The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-24
EVEN THE WEALTHY STARVE.
AATANZAS FEELS THE FULL HoR-
RoRS OF THE CUBAN WAR
At Least $4,000 People Dying From
Lack of Food-Reiief Work made
quate-u. :. Naval officers BE-
sieged by a Famine-Stricken Mob.

SANTIAGO DE CUBA. Feb. is.-Whsle
the United States cruiser MONTGOMERY was
AZ Aalanzas recently board OF officers
was appointed 70 inquire into the con-
dItions Of the people ot thar province
Although the exact terms OF the report are
not known, Il may DC said taai IN sub
stance II sets tortn there are is9s9 peo-
PIE absolutely without food and clothing
within the ct;y limits. About 5000 Of these
1--we III small nuts Of palm branches. Tae
otAer u,gs untortQlatss live in the stress
~ the city. and are absolutely Ritnout
homes Or shelter. These Il epo people are
OF ne laborlng class wno have been driven
INTO the cities from their country homes,
which nave been destroyed by the war
Most OF them are women and children,
and they are all emaCiated. sick and al
most beyond relief. unless they can have
the benefit Of regular treatment in hos
pitals. As Il is, they are dying in The
streets for want Of food. According 10
statistics gathered by the officials. the
number OF dec ms in the province OF Ma
tanzas from starvation is 50 go. and the
number Of starving people is estimated Al
sa,vN, oat OF a total population of ~, GIG
in December, 1897. The number OF starving
people is rapidly increasing.
In the city OF Natanzas alone there have
been about u.sD deaths during the past
year, and the nuf2ber is increasing daily.
The death rate at present averages forty
six per day, as shown by the reports from
the cemetery. The increase in the death
rate is due to the fact that the distress
Is no longer confined 10 the laboring class,
most of whom have already persisted. Ii
is now extended 20 the people who before
the war were in moderately comfortable
circumstances. Those now begging IN the
streets we're ia large part weli-to-do peo-
pie or children of the well-te-do. In ad-
dition, the citizens OF the city of MatanZas
themselves are begging for the actual ne
cessities Of life, having exhausted Their re-
sources in order TO supply the needs OF the
laboring class who have been quariered
upon them.
The citizens Of Matanzas have an organ
lied system Of relief for the starving peo-
Pile but il is entirely inadequate, and -
daily becoming more gl2rlnSIy SO, Tor the
resources OF those who were wel!-to-do are
rapidly diminishing, while the demand Tor
food is constantly increasing.
At one Of the stations the board OF ofh-
GERS found loo starving, this being the ac-
tual number Of people for whom the clti-
zens had been unable 70 provide refer
there. Pans Of rice and fish were arranged
I'm rows ready for distribution among PEG
pie who We're waiting IN another part oil ms
house. But this does not begin 20
s,,nulv relief for the A,0e0 people who are
starving in the streets, for the citizens are
only able to issue food three times DAY
az each place. and then TO only about ~
u. a time Consequently only about SHV OK
the destitute people receive food on Gay.
II should be aaaed mat IaIse HuihOc4
OF the citizens Of MatanzAs nave leu tlis
starving in the streets in trent OF their
own homes. but the citizens themselves
ara feeling the pinch OF privauon, ana
unless assistance soon comes 10 them they
Will be compelled in self-protecuon 10 cease
the work Of charity In which they are
now engaged. and which Is seemingly
the only salvation for the starving 'hous-
and..
The only other public relief at Matanzas
is thar given to the sick children by the
mana cement of the emergency hospital,
which is under the direction OF the Volun-
teer fire department of MataAZas. Ihere
about eighty children are treated daily
and are furnished with nouI.shment under
the direction Of the city physicians
These statements are the conclusions,
facts and figures arrived AT by board CT
United States naval officers
When the United States naval officers
landed they were constantly followed by
clamoring crowds OF starving men. women
and children, who importuned them n
tho most heartrendlng manner Tor ut
tie food for the want of which they were
slowly dying.
has done everything possible under the
circumstances. but when the Montgomery
left there ia the first days Of February
the consul had only enough rauons Pa
naming TO last about TWO weeks, after
which the fund appropriated by congress
would have been exhausted. and then the
sufferers of Matauzas would include The
American citizens at thar place. who have
hitherto received relief through the Unit
ed States consulate. At that time tae
consul had received 4 petition signed by
the American citizens Of Matanzas SCI
ting forth In detail the need in which
they stood Of immediate relief from the
dangers Of starvation.
So FAR as the board Ct officers of the
Montgomery could ascertain. M8tauzas -
thst time needed a supply Of food FOR
Il a0 people for at least one month. n
addition 10 supplies of condensed milk
for invallds and medicines Of all kinds.
The people Of Matanzas are also IN urgent
need Of clothing, most q them being n
filthy rugs.
The Spanish authorities 3. may be said
Ia conclusion have rendered al tho as
sissance which +; seems possible Tor them
% provide on two occasions they have
given Silo GRO % the fuGd far taa desti-
tute. lut so far as the board could learn
this vas an che government was in
position 20 contribute - The relief of the
1900 starving dying people IN the streets
cf N4tanZas.