The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-23

found the plague raging on his arrival
there. sent to his journal the following
graphic sketch of the situation:
"The panic is spreading. Every day
intensiies the horrors of the situation,
and the strongest nerves are breaking
down under the terrible strain. The
streets are crowded with funerals, and
wherever one turns one is brought face
to face with the awful proofs of the
death and desolation that are reigning
in this most unhappy city. The mortal
ity has quadrupled recently. and this
without taking into account the panic
stricken exodus from the city. The
daily average of deaths from the plague
is ITO, and for the last week the ratio per
thousand cases has been 400 deaths.
These figures are more eloquent than
words in setting forth the appalling con-
dition of things here. / hear the Indian
Government contemplates changing the
quarters of the English regiments here.
Thus far 20 deaths have occurred among
the British soldiers, but as it has been
SO lamentably shown, Europeans are by
no means proof against the scourge.
There are already eleven of them dead.
The royal Bombay Yacht club is now
left without servants. All the native
employees left this morning in a body.
protesting that they were afraid to stay.
VrrIf
"The projected fine arts exhibition has
been postponed for six months. The
burning grounds here are crowded night
and day and the pyres are constantly
laden with the bodies of the dead. The
Towers of Silence, where the bodies of
Parsees are laid out on an iron grating
to be torn to pieces by the vultures, pres
ent an awful spectacle. A huge flock of
these ghoulish birds now hovers over
the walls of the towers.
"The vultures are now twice or thrice
as numerous as they were week ago,
yet these birds are gorged to repletion
with their innumerable corpses. A tre-
mendous number of dead rats have been
found in the leading business houses
here. They devoured the bodies of the
dead. and, becoming infected, died of the
plague.
THE native journals here are expert
encing great difficulty in their printing
arrangements. Nearly all their com
positors and machine men refuse to
work, and before long these journals will
be forced to suspend publication. The
schools are closing because parents re-
fuse to allow their children to attend.
The nights are rendered hideous by the
clashiDg OF cymbals and chanting of the
melancholy funeral dirges of the Hin
docs. Great difficulty is experienced in
disposing of the dead, even friends and
relatives refusing to carry the corpses.
The Mohammedan burial grounds pre-
sent shocking spectacle. The vast in
crease of interments has led to over
crowding, and recently inferred bodies
are dug up to make room for fresh ar.
rivals. The condition of the burial
| grounds is awful. The nearest parallel
can think of is that Of battlefield
several days after the battle"
The Times also gives vivid summary
OF the net results of the plague. 1t says:
ut would be idle to attempt to mini.
mize the terrible visitation from which
Bombay is now suffering. The scourge
has already done incalculable damage
to the great. growing trade of the
port. The population has already been
depleted by more than half through
the wholesale exodus of the panic
stricken inhabitants. The forts, the
Bhendy Bazaar, and the Mandstie docks,
so recently full of stir and hustle and
centers OF thrilling business operations,
are today scenes Of mourning and DESC
lation. Many shopkeepers on the lead =
ing thoroughfares, as we'll as those along
the lesser streets and lanes. have closed
their doors. The 'marwaris,' or money
lenders, whom the operatives and others
daily patronized, have vanished, and the
small causes court, which is their usual
rendezvous. is SO deserted that the
judges and clerks are taking fortnightly
holidays in turn.
Courts Are Abandoned.
"a similar state of things prevails in
the high court, which. owing to the nom
appearance of plaintiffs and defendants.
sits only four hours per day. Even
crimes, with the exception of burelaries,
have largely diminished. Many of the
native doctors and graduates of colleges
sought safety in fight, and of those who
remain some utterly refuse altogether to
attend persons stricken with the plague
or, when they 90 attend. will not touch
the patient, dreading contagion.
Camps containing thousands of more
or less destitute refugees surround the
city. The picture recalls London in
1865, or Florence during the great vista
ton of black death No one knows
where the plague may not appear.
There is panic and CONSERVATION
throughout Southern Europe. The
people who have joined the mad exodus
from Bombay and other less seriously
affected centers are liable to carry the
germs of the epidemic toward Europe.
The plague will soon be heard of at
Mecca among the pilgrims, and then, if