The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-23 00:00:00

THE DISTRESS IN CONSTANTINOPLE.

The following is an extract from the letter of the Special
Correst ondent of the Standard, writing from Constanti-
nople, on Feb. 8:

• Meanwhile the misery of the refugees increases from
day to day. I went again on Tuesday last to Saint
Sophia, and found quite a fresh set of refugees there—
notably a large colony of gipsies, which was located in
the external corridors, and was not allowed to enter
into the main area. And I have several times visited
a sort of casual refuge which the agents of the ,
Baroness Burdett Coutts have established in the old
Prefecture of Stamboul, near the railway station and ,
the Mosque of Yeni Djami. Through this refuge
forty thousand persons have passed since the 12th of
January. There have been some deaths and some
confinements in the refuge, but as there are four hos-
pitals in connection with the refuge, to which the sick
are removed as soon as they are known to be ill,
most of the inmates appear to be healthy. They are,
and from the first have been the very poorest of the
refugees. They have all travelled to Constantinople on
foot. I have seen many old men, women, and children
who have walked from Widdin, Selvi, Loftcha, Plevna,
and from places on this side the Balkans. I have
seen many who have been three months on the road.
The survivors look healthy, but they tell me that
they left many of their party to die on the road.
We have here simply a case of "survival of the
fittest." In this refuge Moslems, Greeks, Bulgarians,
Catholics, Jewa, and gipsies, are mixed pell-mell,
and have made friendships which they do not wish to
break.
In the corner of one room I saw on the floor a
bundle of rags, which on inquiry proved to contain
an old Bulgarian woman, who had walked all the
way from Loftcha. Her husband and her sons had
been killed and her daughters ravished and carried
off by. the Circassians. When she found herself
alone in the world, some of her Turkish neighbours
who were setting out to walk to Constantinople
took her with their party, and with them she
tramped here through the snow. Major De Winton,
who has charge of this refuge, and of whose exer-
tions it is impossible to speak in too high terms,
proposed to send this old woman to a separate
refuge for Bulgarians, but she flatly refused to go,
saying that she preferred to remain with the neign-
hours who had brought her from her home. lam as-
sured that this is by no means a solitary case. By
every mail I receive letters from old friends in Eng-
land, who tell me that I am living amid most inte-
resting scenes. and that they envy me my privileges.
Well, I am willing to be envied, but I would gladly
forego my privileges. If it be a privilege to dwell amid
a million of houseless, friendless, and penniless
paupers, without the power of relieving them, then I
am in possession of a privilege. If I could foresee an
early termination of the distress I should be less un-
happy, but it is certain that some years must
pass before the distress can be removed. To
this city the Circassians have brought an
enormous number of bullocks which they have
stolen. In this country agriculture cannot be
carried on without the aid of these beasts. Fodder
is so dear here that the Circassians can obtain no pur-
chasers for them while they are alive. So they are
killing them in vast numbers in the streets, and selling
the meat, which is very poor, at three pounds for two
piastres. This is going on all over Stamboul, with a
truly frig,htful waste of the resources of the country.
If the Russians will restore order and security, enable
the fields to be tilled, and let the crops be sown, they
will soon be forgiven for their conquest of Turkey.

The Times of Wednesday publishes the following

-
Sir,—While all eyes are directed towards the East and
speculation is rife as to the turn affairs may take, I desire,
by your kind permission, to set forth the great work of
charity that has been, and still is oeing, carried on by means
of the Turkish Compassionate Fund.

I have just returned from Constantinople, and in that city
alone there are upwards of 150,000 refugees who ate en-
tirely dependent ou charity for food.
Of this number, during the week ended the 7th inst., the
Turkish Compassionate Fund fed in their three houses
11,104, and since the arrival of the main body of these poor
creatures at Statubnnl, beginning on the 10th of January,
about 50,000 have been fed and many clothed as well. In
addition to this, thousands have been relieved on the line of
railway between Adrianople and Constantinople and in
other parts of the empire. A small-pox hospital has also
been established outside Stamboul for the refugees, contain-
ing 80 beds, in the hope of avoiding a general outbreak of
this terrible scourge.

There is, alas! reason to fear that the Turkish Government
who have been doing their best to deal with this mountain
of misery, will be unable much longer to continue their
efforts from the want of money. The strain on the Turkish
Compassionate Fund's resources must, therefore, of neces-
sity inerease. Though peace be permanently established,
this appalling state of misery must for a time continue, as
the fugitives could not return during the continuance of
winter weather to their former homes, if, indeed, any of
them be still in existence.

As a personal witness to the generous relief afforded by
this charitable fund, which has been given without distinc-
tion of creed, and to enlist the continuing sympathy of the
British public in its support, I beg your kind insertion of this
brief statement.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,

. .
ARTHUR E. GUEST.
1, Gloucester-place, Portman-square, W., Feb. 18.