The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-08-05
FAMINE CAUSES
QUEER DISEASE
Russian Peasants Have Peculiar
Ailment Of Eye.
RESULT OF THE FAMINE
DREADFUL CONDITIONS IN
SOUTHERN RUSSIA PROVINCE.

CCc-respondeace of the Associated Press.J
St. Petersburg, July ga traveller
chanCing into the distritc Of Elizabeth
grad, province Of Kherson, south Rus
ssa would find men and women who,
endowed with serviceable visual pow
ers as long s the sun is visible, become
totally blind the moment the twilight
sets in, and MUS be led home. This
is one of the Queerest diseases known
to medical science and Is one or the
camp followers OF the famine which is
not officially admitted to exist il this
district
In correspondence from here mention
has been made from time to time Of
the drOuth which visited many, though
not large, districts of Russia last year.
and of the efforts made by the govern
ment TO alleviate the suffering arising
from It, The minister Of the interior
repeatedly declared the famine had
been conquered. food had been distrib-
uted and seed corn provided.
The necessity for private OenevOlence
was reluctantly admitted at one time
iu the winter, but later the existence of
severe want was denied Newspapers
here received during the last few
months contain occasional letters depict
iug the situation 81 anything else than
the rosy coIcrs which the government
organs used.
Newspapers Silenced.
The government answered by a letter
TecaPilulating what had been done, and
repeating former assertions that all
was wei az could be expected, and then
the newspapers received a secret circu-
lar. fOrbidding further mention Of the
subject. The existence of famine was
an announcement fact at a time when
negotiations were pending for foreign
loans. Access to the famine districts
was made difficult for nOn-resideuts Of
them. and the charity workers who
were not directly under the control of
the state were sent to their homes and
the agencies they had created were
placed under the Red Cross These
measures did not still the natural Gu
TiOs-ty 10 ascertain the truth about the
matter. and certain people with IN
huence which could not be ignored sent
E. trustworthy young man TO Elizabeth
grad to investigate. He has just re
turned. Without going into details, ne
reports the following facts:
The city ard district of Elizabeth
grad. with a population OF 100000, are
suffering now from famine and dis
ease incident upon famine The in
vestigator found:
Il. General restitution.
''2. Many cases of acute restitution
80. Some people dying of starvation
a. Spotted OF r ger typhus' prev
alent
hunger y J4luS hGA - al UAAAcAAAl-As'
indication that poverty has sharpened
into want.
Conditions Are Wretched.
Whole families are attempting to
exist on ratiOns allowed a child. The
government rule is to omit persons not
actually sick with disease who can be
labeled as able-bodied working people.
There is little or no work to be found,
consequently raUiOns cannot be had IN
til thcy are no longer of such benefit.
The government gave minimum guam
tites in the first place, and delivered
supplies of seed corn and fOOdstuffs to
the nearest railway stations. The
pes SAINTS, having already been forced
TO sell their horses, were unable to Sc
cure the supplies so furnished in m any
cases without giving large part to
dTaEmen.
The investigator was told that those
Conversant with local resources and
not in the confidence OF the governor
were utterly unable to see how the
soul and bodies of the majority of the
population were to be held together
until the new crops should be harvest
ed and available