The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-02-24
NJ Food. No Clothes. No Shelter
Fol the Thousands OF Concern
tradOs at MatanZaS.
Thousands Have Died From Star
walton and the Situation
Grows Worse.


SANTIAGO DE CJBA. Feb. Il. While
the United States cruiser Montgomery
was at NatunzaS. recently. a board OF
officers was appointed to inquire into
the condition OF the people OF that prov
iuce. Although the exact terms OF the
report are not known, 1t may be SAID
that Ill substance, it sets forth that
there are l4,O0) people absolutely With
out food and clothing. within the city
limits. About 5000 Of these live III
small huts of palm branches. These
huts form three separate villages be-
yond the built up portions OF the city.
Tie other IL 900 untortunates live Ill
the streets OF the city, and are abso-
lu,ely without homes or shelter. These
1900 people are of the laborins classes
who have been driven into the city
from their country homes, which have
been destroyed III the war operations.
Most of them are women and children,
and they are all emaciated, sick and
almost beyond relief unless they can
have the benefit of the regular treat.
ment in the hospitals; as it is they are
dying in the streets for val Of food.
NUMBER OF starving luCreASes.
According to statistics gathered from
the best official sources, the number Of
deaths i'll the province of Matanzas
from starvation is so, 900, and the mum.
Der of starving people at present in the
province is estimated at 9S, 600, out of a
total population of 253.Gl6 III Deem.
Der, 1897, and the number OF starving
people is rapidly increasing.
In the city Of Matanzas alone there
have been about 1900 deaths during
the past year, and the number is ill.,
creasing daily.
The death rate at present averages
40 per day, as shown by the reports
from the cemetery. The increase III tbs
death rate Is due to the fact that the
distress is 10 longer confined to the
laboring classes, most Of whom have
already persisted. Those who are now
begging III the streets We're III a large
part we'll to do people, or the children
of the we'll to do people. And III addl
ton, the citizens of the city Of Matan
zas themselves are beginning TO suffer
for the actual necessities Of lite, having
drained their resources in order TO sup
ply the needs Of the laborlng class
who have been Quartered upon them
The citizens OF MatanZas have organ
lied a system of relief for the starvln,
people, but 1t Is certainly inadequate
and is daily becoming more glarlng q.
so, for the OF those who wer
Well to do are rapidly diminishing
while the demand for food Is con
stantly increasing.
Relief Wholly Inadequate.
Regular relief stations had been es
tablished, but only about 500 ration
could be issued daily, to l4,OOO peopl
who We're starving III the streets.
1t should be added that a large num
Der Of the citizens Of Matanzas hav
ted the starving in the streets in from
Of their own homes, but the citizen
themselves are feeling the pinch o
~privation, and unless assistance sool
comes to them, they will be compelled
IN self.protectlon, to cease the work Q
charity, in which they are en-
gagged, and which is seemingly the onl,
salvation for the starving thousands.
These statements are the conclusions
facts and figures arrived at by a boar
Of United States naval officers.
The United States consul at Matanza
has done everything possible under tn
circumstances but when the Montgom
cry left, in the first days Of February
the consul had only enough rations re
manning to last about two weeks, afte
which the fund appropriated by con
gress would have been exhausted, an
then the sufferers Of Matanzas wouI
include the American citizens at tina
place, who have hitherto received re
lief through the United States CO..