The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-11-22
SAD TRAGEDY IN INDIA.
A NIGHT OF DESOLATION---THE BE-
REAVED MISSIONARY FAMILY.
Story of the Disaster that Carried Away the Six Children of Rev.
d. H. Lee-Four of the Bodies Will Never be Found-The
tie Folks Died While PrayerGreat Destruction of Life
Property-Thrillng Story of the Scene.

The rescuiDg was work of danger
as we'll as of indescribable labor. The
correspondent of one of the Calcutta
daily papers says that several of the
gentlemen deserve the Victoria Cross.
One of them sank up to his shoulders
in the mud and his companions were
nearly sucked In after him. But by
spreading water proof coat on the
ground they secured sufficient buoy
ancy TO drag him up. The rescued
girls were distributed in different
houses wherever shelter could be found
at that hour, about three in the morn
ing with the wind still raging and the
rain pouring and the landslides filling
the blackness with continual roar.
But worse remains TO be told. The
Rev. ID. II. Lee and his wife are Amer
lean Methodist missionaries 10 Cal
cutta, Mrs. Ada Lee being well known
iu America as the writer of the thrill
ing story Of s.Chundra Leila" Their
six children Vida, Lois. Wilbur, Her
bert, Ada and Esther, the eldest sew
enteen and the youngest four or five
years of age, were day scholars at
Arcadia" but lived by themselves
with native woman servant, in a
house ON the steepest part of the Hill
with precipitous descent Of several
thousand feet to the Rungeat river
below. During that awful night this
house was carried away. All we know
yet is that the body of the second girl
was found, and that the eldest boy
was found alive though badly injured,
but he has died OF his injuries since
he was saved. The other four chill
dren and the native woman may never
be seen till the Resurrection Day.
In the presence of this most terrible
calamity the losses OF the other be-
reaved parents appear light. Friends
are not wanting who love Mr. and
Mrs. Lee for their own sake and their
works sake, and their Masters sake;
and these are doing all that human
friendship can do to impart comfort.
But God is the real comforter, and
surely not often have a father and
mother stood in deeper need of the
prayers Of all who have access to the
Throne of Mercy.
Mr.. Lees children were dear and
precious family, generous, kind and
helpful. One by one they had given
their hearts to God, and, as it seems
now by gracious Providence their
recent letters to their parents in Cal
cutta were inspired by growing ex-
perience of their Heavenly Fathers
faithfulness.
The loss of native life has been
very great not only in Darjeeling but
on the tea estates which cover the
lower hills for miles all around. A
very well known village of 200 inhab-
itants situated some distance below
the house occupied by the Lee chill
dren, has been overwhelmed. Besides
the ten children mentioned the only
Europeans reported lost are three gen.
tlemen who were upset in boat cross
ing a stream. But the station of Oar
feeling is wreck; houses, gardens
and whole hillsides gone in all direc
tions the roads are impossible, the
waterpipes and gas pipes torn out of
the earth and broken and the tele-
graph destroyed. The mountain rail-
way, too, is preached in many places
so that people cannot leave Darjeeling
nor their friends in Calcutta go up to
them. The mails are being sent by
foot runners by way tfty miles
round about. News comes TO CaIcut-
ia slowly and irregularly, and the rel
atives of the children at school are in
. state Of distraction. A telegram
just received says that, according to
what Wilbur Lee said, when the six
children found that escape was i'm
possible, they were gathered together
to pray by the eldest girl and were on
their knees when the house was swept
down the declivity. Another large
girls school the Diocesan was com
pletely wrecked but the children were
all rescued without loss of life.
The funeral of the five children took
place on Tuesday morning, and was a
very impressive scene. The highest
government officers at Darjeeling were
present, and the procession was mile
long. Every exertion is being made
to attend to the hundreds Of wound
al nQfivoe