Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-01
CROP FAILURES.
lII.-Great Famines OF
History.
By Frederic ! Haskin.

The record Of terrible seasons Of hunger
begins early in the worlds history, ano
the terrific toll famine has taken OF
human life can only be approx1mated.
Some famines were due to droughts. some
to d. oges, a few to war and some 10
isolation. Many Of them could never
occur under present methods OF COM
munication and transportation. and 1t
seems certain that the widespread dis
tress and the great death lists OF the
past can never recur. No land was
exempt from them In the nrst nifty cen
turtles Of human history,
The nineteenth century, especially the
nrst eight decades Of 1t. probably showed
a greater death list from famines than
any other two centuries together. 1t was
during this century that the Irish potato
famines started the tides Of Irish imma-
grafton toward American shores. and
demonstrated that truly 1t is an Ill wind
that blows no good And IL was also
during this century that India and China
had the worst visitations In all their
history.
The Bible frequently speaks OF fanines
in Palestine and its neighboring countries
and the seven lean years of biblical
Egyptian history are said 70 have begun
In 17OS B. C. There is evidence pointing
to the fact that this period OF starvation
extended also over the whole Of Palestine
From that time to the end OF the
nineteenth century there were nearly 100
famines extensive enough to be listed In
the literature Of hungry people.
Rome, early in its history, felt the
pangs Of hunger. In 436 B. c.. there was
a famine so sore in the Eternal city that
thousands threw themselves into the
Tiber to escape the pangs Of starvation:
In 1872 A. D. Ireland was the scene of
so great famine that lands ana houses,
territories and tribes. were empueo.
Thousands left their native Erin. and
this Is said to be the first time In his
tory where q great wave OF emigration
was forced upon a people by crop fall
ures. A century later England suffered
the same sort of q visitation, and the
people are said to have become so Tam
ished that they gnaWed the PARK TON
trees like rabbits. Within generation
another famine overlook England. and it
is said 10000 people starved.
i \
In 331 A. D., Antioch was visited by a
famine so serious that a bushel Of wheat
brought 500
Parents in Italy pieces OF silver.
Ate Their Children. later Itsly was
the scene Of a scarcity Of food 30 great
than many parents ate their children. In
the years Immediately preceding 100 Eng
land and ireland suffered Q fate as ter
rible an that Of Italy. and Scotland ana
Ireland. In turn, suffered like tate.
while at another time the ground OF
Wales was covered with dead bodies OF
men and beasts" starved TO death.
The seven years Of the lean kline of
rryutian history told about In the bibii-
cal story OF Joseph. find counterpart
in the famine of Egypt In 1854 A. ~.
seven Years to put in it's annual appear
ance. Two provinces were entirely de-
populated, aid half OF the people or sew
eral other provinces were carried away
by death or emigration. Bread went SO
high that only the very rich could anord
Il. The poor resorted TO cannibahsm after
the supply OF rats and other verrnin was
exhausted. People on the streets Were
kidnapped by mem dropping down nuse
fish hooks attached 20 IopsS t III "hir
dows. and catching them unoer the chih
or by the clothing.S
In 1859 England was the victim OF a
drought In which no rain tell trom WHIT
suntide to autumn, ana the puGe "a
foodstuffs rose to unpreeedsneea a, ne's was
again stricken. this time as 9 result Of
cold north winds In the growing season
Many thousands starved. ana nIty snip,
loads OF foodstuffs were procured from
Germany. Citizens Of London were pro-
fibited from dealing In this food. IN order
to prevent any one from taking aoxantage
Of the extrenaities of the people. In spite
Of the legislative efforts that were made
to hold down the price Of food, wheat
sold for more than - busnei as long as
there was any to sell, and In the end
some 10000 people starved to death In
London alone
One Of the longest famfnes IN the MS.
of the thirteenth century. when. for
twenty years together. there was an UNI
broken chain OF crop failures. OF prices |
that were all but prohibitve to the poor,
and of hunger throughout the length and |,
breadth Of England. Parliament at the
end OF this lean era. passed q law regu-
latipg prices, and . royal proclamation