The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-03-29
CHINA'S SORROW.
Millions starve Because of Texi-
BILE Floods.
cities and Towns are submerged BY
the ResIstless Torrent OF the Yel-
low River and Entire Pro-
Vinces are Ruined.

Washington, March 25.-Citizens OF
the United States residing in Chsfoo,
China, have made an earnest appeal
through Consul Fowler at Chefoo to
the charitable in America and else
where on behalf of the sufferers from
the appalling Yellow river food OF this
year. The flood has been described
by the natives as "China's sorrow"
and the petitioners state that never
before was the distress so great and
heart-rending as now. The most con-
seryative estimates place the number
of starvation at 100000 and time and
increasing cold weather will undoubt-
edly greatly augment the distress.
The petitioners say they are daily,
almost hourly, in receipt OF reports
from their countrymen in the interior
depicting the condition of the famine
refugees; hundreds of villages are sub
merged, cities surrounded by water,
homes, furniture, clothing, in fact
everything is under water or destroyed
The natives themselves are living in
straw huts. Many have absolutely no
shelter from the winters cold and
snow, subsisting on bark, willow twigs,
roots, etc. The summers crops have
been a failure, the seed for the next
springs sowing is gone and there is
nothing for these starving millions to
hope for in the future.
"With our knowledge of the terrible
want prevailing" says the American
committee, 1--WE venture to call upon
the charitable in our home land to as
sist us in trying to alleviate at least a
portion of this misery. Therefore we
shall be glad to receive contributions
of money and corn. We earnestly beg
the merchants and others on the Pa
cific coast to contribute steamer load
of corn. The natives of Shantung,
unlike those down south. subsist upon
corn, and we believe if the grain men
of the west will ship to the United
States consul at Chefoo, it will be the
means of not only saving thousands OF
lives, but of opening a market of from
25,OOO,OOO to 30,0000,000 consumers later
on, as under normal conditions Ameri-
can corn can easily compete with native
and if this corn can be sent, we guaran-
tee that it will be distributed under the
direct personal supervision of Ameri-
cans now residing in or near the sub
merged district.
"We ask for money to be sent to the
United States consul here, with which
food, clothing and stock can be bought
for the sufferers and we guarantee a
strict accounting for every dollar thus
received. Shantung is peculiarly in.
teresting TO American merchants, as
the best market for their products in
all China; to the missionaries because
there are five denominations represent
ed, comprising lis adults, scattered al
over this vast province, and to whom
we look to assist us in distributing
such relief as we may receive. Pro
baby in no other place in the world
and probably not in this generation
has there been so much suffering al
is now being endured in Shantung. Tn,
natives are doing an in their power
one firm in Chefoo has contributed tn,
equivalent of $4,000 in cash and 10,0Ol
bags of corn and all classes are con
tributing, but let us not forget tina
there are 100000 starving"