The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-03
THE FAMINE IN india.
Sad Tales of Destitution from the
Stricken Districts.
FOOD SUPPLY NEARLY EXHAUSTED

Tho Minimum Dole Of Food Given to the
Starving People Only sunicient to Keep
Body and Soul Together. and Too Little
to Build Up the System.
LONDON, Feb. S.-William Lord Sand.
hurst, governor Of Bombay, has sent a
cable message to the effect that the bu.
bonic plague patients patronizs the hos
pitfalls more freely than at the time of the
first outbreak of the epidemic, In the sec.
tion where the disease has its strongest
hold in the beginning 1t is now being sup
pressed, but it appears to be extending to
new portions Of the Bombay presidency.
In places most recently infected by the
plague the mortality Is evidently not as
great. In the city of Bombay the num-
Der Of deaths diminished during the week
ending Jan. 30. and the feeling at that
place is one Of great hopefulness In the
city Of Poonah Bombay presidency, fifty
eight cases were reported, but late ac-
count is to the effect that forty-eght
cases were announced In single quarter
of the town.
Governor Sandhurst reports that the
number OF deaths from the plague at ka-
rachi reached 20S for the week ending Jan,
22, diminishing to 17S for the week ending
Jan. 20, decreasing In the two worst quar-
ters of the town, but increasingin the two
sections formerly least infected by the epi.
demio. 1t is estimated that one-fourth Of
the total population Of the city has left
Karachi on account of the plague. The
only deaths from plague reported from
Sind iuct tuido ara ,oid 70 ho
those OF travellers. Generally speaking this
same thing may be said to be true Of other
towns of the Bombay presidency besides
the cities of Bombay and Poonah, with
the exception, however. Of the towns Of
Bandora and Coorla, and their suburban
villages, and the unhealthy place Of Bhi-
wandi, In the Thaue district.
The special correspondent Of the Asso.
ciated Press, who Is inqulring into the
famine ravaging in Knlpur, the largest
district of the central province, havinga a
population Of 1900, 000, finds the situation
very grave. Kaipur is the center of the
rice growing industry which is the only
crop grown, and as 1t has failed there is a
total extinction Of food stuff in the local.
ity, and real famine exists About 1900
villages are affected. The relief works
have given employment and the means Of
subsistence to 10000 persons,
The worst part of the district Is Dhar-
mapara, thirty miles from Kaipur, where
lamentable conditions prevail Many peo-
pie have already died of hunger and many
others are dying. The staff employed in
the work of relieving the sufferers Is In
adequate to cope with the enormous area.
If the work Of relief had been properly ar
ranged earlier the mortality would have
been less, as the rains are increasing the
spread Of disease. 1t will take three good
years to recoup the losses In that district.
The poorhouses are fair criterion of
the condition Of the people Besides the
professional beggars they are crowded
with laborers, reduced to the last stage Of
skeletons Their bodies are emaciated
and the skin is hanging in large folds.
Others have swollen stomachs, the sign Of
acute privation. 1t Is found that the cat.
tlemen and ryots or fleldworkers, usually
lusty men, are unable to do anything, and
the women are In the same condition.
One woman, who was lately confined,
has been attacked with rheumatism,
caused by exposure, and is paralyzed. Her
baby is horrible to look at Its limbs are
about the size of pipe STEMS and Its
sunken eyes have most piteous look. No
provision has been made for these cases.
The minimum dole of food is only enough
to keep body and soul together 1t does
not suffice to build up the system again.
4 Some horrible sights are witnessed. A
man, with both legs eaten away, was a
mass of white scabs, and others were
nearly as bad. The condition In the dis.
trict is the worst yet seen. There Ia ur-
gent need of funds. II seed is not sown
the people will be utterly incapable Of pro.
curing food, and the conditions next year
will be too awful to contemplate. This
food supply in the district will soon be ex-
hausted.