
all our out-stations. The enterprise of the
pastor and the community would not rest
until they had secured good substantial
buildings. The high school building was
repaired last year at quite an expense and
they were planning to enlarge their chapel
during the present year.
Friends at distance cannot send aid In
time to help the people while they are hv-
ing In the mud during these stormy days
of March, but no doubt aid will be needed
for some time to come by many who were
dependent upon their work for their daily
bread. Many of the poor will be unable to
repair their houses without aid. We hope
that while contributing to relieve the
present distress of the people In general
that all will bear 1t in mind that our Prot
sstant congregation will need not little
help for the future. They will not be able
to paw the salaries of their pastor and
teachers for some time to come, and % for
the buildings-the church, parsonage and
schools-it will be utterly impossible for
the community to rebuild them. Some
of them will need aid to provide shelter
for themselves.
After the second ere some money was
sent to She Professionals from abroad to
help them In that emergency, but they
thankfully declined the aid and requested
that it be cent to AintAb for the college
which had just been burned. Now In
their dire extremity they appeal to us and
wa commend their case to all the churches
and missionaries in this country and to
our friends abroad. May We not con-
| idently ask that substantial sympathy be
given to these brethren In their sore needa
In behalf of the Harpoot station,
81. N. BAlHuM.