New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-16
Polish Capital Crowded
and Oyertaxed by From
tier Fugitives.
THOUSANDS LEFT
WHOLLY DESTITUTE
Their Homes Pil1aged and Raced
by the Germans-Big Cities
Asked to Help.
BY II. ". ROBINSON.


Especial Correspondent OF The New York
Tribune and London Standsrd."l
Warsaw, Oct. 15.-Thousands of
fugitives crowd the city. They come
from all parts OF Poland, but princi-
pally from the frontier towns and viii
lagos which the Germans have been
ravaging for over six weeks.
1t rends ones heart to t:Ir of the
suiterngs OF these poor re fugees, who
are mostly Jews, but witt a consider
able sprinkling of PCles and Lithu-
anians. Every available hall and every
empty warehouse is filled with them.
They must have shelter and food, and
Warsaw has risen heroically to the
task of providing them with these ne
cessities. Yet how they suffer and
what struggle is theirs for bare ex-
istencel
Ny first visit was to the largest
hall in Warsaw, called the Swiss Val
ley, where the large PHILHARMONIC
concerts are usually held and which
in ordinary times is the gathering
place of society. II is now converted
into a refuge for 500 or 700 homeless
fugitives, who have left their all be-
hind them and fed in terror, frequent
~ on foot, for many miles, and carry
ing their possessions on their backs.
The majority are old men, women and
children. In the babel of voices are
frequently heard pitiful cries of poor
" fed children, shrieks of more lusty
ones and groans and wailings OF
mothers who still seem stunned and
stupefied by their frightful expert
ences.
Dinner was being served when | ar
rived. At several tables sat women,
many with babies in arms, and chill
dren, while men were being served IN
one of the large corridors. Standing
in endless rows, they took their turn
Mt the steaming pots. In the man
hall many fugitiyes were crouchlng on
the floor. some on mattresses, ana
piled about them were little mounds
of household effects that they had sue
ceeded in saving from their wrecked
and ruined homes. IL was truly a
picture Of direst misery, and IN the
faces of young and old one could read
calamity.
Kalisch is probably heap Of ruins,
these recent arrivals tell me- and Of the
usual population Of $4,000 barely 2,0OO
are left. German soldiers have aban-
doned the city, but are quartered three
or four miles away, in the village OF
Oputook. Kalisch is only a fortified
camp. visited daily, however, by Ger
man cavalry, who use 1t as recohnol
firing base. All gardens have been de-
stroved and trees cut up for barrlcades'
and even crosses from the cemetery
have been displaced and used IN tortil-
cation work.
Refugees tell dreadful stories of what
thew saw on their flight through TINS
unfortunate part of Poland. Every
where are burned and pillaged villages
/ towns destroyed and gardens that are
heaps of ashes and ruins,
One old man, formerly country
/ school teacher, saw three peasants
hanging from tree, with all the sighs
of having been frightfully tortured as
their arms and legs were broken III
several places. They evidently had peer
accused of espionage and summary
executed While telling me OF tnis
sight the old man fairly shooK Wit
the terror of Renaissance, ana WIG" "e
finished he was sobbing aloud.
How Warsaw is going to take care VI
these poor unfortunates Is SUN an un
solved problem. Already wave OF uh-
employment is spreading IN the cry
and it will be impossible TO fha "oLH
for this enormous increase III the
towns population. Some are being sent
~ tbe southern coal mines and others
s 90 u" being employed on fertilization
worts at Novo Georgieoak, but they, are
tbe nick of the lot. 1t is the old and IN
S ru the women and children, who must
he IT, provided for, and though contribu-
t;ons come i'm steadily, yet there Is NOT
half half enough relief for all, and appeal,
are are being made both to Petrograd and an;
Moscow. cities which still are practi-
caIly free from the horrors of war; for
sneedv HELM.