The Portland daily press., 1899-12-26
THOUSANDS STARVING.
Terrible Condition of
Affairs in Porto Rico.
Island Hasn't Recovered frOm-EfleetS
Of Tornado.
100000 Must Be Fed
or Strave:
Two Thousand Tons OF Food
Supplies Required.

Washington, December 20 The wal
department made public today a state
ment showing the progress made In relie
work in the island of Porto Rico between
septem ber 20 and November 80. 1880. Ihe
population Of the island Is estimated ri
yI8,f25 The average daily INDECENT was
2s1, ,Os7 persons, average weskiy sick H.
s72 and the average weekly deaths. SO
persons.
The annual death rate WAS 35 pc: 1000
inhabitants while the normal rate 0f
deaths was 25, psr 1900 inhabitants. The
increased mortality was confined to tns
mountainous districts where In some To-
calities the death rate increased three
hundred per cant. The amount Of cash
rsc.ived for the rslisf Of the suffering pso
pie up to November 90 was $40. .2I4. The
amount of money disbursed up 10 the
date mentioned was S7il1.
Up TO Novemb Der 10, the total amount oi
food received to rslieve the sun fsrers waf
l7,162. 7SS pounds. or this ID, ,e4e, BIT
pounds had teen issued up Go November
30 ATE amountof un-issued food on hand
at San Juan, November 20, was 6l4, Az
pounds.
IL WAS hOiDb NbSks Ouc hdttiShhS
teiore the me n tai and ply steal energies
the stricken people began to rally from
the shock of the disaster. They were
without ready money and were brought
face to face with starvation.
While the damage inflicted upon the
people along tie coast Of the island was
very great, it wss in part offset by the
improvement in the sugar cane crop,
which improvement was produced by the
overflow of water OH the oane lands. Ihe
prospect of good crop enabled the plant
ers TO borrow money with which to en-
ploy the necessary labor for the crop.
The cities along the coast were also able
to come to the rescue by the employment
of laror to repair the damage inflicted by
the g orn.
The coffee plantations are located In the
uplands. Here the high winds swept
every thing In their courss, leaving lissie
or nothing for the thousands Of hungry,
hon eless, olothesless human beings, bur
their lives and whaJ could be given thsm
20 prevent starvation. The prompt action
of the American people and Of the psopls
of the Islands was ell that prevented
serribls catastrophe. Although large
mart Of tbs island IL no longer Iecelvtng z
relief, the number Of indigsnts requiring
assistance rem8ins the same. 1t is be-
lieyed that until february next the de-
mand for assistance is likely to increase
in the mountain distric.s, as the plan
tations and bananas will net be ripe fer
two months to come.
The worst area contains a population
Of about 25o, ,00) and not q wagon road is
to be found In any direction over which
food can be transported. All food Is car
ried on the backs Of horses. or this pop
ulation 200 900 people must be fed or they
will s'arve. II not fsd at homo they will
migrate to the cities, leaving the weak
to die. Their work will be left ndone
and their future will be Hopeless.
Psstilencs which frequently follows
flood aud famine has appeared among the
unfortunate inhabitants In the mountain
districts and number of people have
perished. 1t is feared that the epidemic
will 81 read to the coast should there be a
general movement OF the mountain peo-
ple In that direction. Movement OF this
Kind has already been antioil ated and 10
being successfully controlled. But the
relief must be continued freely in tbs
mountain districts for all of December
and during the greater part Of January.
1t Is estimated that not less than 80 D
additional tons of food will be required
In dealing with the indiRents, able
bodied men have been required TO work
for the food they received aud "a great
deal of public work has been done in the
way of cleaning towns, repairing roads,
etc., etc.
A plan has been devised bstween the
DOtsfu OIL CnAritieS anu Una uSo1y PLANTERS
and their servants by which the board
furnishes food to the plantars for the
number Of servants in their families. In
return for this aid the planters sign sn
agresment to furnish a small parcel Of
hand and a hut to each family which land
they are to see prepared and seeded with
food plants. 1hs planters are also to see
that the lsbogers and their families are
supplied with the food issued and that tbs
lab1rer performs u full DAYS work in r.
turn. Tie planters further aRree to far
nIsh tran nstlnrs n ion OF LhA fAnI-