The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-08-16 00:00:00

THE GREAT FIRE AT SERAJEVO.

The terrible fire which raged at Serajevo throughout
Friday night in last week, destroyed 288 houses, 358
shops, 48 warehouses, several mosques, the Roman
Catholic church, and the Prussian consulate. It is
estimated that 20,000 persons have been rendered
homeless by this calamity. They are encamped in
the squares and gardens of the town. A Relief Com-
mittee has been organised to supply them with food
and shelter and to collect subscriptions on their behalf.
The Emperor of Austria has subscribed 10,000 florins.
It was not until eight o'clock on Saturday morning
that by the unremitting exertions of the military under
the Duke of Wurtemberg the further spread of the
conflagration was checked. Three of the soldiers
were killed. The fire it is said, was caused by some
excise officers sealing casks in a spirit warehouse.

The further details to hand respecting the conflagra-
tion in Serajevo (says a Times telegram from Vienna),
state that 760 houses, not counting outhouses have
been destroyed. More than 15,000 persons are with-
out a roof, among them the richest Servian and
Jewish inhabitants of the town. The entire trade of
the city is ruined. The loss is estimated at about 20
million florins. Four mosques serving as military
stores have been burnt down. The Austro-Hungarian
Minister of Foreign Affairs, as soon as he heard of
the disaster, instructed the chiefs of the Austrian and
Hungarian Cabinets to set on foot public subscriptions
for the help of the unfortunate inhabitants of the
Bosnian capital. The Governor• General, the Duke of
Wurtemberg, has contributed I,oCofl. A portion of
the population in easy circumstances have betaken
thentselves as a temporary refuge to Travnik. A
committee has been formed of six deligates from the
military and the Government, together with some
leading citizens, to organise measures of relief.

The town of Serajevo is situated at the eastern
entrance of the Serajevo Polje Valley, on either side
of the river Miljacka. The principal thoroughfares
ran parallel to the river, the suburbs being built on the
slope of the hill that borders it on one side. A more
beautiful situation it is impossible to imagine, and for
centuries it has been known amongst the Turks as
the " pearl of Bosnia the Golden." The houses, built
of wood, were painted bright yellow, and in the
suburbs were separated from each other by small
gardens. The most important, and at the same
time the most thrifty quarter of the town of
which hardly a vestige remains, was situated on the
right bank of the river, and comprised the Servian,
Jewish, Catholic, and trading elements of the popula-
tion. A large number of the inhabitants are Euro-
peans. This was the city of Serajevo, and went by
the name of Carsia. It included from fifty to sixty
streets, and at certain hours of the day the traffic was
so great that movement was difficult. Large quan-
tities of merchandise were warehoused there; but the
streets being extremely narrow and closely built, all
attempts to isolate the flames were fruitless.
This is the fifth time Serajevo has been destroyed by
fire. The previous conflagrations occurred in 1480,
1644, 1656, and 1687.