THE MANCHURIAN PLAGUE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 251, 2 March 1911, Page 7

THE MANCHURIAN PLAGUE

DEAD BODIES LYING EVERYWHERE. Eastern papers to hand contain accounts which show what horrible results have followed in the trail of the plague in Manchuria. They confirm the report that 150 deaths took place daily in January among the Chinese at Harbin alone. Some of the incidents described show clearly, how the ignorance and lethargy of the people are a direct cause of the fearful march of the epidemic, A party of 12 Russians had occasion to go through a portion of Puchatien, a Chinese town, which journey they accomplished on horse-back. In the first street they were, horrified to see seven dead bodies lying on the ground, surrounded by a gaping crowd of 30 or 40 Chinese. A few steps further on they passed four dead bodies in the open drains on either side of the road. The party had not proceeded far beyond this when they were confronted by another terrible spectacle, a Chinese vendor of nuts expiring 'befbfC their' fcyes. " Further''dn' a dead Chinese was lawlessly out pf a shop and left' on the public road. A Chinese policeman, asked why he did not take steps to remove the body, said it was not his business. Arriving at the bank of the Sungari, the party found themselves face to face with a revolting scene. Three dead bodies lay on the shore, two entirely naked anil the others only half clothed, | and the bodies were left open to the atj tack of the dogs and crows. On the way to the steamer which they intended to board the party encountered no fewer than 411 bodies in hastily-dug holes or in open drains. A Chinese engineer on the vessel told them that from 100 to 200 persons were dying in the city every day, i and that these comprised not oniy the ! poor, but also merchants and officials, j The party, which had not anticipated passing through such dangerous spots, offered to submit to disinfecting process, but the Chinese officers said it was not I necessary. The members of the City , Council speedily paid a visit to the Chinese quarters to verify the report that dead bodies were thrown into the Sungari. On landing from the boat near the Chinese Customhouse they saw open graves with limits protruding from them. There were no indications that disinfecting operations had been carried out on the graves. The worst scenes were on a small island opposite Drizin Mill, where a number of roughly-dug graves had been torn open by dogs. The Chinese informed the visitors that a. number of bodies had already been carried away by the river. On the mainland the bodies' were being removed from the houses and earI ried along the streets in carts without . any attempt being made to prevent contagion, and the streets were as thronged as usual.