Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-01-17

Bombay, January 16.-Plague and
famine are stalking arm in arm through
densely populated portions of the Brit
ish empire, thousands are dead or dy-
ing, and the outlook becomes blacker
and more terrible every day.
Millions of helpless men. women and
children are starving, and the famine
stricken districts. having a population
of nearly 100000 people, will have
to depend upon the hand of charity for
food enough to keep body and soul to-
gether until April or later. Other d.s-
tricts. with a population numbering
so 900 900. are already feeling the pangs
of bitter 'privation from food, and this
must be endured well on into spring
before permanent relief will be afford-
ed by nature. Funds for the relief of
the sufferers are being raised on all
sides; but a very large amount OF mon
ey will be needed to provide food even
for those unfortunate people who 1--we
on almost nothing Gin comparison WIN
Europeans and others) from one END OF
the wear to the other This calamity,
awful as it is in its intensity, Is pos
siblv not much greater than the raw
ages of the dreadful bubOnic plague
here threatening to spread through the
fright of the natives of this city INTO
other parts of India, and if it reaches
tho greatly weakened famine sufferers,
the mortality may be enormous. Inc
natives have been reduced by lack OIL
food to little more than living skele-
tons. in the most heavily stricken as
tricts and as such they cannot but fall
victims by the thousand to the Dlack
plague which threatens to invade Eu-
rome through the Mecca pilgrims ana
other sources for the spread Oh conIa-
gion which are too numerous 10 men
tion. principal of which, however, IS
the export of rags, linen and other mer-
chandise likely to contain the poison
The mortality here has quadfupled,
without counting the deaths which
have occurred among the hundreds Oh
thousands of people who have ned IN
terror from Bombay, in many cases
abandoning their all in the hurried
fight from the pestilence. More than
half the population has disappeared
and those who remain are either help
less and cannot get away or are crowd
ing out of the city by rail, water ana
road. or else contemplate so doing un-
less there is a change for the better
shortly.
The government officials are serious
" alarmed. the native physicians have
nearly all left the city, business Is par
alyzed. the mills are closed or closing,
the streets are partly desterted' ana
on all sides are empty houses, boarded
I'D or wide open, the passage OF luneraI
parties through the streets goes on DAY
and night, the burning GROUNDS OF
chats light the skies with their renee
tions and line after line of bodies there
are at the parsee burial spots awaiting
consignment to the flames or to mother
earth.
The number Of deaths from the
nlague in this city is now estimated
unodicially, to be over 1000, and there
are about 10 additional victims daily,
with this number increasing as tlne
wears on.
The Europeans. however, have been
sinqularlv free from cOntagion up to
the present time, only three deaths
among them being recorded to date.
At Karachi. Poona and Bandra'
where large numbers Of refugees nave
sought safety. the plague has broken
ont in most threatening form. AT BAN
dra for instance, 12S deaths are rec
orded ont of $50 cases of the plague
causing CONSERVATION even among inc
physicians. .,,,,.o,ds ~
boneas without native servants, nearly
all the latter having joined the heeins
multitude. drood
ing the spread of the plague 10 the
british troops In garrison mere anu 1t
ie nronosed TO withdraw the European
troons and send them into the best place !
available on the other size oil BOMBAY
harbor. t,r os 20
-..or-l,, recommend that the only radical
c,,re is 20 drive the remaining natives from
tho quarter of the city inhabited by theh
snnlv the torch TO their habitauons ana
r,,rn every place there to the ground. II
This is done. and il does not seem unlikely
Tho whole of the remaining native popu-
Iatjon will be driven out by the troops TO
an immense camp. which will have been
previously prepared for them. There the
natives will be compelled to remain sur
rounded by Gordon Of troops until the
plague is stamped ont or works It's worst
among the unfOrtunates
LONDON. January l6.-For some time
most everything has pointed to the fact
that India is face to face with the most
annauing calamity since the British oc-
cl,nation. The spread Of the buhonlc
,1,oua came almost with dramatic sud-
danness on the heels of the famine and
created throughout Europe feeling OF
tba greatest alarm. Up TO the present
the two visitations have been confined 20
separate areas. but ii IS extremely prop-
able that the plague will ere long reacn
rho famine districts. owing 20 the inpossi-
bili-v Of preventing the migration Of the
manic stricken natives. and should this turn
out 10 be the case. competent authorities
fool, forward TO terrible mortality, az tne
nIague germs viii find fruitful soil in the
em3ci8ted natives. The sympathy OF
Great Britain is now thoroughly aroused /
and relief funds have been started IN all
rho chief towns. The Mansion House fund !
is approaching 5000 pounds G5oVeD ana !
{, is hoped that the total Of the fund Will
reach 7oOooo pounds Cs3.5o0 600, which was !