The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-24
DISTRESS IN CUBA.
Statistics Gathered by Naval officers
Thousands Starving.

WASHINGTON, Feb. %. - correspond
ent of the Associated Press, writing from
Santiago de Cuba, says: while the United
States cruiser Montgomery was at Matanzas
recently a board of officers was appointed
to inquire into the condition of the people
Of that province. Although the exact terms
of the report are not known, it may be
said that in substance it sets forth that
there are 14,000 people absolutely without
food and clothing within the city limits.
About 5000 of these live in small huts of
palm branches. These huts form three sep
arate villages beyond the built-up portions
of the city The other 1900 unfortunates
live in the streets of the city and are alb
solutely without homes or shelter These
1900 people are from the laboring class,
who have been driven into the cities from
their country homes, which have been de-
stroyed in the war operations. Most of
them are women and children, and they are
all emaciated, sick and almost beyond re-
lief unless they can have the benefit of
regular treatment in the hospitals. AS it
is, they are dying the streets for want of
food.
According to statistics gathered from
the best sources the number of deaths in
the province of Matanzas from starvation
at present in the province is estimated at
$1,000, out of a total population of 253616 in
December, 1857, and the number of starving
people is rapidly increasing. In the city of
Matanzas alone there have been about II, 900
deaths during the past year and the num-
Der is increasing daily. The death rate at
present averages forty-six per day, as
shown by the reports from the cemetery
ft,ar in fhaa6
the fact that the distress is no longer con-
fined to the laboring class, most of whom
have already persisted. 1t has now ex-
tended to those people who before the war
were in moderately comfortable circum-
stances. Those who are now begging in
the streets were in large part well-to-do
people or the children of the wel-to-do. And
in addition the citizens of the city of Ma
tanzas themselves are beginning to suffer
for the actual necessaries of life having
drained their resources in order TO supply
the needs or the laboring class who are de-
The citizens of Matanzas have an or
gained system of relief for the starving
people, but It is entirely inadequate and is
daily becoming more glaringly so, for the
resources OF those who were we'll TO do are
rapidly diminishing, while the demand for
food is constantly increasing. At one of the
relief stations the board of officers found
one hundred starving people, this being the
actual number OF persons for whom the
citizens had been able to provide rations
there In a room across the courtyard of
the building were one hundred tin pans
and as many spoons. These pans were filed
with a cooked mess of rice and fish ard
We're arranged in rows ready for distribu-
ton amoag the furnishing people who were
in waiting in another part Of the house
But, already said, the three relief places
in the city OF Matanzas do not begin 10
adequately supply food 10 the 1900 people
who are there starving in the streets for
The citizens are only able TO issue food
three times day 1T each place, and then