The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-14
4 pocKrT is rInrD ron FAC II CONVERT

During the past few days the panic has
been on the Increase. Up 10 Christmas
! about 10000 natives had fled from the
| city. In three weeks the number Of fugi-
tives has been increased by from lYCvJ
TO 1900. Every day trains, steamboats,
and sailing vessels carry away the terii-
fed people. The native population CT
Bombay is composed TO considerable
extent. of people from the provinces who.
from time to time, return 10 their native
localities Others dwelling IN neislDor-
ing villages come every morning in the
trains to their work or to their business.
All that class disappeared completely On
the FIRST cry Of alarm. For example there
are 5000 fugitives at Thana, 5000 a kal-
gan, and all the localities along the Ines
of the railways connecting Bombay with
the continent are fun of families of refu
gees Many Of the well-to-do natives
have closed their houses and gone into
the interior. Some have gone 10 Poona.
ll9 miles from Bombay. others have
reached Surat. Breach and Ahmedabad-
that is TO say. between 500 and 600 kilo-
metres from Bombay. Several native
quarters i'm the city are absolutely de
serted. The cotton mills. that employed
thousands of hands. are closed. Merchants
and business men have all disappeared
and both importation and expectation
have completely stopped.
The government does all IL possibly can
to allay the panic. Camps and tents have
been set up in the public places 10 shelter
those who have fed from houses In which
the plague appeared The salaries Of tho
employees in the municipality were doub-
led. but without success The officials
fed IL is difficult to diminish the terror
Of the natives. Lectures announcement
and advice In regard 10 hygiene have
all been worthless II is impossible IN
reason with terror: and. as matter OF
iact' IL Is necessary 10 have a stout heart
TO be able TO resist the contagion Of fear.
When' from morning TIL evening. there
Is one continuous procession of funerals.
and In the evening the sky is REDEEMED
with the fires that consume the boaios
An absolutely terrifying spectacle 30 NJ
scented az the Queens road SQUARE where
me hlndoos burn their dead. For "a CON
siderable distance we can 600 H. -.
columns or smoke ana hear tho VII -
lho relatives. the lugubrlous 80 %
inc cymbais, ana the crackIin,, 80 ~
blazing wood. "0Nihs OF the
~ "oN the cortegos OF relatives ora
becoming more AID more rora ~
Sl'n'c' number OF the bodies are ca,r,o,
on ny the employees Of the civ Who H.
Drisad'S labor both day and night In tho
work OF disinfecung houses carrvi ir'e
away bodies. ana here and there burnInS
down shanties that formerly sheltero6
large families Of natives.
the Government employs learned doc
tors VINO hold conferences. debate and
make propositions but the medicines that
are distributed have no effect upon the
plague. The houses are whitewashed
odoilferous plants are burned III the in
terror the clothes and furniture In the
houses where there were deaths from
the plague are also burned. and even toe
tiles on the roofs have been tax,n away
for the purposes OF ventilation. But all
seems in vain.
Tue newspapers hAva alxa aAa4.AA 49,