The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-10-31 00:00:00

A SERIOUS DISASTER.

A terrible catastrophe happened at Smyrna on the -
sth inst. On that day the Ottoman steamer, Terubulem !
Guilt, which had come in some days before, from Tripoli, ;
and landed • number of soldiers who had ,erveti their :
time, was On the point of sailing again, wit 1;80 other
troops to replace them, which last she hall transhipped
front a Constantinople steamer. She had just got under
way, when tat' terrible explosions were beard, and im-
mediately afterwards the ship was enveloped in a thick
cloud .f smoke and steam, loud cries of persons suffering
being at the same time heard oa board the neighbour-
ing vessels and on shore. Boats promptly put off from
all points, nett tm their reaching the unfortunate ship
it was found that her boilers had burst. Some of the
sufferers were at once taken to the French hospital
close ashore, and the others to the various other hos'.
pitals of the town. In the relief thus rendered, the
feats of the French frigate Themis, which had only
entered the bay that ntorning, contributed their share
with admirable promptitude and zeal By seven o'clock
about fifteen of the victims, who had been frightfully
horned and otherwise injured, and whose suffer-
ings were terrible, had received surgical attention
from the hospital anti other doctors. Two stokers
were pilled taut dead, and two others died the next
day. Those who went on board first, describe the scene
aa frightful, the decks being blown up, and the dead, ;
wounded, and few untouched—half dead with fear—
lying tell mell amongst the wreck. The total number
of the injured is said to be about seventy, of whom
seven were dead, and several others were not expected
to survive. The immediate cause of the disaster is un-
known, but it doubt ess arose from the state of the
vessels boilers. The Pasha has since formally thanked
the French admiral, through Count lientivoglio,
for the services rendered on the occasion by the boats
‘A the Themis.

table-cloths, a teacaddy, a night dress, and other
articks. He proceeded to the police-station to seek
advice, and on the 28th a constable came to the house
and found the tearaddy and some knives and forks in
the prisoner's cophoard. At the station-house the
female searcher found on her a night chemise concealed
under her clothes, which Mrs. Bell swore to be hers.
She knew it by the crotchet work, and having stitched
it all herself. The prosecutor, iii being cross-examined,
said that there was a dispute of Lin about the rent due
to Mr. Jenkins, but be did not give them into custody
to prevent them &straining on his kneels.
}or the defence a young lady, the prisoner's niece,
swore that she worked the ornamental part of the night
dress which she had seen her aunt make.
Mr. Sergeant Sleigh addressed the jury on her be-
half, and called a number of highly-respectable wit-
nesses, who gave the prisoner the best of characters.
The jury retired to their ~,,,, , and at a late hour
returned into court with a verdict of Guilty. The
prisoner instantly fell into hysterics, and was carried
, into the prison, when the Chairman deferred passing
sentence until the next day, when she was brought up
a,:ain for judgment.
Her counsel informed the Court that, after being
carried into the prison, she rturained insensible for
several hours. She was now so ill and in such a weak
state that she could hardly stand.
The Chairman, taking all circumstances into con-
sideration, sentenced her to three mouths' imprison-
ment with hard labour.