AN INDIAN DISASTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 420, 1 February 1909, Page 3

AN INDIAN DISASTER.

' In/telling the; story of, an'lndian poetess, fiarojanivNaidu.'.a-.Hyderabad 1ady,..;•,. the' '.falls'over .story, of- the terrible : flood that .'recently overwhelmed Hy-' Jetabad, and of; the heroism of many wonien iuriiigVthat dreadful: itimei'v.The:'facts are , worth- : rec6uiitirigy^J/ i "^;:; : :r:.>'; : :'/^;;;; i _>:V ■;■: };;-;, the 'head of the , Mohammedans. ill India j-'aiui'-from.-the days of; the East India -.Company's , ' ;Tule; in-India the-JNizams; of-Hyderabad have, been;the:firm : fnends;bf.:Englandi ;:■';'■ ."".;•': .. English 7 men' Vaiid: English -women played 'a gallanj; part'at Hyderabad City. : - An A.D.C. of/the'j.English-feside^t; life :to /eavev.historiQaljarid: political' papers while water. surrounded, the Residency ,' and people .ther^.had.^ ;British;/officers': j quartered- at 'Secunderabad. English women doctors and women nurses at the Victoria: Zenana Hospital ; refused.to ■leave-their; patients, and.with the help of the native attendants .carried their charges up .a-,narrow staircase; to the roof .of the: build-v .ingi'ahd;there-spent;'an awful night' : in■ com-' pleto. darkness; hearing the cries ■■■ and-groans of drowning persons and' the crash of the :debns!!;washecl-; against:.-.-the :walls -'■ of ■:-tap-\ii hospital ■.-■•< by ' .'the v flood. ■'•.■-, The water .had-v' riseh^within: ;two. feet ■■ of ' thei ■ : roof-;wjien : . he nurses and their patients were rescued and conveyed : 'to' , a'.-large mosque near .'the'.Mizam's city 'palace. ■?<■;-■'■■'■. '■. •'■■■ :■■■■ -.-■•■■ --. )■;' <■;Onevof ;'the first acts■ of the. Nizam's" Gov- : Irnment.-was.to , organise- a ladies , ' relief comtaitt'ee. I fMo'sf of: the '.'victims of the flood .'women; g'irjs, and little 'children. Many :.sieripand-.boys;:.escaped when they-,saw 'the :Watbr^-said'to-be,like a'wall; eight feet ; high ■rr«6Sing,;:but tho.inhabitants:pf;the:zenanas' could: not get away) "and many women were'killed befpre' they ; realised that 'tho' river on which; the city of Hyderabad is built had .oyerflbwed ]ts\banks ; owing;to,tanks bursting during a- liionsoon -'sjirm;. and water was com■ing;in an : 'eriormbus wave to destroy.a 'large part of;the. city; '.-., Among the people; rescued were .purdah' ladies, Svho had never seen the face: of any man f ;outside their, own .-family .circle... Oih er. purdah; ■ women had beon'. left. ■wjthout husbandy-.father, or near; male'.relation,' and. were helpless. Many purdah ladios went: to the' Hyderabad railway station,'where the'Englißh stationmaster; converted.tho.wait- . ing-room's: into 'temporary' zenanas.'.; Among those women no man-might go; So 'a ladios' committee wae.at once started, and its mom-' bers-Vvisited :th«' purclah ; ladies, -and reported .their.'caseG , .to. the:general-relief committecd. . : The ladies in Hyderabad are , very cul- . tivated. -lliey speak Persian, -and they study. Arabic. .Indian music;is heard.in.zenanas, and needlework is a favourite amusement. In Hyderabad it/js -the', ambition of' every work-ing-man :to hang,up curtains before tho windows arid doors of his honso, arid- thus make his.wife'and daughters "purdah' ladies.". To remain in the house unseen by the- p"hjic frour..:bifth -to death" is! a;.sign of gentility, aucl; a Mohammedan woman feels degraded if any-nian: outside Jier own'family sees, lior'for half ,a'minute. ! -.;: : ;',; - -■ ■. . : '-.'• : .''- .'•■ The capital',-pf Hyderabad is a rerj %ay place/Wealthy Mohammedans from aU parts : - of:. India congregate there,' and maMincont ■carriages ; ; ; mky 'be' .seen: in-.the .fashidiiablo parts of-the city;* '..:'. : ;H-: -y. .'■':';:■: - Biit at the present time the city of Hyderabad is in mourning.- The'flood, came on'thb first day bf a -great Mohammedan fasty and;Hyderabadis' have accepted the disaster as a Divine judgment. They are dry-eyed; eilent, eroken-boarted- : :'.'•.■;• '■■■■.'.':' ' ' :