The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-11-27
PIIIAbLE SCENES
IN TURKISH CHOLERA CAMP NEAR
SAN STEfAKO
MISERY And SUFFERING
Rampant Among Dying Turk Soldiers
Who Are Terribly Neslected-At
One Place Scores Huddle on Ma.
nure Pile for Warmth, Some Of
Them Being Dead

Scenes of suffering and misery are
to he witnessed daily at the Turkish
cholera camp at San Stefano. A cor
respol lent Of the Associated Press
paid visit there Thursday.
Much skepticism had prevailed In
Pera, the foreign quarter Of Constan-
stinople, both among members Of hte
diplomatic corps and foreign resi-
dents. No one there believed the
figures given by railroad employees
and others in contact with the Turks,
who declared that many thousands
were stricken with cholera.
The camp is situated at the side OF
a railway embankment 80 feet In
height. A large open space like vii
lage green stretches away for some
distance. This is surrounded by bet
ter class houses two or three stories
high, built in European style, for San
Stefano is the summer resort Of the
wealthy resident Of Constanstinople.
Two Ottoman soldiers were stand
ing on guard to the entrance to the
camp but they made no motion. Their
duty was to prevent those within the
Gordon from escaping and not to hin
der other people from entering.
A nauseating picture was witness
ed at the side Of the railroad. Bodies
which had been thrown from trains
lay as they had fallen. Some stuck on
top of the embankment, but others
had rolled part of the way down.
Around a one-story stable at the
foot of tne embankment was group
of 60 dead and dying, lying close, to-
gether apparently for warmth on the
slopes of a manure pile, which the
sick men had found softer than the
hard ground. One man On top OF the
pile was digging with his fingers a
sort of trough in which to lie. The
trough soon became his grave.
AS visitors came near the sick men
raised their heads and cried in the
hearing Of the attendants that they
were given no bread or water. Walk
ing half way across the field the visi-
tors passed dead and dying men,
some times at intervals Of yard
sometimes from 20 to 80 yards apart.
A group Of tents stood in the cen
ter where four or FIVE Turkish SOL
diers wearing the arm piece OF the
Red Crescent stood on guard. Inside
the sick and dead lay IN groups. The
doctor on duty counted q patients in
one tent while double that number
lay just outside sheltered from the
wind just leaward of the canvas.
Some of the stricken found dlfd-
Guilty in getting into the Moslem posi-
ton for prayer, looking toward the
east. One praying victim was so
weak that he could not replace his
blanket around his head when the
wind blew it of.
The Red Crescent attendants made
no attempt to assist any Of these SUI
fering soldiers, not even placing
stones, which were plentiful, under
their heads to permit them to lie cas-
ier.
number Of these attendants gath
cred around to watch while the vl5l-
tors were inspecting the camp. One
of them became insolent and was Or
dered off by the doctor.
A water tank drawn by donkey
passed along the road. Those OF the
victims VINO were able to rise to their
feet went unassisted toward It and
struggled feebly for a drink. Those
unable to rise got none.
In a similar way what appeared
to be army bread was distributed to
those able to reach the place OF dis
tribution. Several of the sick men
raised themselves with difficulty and
stumbled toward a we'll, from which
they tried to dip water with tnelr
long sashes.
There were hundreds Of dead and
thousands of sick in this camp many
living On the open ground and great
numbers supporting their backs up
against the houses bordering the open
fields, most Of which were deserted.
The comparatively few Turkish
soldiers brought to the hospitals
! barracks and mosques at Constanstl-
NOBLE are more fortunate, although
most of them die after reaching their
destination. Some few OF them are
given beds to lie in and water to
drink and all OF them, If they do not
get warmth, are provided with shel
ter from the rains and the wind.
San Steafno Is not the worst chol-
era camp. That at Hademkeui near
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