The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-13
BURIED BY AN AVALANCHE.
Pittful story of the Fate of Six Chill |
dren of AN American Missionary
in India.
From the Cleveland (o0 Leader.

DWJSSAlhS' ihuld, occurred sept 20, after
heavy rainfalls. Much property and many
lives were lost. Six children of the Rev.
Mr., and Mrs. d. H. Lee were killed in
the catastrophe. The Rev Mr. Lee is
missionary of the Methodist Church in In
dia. During the convention of the Foreign
Missionary Society of the church in this
city last fan meager reports of the losses
in India were telegraphed to the society
by the Key. Mr.. Lee. He also told of the
death of his six children. The ladies' i'm
medlately telesraphed money for the re-
lief of the natives, who had suffered much
by the landslide
The Rev. l.. II. Stewart, the pastor of
the Broadway Methodist Episcopal Church
has Just received the details of the land
siide in magazine published in India,
called the Empress. The Rev. Mr.. Stew
art is a personal friend of the Rev. Mr..
Lee, who Is we'll acquainted throughout
OHIO. The following is the story OF the
disaster, as told by the Empress:
The exceptionally heavy rainfall at
Darjeeling, which commenced shortly be.
fore p. m. Sept. %, and ended about q.
m. on Sept. 25 was responsible for The
disastrous landslides, the first Geographic
news of which threw Calcutta into a great
state of excitement, 80 many Of the resi-
dents having some one near and dear 10
them staying there. Considerable damage
was done to bungalows by the torrents
OF water that swept down the hillsides,
more particularly on the eastern slopes of
Observatory Hill. Al this part large
portion of the hill came down en- masse,
carrying No. Mail villas with it. 1t may
truthfully be said that not a trace of the
house can be seen. Other houses are dam
aged, some TO the extent OF beyond hope
of saving.
with No. Mall Villas disappeared
four of the Rev. Mr. Lees children, lying
entombed with the debris of the house on
the hillside or swept away in the lavalike
torrent of mud and water that rushed
down TO meet thousands of feet below the
torrent of water at the end of the Rung
mo valley. The two remaining children
staying there were found. David Wilbur,
fifteen years old, was alive, and lived long
enough to tell his father the particulars
of the awful catastrophe.
THE loss of native life was more Sc
we're. The official count shows siXty-one
killed, of whom five are still missing.
This number applies to Darjeering town
only. In different districts 300 lives have
been lost, and only a few bodies have
been recovered. Twenty-Five inches of
rain fell. The railway line between Oar
feeling and Ghoom has almost disappear
ed. Vast gaps are now seen where the
line used to be- just few yards of track
remaining here and there
The Mothers Letter.
The following letter was written to the
Empress a short time after the accident
by Mrs. Lee:
You will have learned ere this of the
landslip in Darjeeing, and how buried by
it is all the earthly light and joy of our
home Our six children four girls and
lfxsip in fatI
story stone building on the mountain side
just near our Methodist school. where
they ATTENDED as day scholars. We were
buying property here i'm Calcutta and al
tering the house to suit our work. Vida.
our oldest daughter, aged II years, was
taking care of her brothers and sisters
in the beautiful station until we should
become settled.
ION Sunday night, Sept. 25 the house
and all our darlings We're buried beneath
the mountain, and we would never have
known the story of their triumph had
not our boy, Wilbur, been miraculously
spared to us.
He had been thrown a hundred feet
down the mountain side, and knew poth-
ing until toward morning. when he came
to himself, and in the awful darkness saw
a light in a house not far away. He tried
10 reach it. but sank back fanting. In
the morning some kind friends discovered
him, and after much difficulty reached
and rescued him. Everything possible
was done to warm and save him. After
a two days terrible journey of walking
riding and climbing, we reached him in
time to clasp him again in our arms, TO
hear him say: My precious mamma. l
am so glad you have come He then
told us a bout that night.
The Landslide.
There had been a terrible storm and
downpour of rain. lasting two days. They
spent Sunday ndoors-a few slips taking
place during the day. About 10 O'Clock in
the night the storm increased and the
earth and great boulders began to roll
down the hin and the children felt that
they were not safe. They tried TO escape.
but found the road destroyed and the way
cut off on both sides, water rushing down
the moun4ain side like the Ohio river, as
Wilbur described it.
vida led the children out, but was met
with falling earth and stone and insur-
mountable heaps of debris. In the pitch
darkness and pouring rain and the sound
of the cyclone she felt as If she could not
keep the children together. i cannot let
you get separa ted she said. l promised
papa that l would take care Of Esther. So
we will go back 10 the house, and If COD
wishes TO save US, He can save US together;
made a fire in an upper room, where they
dried their clothing, and prayed, asking
God to deliver them If 1t was His will,
and if not, to prepare them for whatever
might come
while they were praying the corner of
he room gave way and they felt the
house was going. Vida stood up and said:
Children. the house is going to fall and
we all will be soon in heaven. Wilbur
said 10 us: oh, mamma, if you could have
only seen Vida's face, how II shone. ana
how beautiful 1t looked as she was speak
ing 10 us! All fear was taken away and
we felt as if we were all on the train
coming into Calcutta to you. We all SAID,
Now, if papa, mamma, and baby Frank
were here 10 go with US to heaven how
nice il would be" Vida took them to a
room in the other end of the house, and
again they knelt in prayer, our little Ben
gall girl with the rest.
While praying there came a dreadful
crash NJ a..aAssaxsxuAs,.,xe - w IN '.he
lamp In his hand, just in time TO sGG~ 1'1-~-'
wall fall in. The last words he heard
were those OF the little Bengal girl on,
mercfu God. take us now lie knew
nothing more until he came TO IN the dark
ness. Our hope is that the others knew