Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-23
$4,000 HAVE STARVED.
OFFICIAL REPORT FROM MArANzAs, CUBA


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Sahtiago de Cuba, Feb. ls.-(Corres-
pohdenee of the Associated Press.)
"hiie the u. S. cruiser Montgomery
was at Matanzas recently, a board of
ofncers was appointed to Inquire into
.he condition of the people OF that prov
NICE Although the exact terms of the
| report are not known. 1t may be said
, uhat, IN substance, II sets forth that
mere are 1900 people absolutely with
U ~ ioou ana clothing within the city
nihits- About 5000 of these live In
sinali nuts OF pain branches. These
nuts form three separate villages be-
gohd the built-up portions OF the city.
me other 1000 unfortunates live in the
streets OF The city and are alb
solutely without homes ,or shelter,
These $4,000 people are of the laboring
class, who have been driven into the
| cities from their country homes which
nave bean destroyed in the war opera
tons. Most of them are women ana
children, and they are all emaciated.
sick and almost beyond relief, unless
they can have the benefit of regular
treatment In the hospitals. As 1t ~.
they are dying in the streets for want
| OF food.
According to statistics gathered from
| the best official sources, the number of
/
from starvation Is $4,000; and the num-
Der of starving people at present in the
| province is estimated Mt 9s.OO0 out of
total population of 253,6l6 in December.
lSs'- 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 number is in
creasing daily The death rate at pres
ent averages ~ per day. as shown by
the reports from the cemetery. The In
crease in the death rate Ia due to the
| fact that the distress is no longer con
| fined to the laboring class. most of
| whom have already persisted. II Is now
extended to the people who before the
war were In moderate comfortable cir
cumstances. Those now begging In the
streets were In large part Well to do
people or children of the well to do. In
| addition, the citizens of the city of
Matanzas themselves are begging pr
the actual necessities of life, having ex-
| hausted their resources in order to sup
ply the needs OF the laboring class who
have been quartered upon them.
The citizens of Matanzas have an
organized system of relief for the
starving people, but 1t is entirely in
| Rlaringly so, for the resources of those
who were well to do are rapidly dimin
ishing, while the demand for food Ia
constantly increasing. At one OF the
stations the board of officers found 100
starving. this being the actual number
| of people for which the citizens had
been able to provide relief there. Pans
of rice and fish were arranged in rows
| ready for distribution among the peo-
pie. who were waiting in another part
| of the house. But this relief does not
begin to supply relief for the $4,000
people who are starving In the streets,
for the citizens are only able to Issue
food three times a day at each place
and then to only about 100 at a time.
Consequently only about 300 of the des-
titute people receive food on day.
1t should he added that n = large
number of the citizens Of Matanzas
have fed the starving in the streets
| in front of their own homes, but the
citizens themselves are feeling the
pinch and privation, and unless as
sistence soon comes to them. they Will
be compelled in self protection to cease
the work of charity In which they are
now engaged, and which lis seemingly
the only salvation for the starving
thousands.
The only other public relief ct Matan-
zas is that given to the sick children
by the management of the Emergency
| hospital, which Is under the direction
of the volunteer fire department of
Matanzas. There about eighty children
are treated daily and are furnished
with nourishment under the direction
of the city physicians.
| These statements are the conclu-
sions, facts and figures arrived at by
hoard of u. S. naval officers When the
U. S. naval officers landed they We're
Constantly followed by clamorlnE
crowds OF starving men. women and
children, who importuned them in the
| most heartrending manner for lit
tie food for the want Of which they
were slowly dying.
The u. s. consul Mt Matanzas has
| a al
cumstances, but when the Montgomery
left there In the first days of February.
the consul had only enough rations re-
| naming to last about two weeks, after
which the fund appropriated by Com
gress would have been exhausted and
then the sufferers of Matanzas would
| include the American citizens at that
place. who have hitherto received re-
| lief through the u. S. consulate. AT
that time the consul had received
petition signed by the American citl-
gems Of Matanzas, setting forth in de-
tail the need in which they stood OF
| immediate relief from the dangers OF
| starvation.
SO far as the hoard Of officers of the
Montgomery could ascertain, Matanzas
| at that time needed n supply of food
| for 1900 people for at least one month,
| In addition to supplies of condensed
| milk for invalids and medicines OF all
| kinds. The people of Matanzas are also
| In urgent need of clothing most OF them
being in filthy rags.
The Spanish authorities 1t may he
| said in conclusion, have rendered all
| the assistance which It seems possible
| for them to provide. On two occasions
| they have given 100000 to the fund for
| the destitute, but so far as the board
| could learn this was nll the government
| was in a position to contribute to the
relief of the a. 900 starving. dying peo-
| nile in the streets of MatQnzaa