The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-01-20
PLAGUE AND FAMINE,
TERRIBLE CONDITIONS EXi5 TING
A80uT 8OM5AY,.lNDlA.

The coFp'os Unbariea-Bi of Prey Csa.
not Consume Them Thousands OF Refu-
gees Campad on the Plains.
BOMBAY. Jan. livery day the
plague situation has become worse
and it is estimated that nearly halt Of
the population OF the city have fed to
escape death.
The situation is greatly aggravated
oy the prevalence of the famine, thous.
ands OF natives wno leave the city
having absolutely nothing on which
to support themselves IN the country
and thus fall victims to thu sloEe
death Of Starvation. Toe streets and
oazaars that few weeks ago we're
teeming with life are now virtually
deserted, aud many s1ops and Offices
closed. Oae result Of the plague has
been great diminition in all kinds of
crimes except burglaries aud petty
theftS, and these in many instances
are due to poVerty.stricken wce.ches
taking advantage of thu fact that
large quantities Of property have been
lett without protection by refugees
from the piague-inf9sted citv. So great
mas oaen the falling off in criminal
ana other cases that the high court OF
justice does nc. find business enou9h
to occupy more than half its time,
while the courts in which small cases
are tried have abandoned their sittiros
altogether and the officials have taken
a holiday.
Eighty thousand fugitiyes are camp.
ing out 10 Andheri, where every CON
dltion IS favorable to an outbreak of
CHOLERA. There is a scarcity of water
IN aud aooutthe town and the sanitary
arrangements are Of the crudest char.
acter. ina refugees, however, are
more a!ralo o. the buoonic plague
tnao OF cholera, and they will un.
douotedly remain where thew are
rather than return to Bombay. Tn,
government is doing everythinc NOS.
slo.e to assist the people, bat its ef-
1orIs thus far have been productive of
little real result in the direction of
cleanliness.
Ia Poona and Baaadra the plaopai is
raging with great virulence. Tae ef.
forts Of physicians to stay the uroyress
OF the, aisease IN the slightest degree
nave osen fruitless and the death rate
IS extremely high. Hundreds of uer.
sons attacked by the disease have died
N two or three hours, after SUFFERING
dreadful agony.
Inc customs of the natives add n
the hideousuess of the plague The
Monanmedan cemeteries are over.
crowded and it is impossible to ind
men enough to dig graves and bury
the dead. The sound of dirges is in
cesssnt in and about the places where
the Hlndoos burn their dead in 90,
cordance with their time-honored ems
tom, and the funeral music has mos
depressing influence on all who hear
IT, natives and foreigners alike. Itis
stated that numbers Of dead bodies of
farasees, the religious sect who exoose
tnelr dead bodies to be eaten by the
VuItures, are slowly decomposins in
the open air in the places in which
lucy lave NOT Daen
eaten by the vultures, the birds hav.
ing osen oVergorged by the great
them. 1-'Do0 ~
Everywhere the greatest difficulty is
FOUND IN obtaining men to carry the
oeao tothe cemeteries, burning places
ana the dokhamas. Even relations
snun lneir last service to their dead,
tearing that they will contract the
the corpses.
In many cases, bodies have been
loono abandoned in the streets, their
bearers having been overcome By fear
Whle taking them to their last resting
place.
Up to today the number of cases of
the plague is placed officially at 3,394
ana the deaths at2, 1856. The Eurasias,
those OF half-natives and half-foreign
parentage, enjoy com oarative immu..
nlty from disease, they apparently not
oelng SUBJECT TO its attack. A feature
OF the disease that was noticed st
Hoag-hons and Southern China
Wn!ie It was prevalent there is also
noticed here. Swine, poultry and ro-
dents appear to be very susceptible to
the plague and great numbers of them
have died.