The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-17
DEPENDENT ON CHARITY.
Nearly Forty Millions OF Sufferers
without Food.

DEPENDENT ON CHARITY.
| Nenr1y Forty MILLIONS OF Sufferers
without Food.
| Bombay, January -(Copyrightod 1897.
| by the Associated Press. plague and
famine are stalking arm and arm through
| densely populated portions Of the British
| empire. Thousands are dead or dying aud
| the outlook becomes black and more terri
bic every day, Millions Of helpless mon.
women and children are starving and the
! famine stricken districts having a popula-
tion OF nearly 10000 600 will have TO de-
pend upon the hand of charity for food
enough TO keep body and soul together
until April or later Other districts with
a population numbering about 10000. 600
are already feeling the paugs Of bitter pri-
walton from food and this must be endured
well on to spring before permanent relief
will be afforded by nature
Funds FOR tho relief of the sufferers are
being raised ON all sides. a large amount
of money will be needed to provide food
for these unfortunate people. who live on
almost nothing IN comparison with Euro
peans and others from one end of the year
TO the other This calamity, awful as 1t
Is in it's intensity. is possibly not much
greater than the ravages OF the dreadful
buhonIc plague hero. threatening TO spread
thro 81 Il y flight OF the NATIVES of this
city into other parts OF India and II It
reaches the greatly weakened natives the
fatality may be enormous.
The mortality here has quadrupled with
out counting the deaths which have oc-
CURED among the hundreds Of thousands
Of people who have fled III terror from
Bombay, in many eases abandoning their
all In the hurried flight from the pcsti-
lenco.
Up to recently Bombay, with its popula-
ton of about $50 900. enjoyed the reputation
| OF being one OF the hcalthiest cities in In
dia, its sanitary works being equal TO
those OF European capitals. but all this has
changed More than half the population
has disappeared. and those who remain ar,
either helpless and can not get away, or are
crowding out of the city by rail, water anc
road, or else contemplate so doing unes,
there is n change for tho better shortly.
The government officials are seriously
alarmed, tho netiye physicians having ucar-
~ all left the city Business is paralyzed
the mills are closed or closing: the street;
are partly deserted, and on all sides arc
empty houses, boarded up or Wide open
the passage OF funeral parties through tho
streets goes on day aud night: the burylne
grounds, or CHATS. light the skies with their
reflections, and line after line OF bodies
there or at tho Parsee burial spots arc
awaiting consignment TO the flames or
mother earth.
The number OF deaths from the plague in
this city is now estimated, unofficially, 10
be over 5000: there are about l70 additional
victims daily with this number increasing
as time wears on.
Europeans, however, have been Singh
lary free from contagion up 10 the present
time, only three deaths among them being
recorded 10 date.
At Karachi, Poona and Bandra, wherc
large numbers of refugees have sought
No. ~ Eaa lion out In ma
threatening form. At Bandra. for instance,
l29 deaths are recorded. outside OF 1870
cases of tho plague. causing CONSERVATION
even among the physicians
In this city there are thousands OF houses
| without native servants. nearly all the
latter having Joined the fleeing multitude.
! Employers are helpless because of the de-
scrtion OF their clerks and porters, and
stores are closed on account OF the almost
utter stsgnation OF business.
Tho mortality during the past week Lere
| has been unprecedented. while the returns
OF death for remittent fever are extraord-
narily high above tho plague rate. which
! Is naturally interpreted rs meaning that
numbers OF people who have fallen with
the plague have officially been recorded as
| having died from romitcnt fever.
/ The government officials are dreading
the spread OF the plague 10 tho British
troops in garrison here. ana IL Is proposed
TO withdraw the European troops aud send
them into the best place available on the
other side Of Bombay barbor On tho other
hand there are people who oppose this sten
being taken on the ground that the pres
ence OF the British regiments has a salutary
effect upon the populace. which might
otherwise start rioting and lo0ting.
It. is also suggested that the whole city
should he isolated and escape by land be
prevented by a strong Gordon OF troops and
that escape by water should be prevented