The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1900-07-07
GREAT FAhiNES OF sNDlA.

-s! VESLAt EAMtNL0 W 6NDsAs -
Statistics. from Indian government
reports give an idea of the tremendous
loss of life that has taken place from
starvation since the date when Great
Britain established her rule in India,
and of the enormous sums of money
expended in relief works without, as
yet, providing any safeguard against
the recurring calamity.
In the year 1770 Bengal was visited by
a famine. The crop of 1863 being to-
tai failure. It is computed that within
nine months out of a population of 30
100000, one third, or 10000, 600, perished
from starvation and disease. In order
to obtain food, parents sold their chill
dren into slavery until no buyers could
be found. For time thousands sub
sisted upon leaves of trees and grass
until even that source of nourishment
failing the living actually fed upon the
bodies of the dead. Aslf fate was de-
termined to revel in Irony, it is re.
corded that while the rainy season of
ITO brought an abundant harvest, in
the meantime millions Of starving
wretches crawled despairingly from
one deserted village to another in a
vain search for food, dying in multi
tudes through inability to live through
the few weeks that separated them
from their harvest.
The effect of this famine was felt for
two generations. The children and
young people having almost all sue.
cumbed, there was no rising generation
to till the field. So jungles grew up
where there had once been fourishing
farms and villages, and tigers and ele-
plants. multiplied to such an extent
that the population lay at the mercy of
the beasts.
In 1887 the northwest provinces were
ravished by a famine. OF which 1t is
recorded that In two cities the inhabi-
tants died at the rate of 1900 a day, and
in the rural districts human beings
pCA4Su0u Wy GL2o fLId&cSs
By the three great famines of 1860,
1866 ane 1869 in the northwest prov
inces, Orissa and Rajputana. 100000
of people ara said to have been swept
away; in that of 1866 the famished
wretches again resorted to cannibal-
ism.
Bengal was again visited by famine
in 1873, when 100000 people received
daily relief at a cost to the Govern.
ment of $32, 500 900, and to private char
lty of 100000. On this occasion the
previous opening up of the country by
roads and railways, as we'll as the re-
lief efforts, was successful in holding
the grim scourge at bay, so that few
actually perished.
From 1876 to 1878 the provinces of
Bombay, Madras and Mysore were
swept by famine and pestiIence that
almost equaled the disaster of CEN
tury before. At u cost ito the Govern
ment Of S35. .oO0, 600, 100000 people were
temporarily relieved, but that this suf-
ticad little is demonstrated by the fact
that In one district of 2. 1890 people,
$4,000 are supposed to have persisted.
From the subsequent epidemic of
cholera, the deaths were returned at
357 900 for Madras, 5000 for Mysore
and $1,000 for Bombay. In all, during
this period. tie famine commissioners
reported that in the provinces under
British administration, out of popu.
lation of 10000. .000, 525OOO0 deaths took
place in excess of what might have
been looked for during the same period
in ordinary seasons. f.
In the year 1897 famine once more
raised its head in the northwest prov
inces. threatening population of 80.
100000. By October. 1897, the total cost
of relief had reached $4,000, 600; but yet
many hundreds of thousands perished.
The disaster was quickly followed by
the plague. which had q death roll In
the province of Bombay of 100000. to