The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-30
Recent Appalling Calamities.

To Editor The Herald and News: Re-
Gently six square miles of earth were
overturned, by erosion, into the River
St.Annie, Canada. It was formidable
land-Slide, and houses, mills, ETC., upon
its face, were destroyed. Smoke exud-
ed from the groundin in some places, tell
ing the sad story of the destruction by
sufocation and fire of the unfortunate
ones entombeG alive.
Tidings came to US at the same
time that about $50 shocks Of earth
! quake ia Greece were felt in eight
hours. Many places were partially de-
stroyed and more than 100000 people
homeless and without food. So wide
spread the destitution that the govern
ment was powerless to afford adeqLste
relief. The number of shocks in the
specified time is perhaps unparalleled
in the history of earthquakes.
The intelligence comes up from Vene-
zuela that far-reachiog seismic disturb
ances have lately wrought havoc in
many towns. Thousands of lives were
lost and the city of Langunios has dis
! appeared with its inhabitants and a
silent lake of water now covers the spot
where the city with all its life and &C.
tivity so recently stood.
| Sunday, Goth, the church bells and
engine whistles warned the people of
Williamsport, JohDstown, and other
places along the Susquehannah and
| Connemaugh rivers, in the Pennsylva-
MIA valleys, to fee for their lives, as a
|
them during the darkness of night.
The churches were opened during the
forenoon for brief interval of prayer,
and then ali was commetion. Carts,
wagons and Fastening people could be
seen in every direction removing house
hold goods and effects to places Of safe
ty. But for this, timely warning the
| Johnstowr horror would doubtless
have been repeated.
And now, nearer home, in Carolina,
the revelation is made that one hundred
and fifty families of white farmers, con-
sisting Of 900 souls, together with their
work animals, are nearing starvation
unless speedy help is given. They re-
side in Blufton township, Beaufort
County, where the cyclone ragged last
fall. These farmers lost between 80 and
80 per cent. of everything and have
barely subsisted by making every pos
sible sacrifice until the present time.
In addition to the loss Of their fall sup
plies, their cat crop is failure. They
are Carolinians, high-mi2ded and hon
orable, and. have borne their trouble
bravely without making sign. They
now ask bread for their little ones and
work animals until they can recover
themselves. It is either help or starv.
alton. The appeal has gone out and
charitable responses are being made.
Will not Newberry show her sympa.
thy for the sufferers?
The country at large, through the
Red Cross Society, contributed nobly
to the suffering colored people vino were
storm-swept. This was emineutiy
right and proper. Their houses were
rebuilt;they were clothed, fed, nourish.
ed in sickness and aided in their crops
through eight menths, which was as il
Eshould have been Under the frightful
fate that befell them, but is It not
strange that the sufferers of their own
race, by the same cause, were left tc
| perish? -, ~. ..., ...a
| II the ennobled service of the ''ReG
Cross" is builded upon the 'inciple
that "the most refined realizations o
life's duties are to be found in the serv.
ice Of humanity" then is its disc1imi
mating conduct inexplicable.
| Congress and our State Legislature
were appealed to in vain for the sea.
coast sufferers. Congress can throw
away millions upon millions of dollars
in precious time squandered in idle
legislation, but cannot dole out q pit
tance to those who are providentially
stricken and smitten into the dust O.
helplessness. Why not? European
governments, in the plenitude of theil
power, throw the arm of protection
around those ommunities which are
overturned by the visitations of Gods
permissive providence, and help those
who cannot possibly help themselves
when the trouble is beyond the react
of private aid. Help from government
in a moment of dire necessity canno
be construed as paternalism. It woulC
rather set forth the humanity if no
the Christianity of the powers that be
It will be remembered that the cy
clone twice descended upon the devot
ed coast making 8 sepulture of the ses
for hundreds and like an ominous bire
of prey, with outstretched wings, swep
almost everything resistlessly before it
relentless fury.
. From what we have known of th'
origin of the RedCross Society, we wer,
firmly of the opinion that its bash
principle was mercy-mercy and mag
nanimity towards all men, irrespective
, of caste, class, creed, color or condition
that it was to be instant in peril t,
"rescue the perishing" whenever neces
sity and tribulation followed war, pes
r thence, famine, flood or fire; but in th
> centre of the stricken communities W
find men, women and children through
weary weeks and pitiless months max
ing a heroic fight saGaiES hunger
: Worthy citizens, who, asssa o fault O
: their own, are driven ! ~ Try an,
woe into the very jaws. lir an
death, with no liefSafo ! then
for sweet charity's sake.
To our mind there appears to be bu
one explanation to this surprising reve
lation, and that is, political or sections
prejudice. True men and women ris
above party and rise above sectary i
the discharge of iife's duties, which ar
, ''greater than life ITSELF"
R. b. G.
It is q great mistake 70 sunnose the