15,000 DEAD IN INDIA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 138, 10 June 1905, Page 13

15,000 DEAD IN INDIA.

URGENT NEED FOR RELIEF. j ' A telegram from Lahore reports that the I I Lietfteoa nt-C orernor of the Punjah. speak-i : ing at a meeting there on behalf of the i Kangra Earthquake Fund, stated that it) I was now hoped that the lives lost through ; ' the earthquake would not exceed 15,000. J including those in Dharmsuia and Kangra: j but within the seriously affected area. ■ j comprising 700 square miles, with a popu- j j lation of 230,000. nearly every building had j ; collapsed or been rendered uninhabitable, j j There was, therefore, orient- need for j generous relief measures. a rougr esti- I j mate af the money required was 500,000 ; i rupees, but if double that amount were ■ ! raised by private subscription it could be most advantageously utilised. He hoped [ that at least thp smaller sum would be I realised. At present the subscriptions reached about 21>0,000 rupees. OFFICAL TELEGRAM. The Secretary for India has received the [ . following telegram from the Viceroy, dat- ! led April 22:—"Following telegram received from Commissioner of Jullundur. Shahpur, dated April 20:---••TaUsUdar, Knln. wires April lS:-Shops already opened. SuppUes adequate. Needy being provided by subscription. ' Government money will be used where con- ' tributes are exhausted. Alfc people want : free wood; the ->..r>r pecuniary relief as ■ well, while middle-i-tass want advances to erect their houses." Commissioner farther Reports. April 20. medical assistance continues to be administered iv area seriously affected by earthquake, both from stationary and by itinerating hospitals. There is a pood deal of prejudice to be overcome, and people ' of Kangra Valley dislike leaving their houses and shelters to go to hospital. Notwithstanding this, a large amount of =o«>d medical and surgical work is being dons both by public and private hospitals. Cha- ! rirable distribution of food is made in various places, and. among other* l>y Cuandri Malha Singh, of Indaura and Eajput Jadvidar, of Nurpur Tahsil PERSONAL EXrEBIEXCE. One who sent through the terribl" exppriencp ..f the recent earthquake in India, writing from Jlulran. Punjab to a', friend in England, says:—"l have ju*i returned from two days at Lahore. At six ;t.m. on the -tth I was awakened by rho rattle of doors and windows. On i getting up to open the door for a servant as I thougbr. I found myself thrown on the floor, and an almirah ichest of drawers) fell near mc. I got up and rushed to the door leading into the compound, btit found it locked on the outside. I pulled open the window and jumped out. The house swayed horribly with the earthquake. I feared it wonld fall. Crash after crash resounded from the city— from falling minarets at the mosques. Many i lives have been lost. Rumour says the town hall in the upper bazaar is in ruins and many houses down." Earthquakes were no novelty to the writ- i <?r. for in ISSS he and his friend were ! two of a party of 20 ] a ds who slept iv j an old hocse in Murree, a Himalayan sana- ; toriiim, and once a fortnight for two months they w<--re rudely awakened, and > sometimes upset, bed and all. On the j first occasion or two there vras somewhat j of a pauic. Those sleeping downstairs i rushed upstairs, those on the upper floors j tried to get down, with the result that j half-way there was a pretty mix-ap. They j soon got used to it, though it nm?t liave i been a little disconcerting to see the walk ! open an inch or so and then close again. [ Peculiarly enough, all taeaie «onFuMf>a* I