The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18
THE FAMINE IN INDIA.
THE APPALLING EXTENT OF THB
FAMINE AND OF PESTILENCE.

Prospect OF Increase OF Distress Becnusa
or the Failure or the Cr~ops-Businesr
Faralyrea mt Bouabay-Tcrrible suneripE.
JuASsI, India. March ls.-Indla is Just now
q greatly afflicted country, for famine has
spread its wings " gloom over the land. and to
famine, on the west coast Of India, tho terrora
Of pestilence have been added.
At n meeting held in Calcutta early in the
cold season to consider the propriety OF rails
ing a famine fund. the Viceroy. Lord Elgin,
who presided, said In his opening address;
"While the distress is not now more acute
than In the years 1874 and 1877, when famine
was in the land. the present has no parallel In
tho wide field calling for relief measures. We
read" no continued, "of one and q quarter
millions Of people being on relief works. and
we know that even that number may be dou-
bled or trebled." This prediction Is already
fulfilled, for in the beginning Of March. not
perhaps three months after the above words
were spoken. the number OF persons on relief
works. or in the rcceipt of gratuitous relief in
India. had risen TO 3.216, 600.
The relief works organized BY the British
Government are tho opening of new lines of
rail where required, the mrkipg of roads. the
digging OF canals and tanks for irrigation. the
digging of village wells. and other works Of
public utility. The cultivator is losth to
leave his home. but when starvation starer
him in the face he avails himself Of the pro-
vision made by the Government and finds his
way &c the nearest relief work. For women
unable to labor. for children, the aged, and all
who from any cause are unfit to labor, gratui.
tous relief 10 provided. For oil such tempo.
rary shelters are provided. In these camps
wretched creatures. clothed In rags and plti-
fully emaciated, congreKate. MANI alas! have
waited too long before applying for relief. and
death soon claims them. The sights tina.
greet us as we 60 abroad, whether In town or
country. are narrowing in the extreme. Starv-
ing mothers offer for sale their helpless babes,
or. dying. leave them uncared for. These or.
phans are gathered into CAMPS. where they arc
sheltered and fed for q prescribed length of
time, In order thIt friends may have an oppor-
tunity of claiming them should they SO desire.
Tho unclaimed children eventually find their
way into orphanaGes in various parts Of India.
To the large camp Just outside this city. whore
nected with the Presbyterian Mission Society
here goes each morning to teach the children.
ard to the little waits this IL q happy time.
Not only do the common roor suffer IN this
time Of famine. but also those from the moro
known their destitution. Such are sought out
and relieved from q fund contributed for this
purpose I%o ss THREE Tssus slb.d 5hl s. sss: of va a:~i1 .:o follow y;
grain. it is said. are boarded BY native grain
merchants in the hope that as the distress be.
For many months to como we can. hope for
little relief. The grain soon to be harvested
will yield q small return. for not only will the
favored districts, but In some D, rts OF India.
because OF the drought IS sniy one, hall the aver
ity. Il is feared. will increase. Tho hot sea-
sou. upon which we are just entering. when
like a blast from a furnace. will sweep. viii
cut of multitudes Of the emacia:ed creatures
saeen sw Va 70 s grenp miui rimt ' while t eS:,e M1.l
that terrible scourEe OF the East. has already
appeared in cHmps in VARIOUS lou 81 parts o, India.
and oest!lence often follows In tho wake Of
II is a fact worthy Of record that some Of
tho native princes OF India are making munif.
cent ,ontributions to relieve the distrsss OF
sss na iId ns pr peSe,'i ina MRsts harG are le.S Gg''i nas
only to contribute T Ssnsr Of their sub.
lieve the suffering about them. From the
British soldier. whose pay is small. has come
tie proposition that the whole English army
in India should contribute ono days pay to
In the seaports of Bombay and Karachi. bu-
tS. nn. glhSre Of 1 1ss : Sid s SEASON ITS many sppe sh rSnss 81
have fallen victims to this terrible scourge.
{ L. estimated that no less than sou. 900 OF the
panic-stricken Inhabitants OF Bombay have
craft or cart. beductinG this sum from he
764. and from this number must be taken the
many thousands who have died from tn" plague
curing the pTsssTt sn nd namo Business Bs me Is: OF
seem almost desc ted. So many native mer.
chants have left Bombay that there Is no one to
take delivery of loods ordered from England,
and these are therefore deposited In ware.
houses a: the cocks. Schools are comparatively
many cases servants have left their masters
in a body. The landlord Of one of the largest
and laost OoDular hotels In BOMBAY was thrown
ment OF the walters. Just bafore the hour of
luncheon. that they had all resolved to leave
Bombay Is the seat OF large MANUFACTURING
interests. but with the utmost difficulty the
insist upon daily paymen 10 in order that they
may DO free Mt any time TO flee. The trade be-
tween India and other countries is practically at
a standRtill. Tho Caledonia recently
brought back to Bombay a cargo which she
had carried Z ,Marseilles.
victims to the plague. In resi- ect to immun-
ity from this scourEe, among the Indian peo-
the credit OF this section OF the community
II should be said that they have. with raro
exceptions. remained at their posts OF duty.
though all around them they saw their country
men feelnR fro n the stricken city. The Parsees
OF Bombay have suffered much less from the
or Mohammedans. this immunity being due in
n great measure. no doubt. to the moro favor
iiSs. ' Isaving. s sSn 7. Inc eust a%as Of III, Ts'f Pars sssy
their dead ev,osed on the Towers Of Silence"
SesS oaoefe ~ 'tho W 'Aabeco " tio tFDAItts
which would thus he u menace tn the health
OF the community, but the number Of these
creased pince the plague epidemic.
The Hindns In this time OF dire distress ha We
engaged ShaStris to make inFercession. prom
tsing, should the plague be stayed. to mako
large offerings to the TEMPLES.
It 10 said that in Hong Kong; during the prev
Aliens &c of tho plague, little children were az q
rule not attacked: but in Bombay the little
ones have enjoved no immunity, entire families
in some instances having been swept away.
Two hundred and fifty years ago the plague
visited the city Of Surat, north Of Bombay
and for a pariod of eight years held the city In
It's deadly grasp. Too tardily. IT is now felt.
Bombay WAS reused to a sense OF Its danger
from the presence of so relentless n foe. The
disease was therefore we'll .intrenched before IL
was thought necessary to ndopt stringent
measures for Its sxterminntion. The strong
caste feeling among the Hindus. and the ,g-
nnrance and Sunerstition which hold In thrnil
the mass ot the population. have made the work
cf the medical and municipal stafr one OF great
d. hculty. Segregation has neen stoutly Op-
posed; and Eases Of plague are constantly con;
and locked 40 n vacated. II has been found
municipal etaff, but TO invest this STAFF with