The Portland daily press., 1896-04-11
THOUSANDS WILL PERISH.
Starving Armenians Lift a United
Cry for Help.
HEA RTRENDING TALES OF WOE
FROM DECIMATED FAMILIES.

Many Are Assisted and Number Will Be
Gradually Increased-In No Other Way
Can These People Be Kept AIive-Re-
ports From Different Districts.
Boston, April 1o.-Frank H. Wiggin of
Somerset street. has received the follow
ing from the treasurer of the Inter-
national Relief committee at CONSTANT
nople:
The demand made upon us by our re-
lief centres Is urgent in the extreme. The
more we examine into the great calamity
the more extended and dreadful the
suffering appears. You have asked in
regard to our success in sending money
into the interior. We have been very sue
ceessful tina far and have succeeded in
overcoming every difficulty which has
presented itself All our remittanoes to
the interior have been fully acknowl-
edged, and up to this time not single
it's destination. Wherever we can do so
we pay money upon drafts drawn by our
people in the interior. Where this is i'm
possible we are obliged to remit in other
ways. In this case we have arrangements
by which absolute safety is assured.''
A correspondent from Harpoot writes:
81 think there will be noadifficuIty in
getting money to those for whom it is in
tended. They throng upon US in crowds.
We ought TO have $50, 600 additional at
once. We have already assisted some co.
OO-persons. After most careful wedding
out of those who can care for themselves,
the number increases. We can give only
very small suDl to each Individual,
where theEe is such a multitude. Many
come from places two or three days'
journey distant"
A correspondent from Erzroom writes
1.-THE relief work here is Oh large
scale. In this city we are now supplying
daily bread rations to nearly 400O Wheat
is given every fortnight to the villages of
Erzroom Plain. About 1000 are thus
helped. Large quantities of clothing are
aent from Constantinople and have been
distributed here and in the towns and
villages throughout the province. Over
one thousand thick wadded quilts have
been MANUFACTURED by women and girls.
who are on our relief rolls and dis
tributed.
Extreme destitution, oo-extensive
with the bounds of the province and en-
bracing at least half of the Armenian
population, exist. Over 60 600 cold,
hungry and suffering men, women and
children lift united voice for help.
Thousands OF widows and orphans are
still mourning the sad loss of husbands
and fathers; the remnants of deoimatsd
families, the inmates of plundered homes,
relate tales of woe that are heartrending.
We are now assisting 3d. 600 through
out the province. This number must be
gradually increased to at least 40 900. In
no other way can these people be kept
live. There is absolutely no hope that the
present condition of the Armenians will
be materially changed, unless indeed for
the worse. until September, when the
harvest will be garnered."
From Marash comes the following:
Last week Se were helping 1000
people in Marash and the three nei ghbor-
ing villages. We give them on an average
one and one-half piasters week. We
distribute, in addition to money, cloth
ing, shoes and bedding Zeitoun refugees
have begun to come to Marash. Our
funds are inadequate for this large under
taking and are nearly exhausted.