The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-03-30
EARNEST APPEAL TO CHARITY
Suffering Caused by the Yellow River
Floods in China APPALLING 2,OOO,-
600 Chinese Starving.

WASHINGTON, March 25.-Citizcns OF
the United States residing in Che Foo,
China. have made an earnest apoeal.
through Consul Fowler, at Che Foo. TO
the charitable in America and else
where on behalf Of the sufferers from
the appalling Yellow river floods OF
this year These floods have been de-
described by the natives as
"Chlnas SORROW" and the peti-
TONERS state that never before was
the distress so great and hearth ending
as now. The most conservative esti.
mates place the number of starving at
100000, and time and the increasing
cold weather will undoubtedly greatly
augment the distress. The petitioners
say they are daily. almost hourly. in
receipt of reports from their
countrymen in the interior de-
picting the condition of the
famine refugees, hundreds of VILLAGES
are submerged, cities surrounded by
water; homes, furniture, clothing-in
TACT, everything is under water or de-
stroyed; the natives themselves are
living in straw huts; many have abso-
lutcly no shelter from the winters
cold and snow, subsisting on bark,
willow twigs. roots, etc. The sum- /
mer's crops have been failure. the
seed for 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, ''wc venture to call upon
he charitable in our home land to as
ist us in trying to alleviate at least
portion of this misery. Therefore we
hall be glad to receive contributions
# money and corn. We earnestly beg
he merchants and others on
he Pacific coast to contribute
steamer load Of corn: tho
atives of Shan Tunk. unlike those !
own south, subsist upon corn, and we
elieve that if the grain men of the
est Will ship to the United States con-
Il at Che Foo, direct from the Pacific
ope, steamer loaded with corn. il r
Ill be the means Of not only saving :,
'ousands OF lives. but of opening up a =
arket of from o.. 1000, 900 to so. 600. 600 =,
nsumers later on as under normal
ndltions American corn can easily =.
mpete with native and # this corn =,
sent, we guarantee that it will be
stributed under the direct and per- ,,
nal supervision of Americans now =.
siding in or near the submerged -
'trictS. We ask for money TO be
ut to the United States consul here.
tn which food, clothing and ~,
'ck can he bought for the sufferers
we guarantee a strict accounting
every dollar thus received. Shan :,
ng is ecu 'rlv interesting to Amer :,
n merchants as the best market for
:ir products N all China; to the mis-
naries because there are five denom- F
tions represented, comprising l1s
ITS, scattered all over this vast Tn
vince, and TO whom we look to as
us in distributing such
ef as we may receive. Prob
IN no other place in !
world and probably not in this 'he
GRAFTON has there been so much 4"
ering as is now being endured in ado
n Tang. The natives ar, doing al Wi
heir power; one firm in Che Foo S'cl
contributed the equivalent of S7O.- oe
n cash and 10000 bags Of corn. and kni
lasses are contributing. but let us maj
forget that there are 1000. 900 SYST
wing. the
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