Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-04-14

MAGNITUDE OF DISASTER
Between $4,000 and 1oo, 900 Persons
Killed-Cities and Towns AL
most Entirely Destroyed
Details Are Meager.
London, April S-Fifty thousand
lives lost in one district alone and
many thousands in other portions of the
Punjab is the awful result of the recent
earthquake in India. Towns have been
razed, ancient and historic buildings
made mass of wreckage, and popula-
ton of hundreds of thousands offer
up prayers against repetition of the
shocks. Amid all this horror men,
women and children are starving, and
unprotected from the weather huddle
on the bleak and desolate hillsides,
fearing death at any moment from an
other earth CONFUSION.
Only the most meager details have
been received here, but they are enough
to show that it Is almost impossible to
conceive of the magnitude of the disas-
ter. The whole Kangra valley in the
Jullinder section of the Punjab has been
devastated. The town of Kangra, in the
same district, thriving city with a
population Of $4,000, is reported wiped
out, scarcely soul escaping.
Disaster Almost Beyond Belief.
Fragmentary reports Of the dreadful
catastrophe have reached Lahore and
thence sent here. Piecing these reports
together 1t is impossible not to reach
the conclusion that the greatest disas-
ter of modern times, exceeding the hor-
ror of Mount Pelee's eruption, has be-
fallen India.
The first dispatches from India gave
no indication of the destruction
wrought and 1t was believed that a
slight shock had done some little dam
age in the hill country around Simla.
Next came word of damage at the hill
station Of Dharmsala, where white and
native troops are quartered. 1t now de-
velops that hundreds were buried alive
Whole Town Leveled
The whole town OF Palampur, contain
ing about 5000 inhabitants, has been
leyeled to the ground and not even q
hut is left standing. Palampur is Brit
tsh agency controlling IL native states
In the northeastern part of the province
Of Guzerat. The population is about
10000. 1t is the capital Of state Of
the same name, having about 225, 900
Inhabitants.
Officials Of the foreign Office are ex-
tremely reticent in regard to the scope
of the disaster, but it is doubtful if they
have other additional facts beyond
those conveyed in the press dispatches
Relief Steps T .ken.
News come from Simla, the summer
capital and where Viceroy and Lady
Curzon are now staying and which sus-
tanned some slight damage from the
earthquake, that the viceroy, aided by
Lady Curzon, has begun active steps to
relieve SO far as possible the destitu,
ton and suffering.
Communication by road and railway
Is practically cut off and the supplies at
Simla are all that can be had for some
time. These are inadequate, but are be-
ing distributed to the best possible ad-
vantage. Unless stores arrive from
Calcutta and other Indian centers the
death roll of the earthquake will be
augmented by thousands claimed by
famine, fever and cold.
Three Missionaries Killed.
A telegram received by the Churtu
Missionary society reports that three Of
the society's representatives at Kanray
Rev. H. F. Rowland, Mrs. Daueble and
Miss Lorbeer-were killed by the fall
of the mission house during the recent
earthquake. All the other missionaries
an Punjab are believed to be safe. Miss
Lorbeer was member of the Berlin La
dies Missionary society and was lent
to the church missionary society for
work in India.
Four Hundred aurkhas Killed.
Calcutta, April Sit now appears
that 400 Of the Seventh Gurkhas were
killed at the Dharasala cantonment by
the collapse Of stone barrack building
IN consequences Of the recent earthquake.
IN addition, 20 members of the First
battalion and 80 members of the Sec
ond battalion Of the First Gurkhas were
KILLED, while 1t Is roughly calculated
that from 20 to 30 per cent of the native
population of the surrounding villages
were killed. In addition to the Euro
peans already reported killed at Dhar-
Alasa, seven children of Europeans are
said to have persisted.
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