The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-28 00:00:00

WRECK OF TILE KARS AND SILISTRIA

CONSTANTINOPLE, JULY 15.
About three years ago three large screw steamers
were built for the Turkish Government, in the
Clyde. These were the Kars, the Silistria, and
the Malakhoff. For some time past these and other
Government steamers have been let to a company
for the conveyance of goods and passengers, but
with very questionable benefit to the finances of the
State, whatever may have been the result as regards
the managers of the company and the authorities
at the Admiralty. Intelligence has now been re-
ceived of the total loss of the Kars and Silistria,
the details published by the Constantinople jour-
nals respecting the latter being so revolting that
they cannot fail to create a sensation in Europe,
and to deter, for years to come, Europeans from
risking their lives or property on board Turkish
steamers. The incompetence and apathy of the
captain and crew, who were in the Turkish naval
service, and the brutality and savage character of the
Turkish passengers, chiefly pilgrims, call for some
serious interference, if proved, on the part of the
European powers. A country in which such things
can exist is unfit to be considered as forming part
of the comity of nations, and unless the Govern-
ment can and -will put an end to such a state of
things the sooner it is transferred to a stronger
power, and the heritage of the sick man divided,
the better.

The Kars, it appears, left Alexandria on the 23d
of May, with more than 300 passengers, and has
not since been heard of. But between Damietta
and El Arish a boat has been found with a small
flag inscribed Kars, and several dead bodies,
so that a total loss is feared. It was, however,
stated a few days since that she had reached
Cyprus, but this needs confirmation.
The Silistria, on its outward voyage, had acquired
an unenviable notoriety, a young Russian passenger
having made his escape from her at Beyrout, through
the interference of the Russian consul, having been
subjected to most bestial violence on the part of the
captain and his crew.
The Silistria left Alexandria for Constantinople
on the 25th of June, with about 350 persons on
board. The next day, about noon, a loud crash was
heard among the timbers of the ship, and the engine
stopped. It :was shortly set in motion again, by
whose orders is not known, and the crash was
again heard, the screw was broken, and the water
was entering the hold rapidly. The bad condition
of the machinery had been remarked on at Alex-
andria, and even, it is said, at Constantinople,
where the engineers formerly employed in the
Kars left her. For an hour nothing was done
towards stopping the leak, but at last a Russian
engineer on board made his way to the hole and
attempted to stop it with tarred hemp, which pro-
bably prevented the ship from sinking rapidly.
The captain embraced him when he came on deck,
and relapsed into his former state of bewildered
incompetence. The same engineer found the tap
of a bilge pump, but there was no hose, and it was
consequently useless—in fact with the exception of
a pump on deck, out of order, no means existed of
clearing the ship of water, and they had to take
off the after skylight and empty, or try to empty,
the cabins by buckets.
Not a soul of the crew or Turkish passengers
afforded the least assistance, and the pump was
manned and the buckets worked by the European
passengers and 28 Austrian sailors who were on
board. The crew refusing to wolk, there were too
few to keep the water under, and it soon began to
enter at the stern ports. An unsuccessful attempt
was made to stop the leak by passing a tarpaulin
under the keel, and the captain at last consented to
throw over part of his cargo and coals. The
danger became more and more evident, and then
the Turkish passengers, in a paroxysm of stupid
fanaticism apparently, rose on the Europeans and
threatened them with their pistols and daggers if
they attempted to speak to the captain.
The night of the 25th was employed in incessant
labour as regards the Europeans, a hile the Turkish
crew slept on the deck. On the morning of the
26th an Egyptian Government brig laden with
wood, commanded by Reis Ibrahim, hove in sight,
bound for Alexandria. The captain of the Silistria
sent on board offering him an indemnity if he
would abandon his cargo and take the passengers
of the steamer on board, and endeavour to tow her
in to Alexandria. The Egyptian would do nothing
except cast them a tow rope, having probably little
faith in the promises of the respectable Mustapha
Bey.
This individual did not even know where he was,
for there was no chronometer on board, not even a
sextant, and only one compass. He marched about
with a pistol in each hand, threatening all who
approached the boats, which he had lowered and
guarded by marines. About five in the evening
the women were at length allowed to go on board
the brig, and in the course of the night Said Pacha,
the Turkish Commissary at Djeddah, followed with
his suite, carefully removing all his effects, including
a water melon, but the three boats which conveyed
him did not return to the steamer. The captain of
the brig still refused to abandon his cargo, and
finally cut the tow rope, going off with the boats,
and leaving the Silistria to her fate.
Then came a horrible scene of pillage and vio-
lence, the Turks plundering the baggage of the
Europeans, in which they were joined by the crew,
and a regular saturnalia ensued. They then seized
the sole remaining boat, throwing into the
cutting
athige
Europeans who attempted to embark, and
ttii
off the head of a young Austrian with an axe in the
melee. On the 27th the water had reached the
bulwarks, and the workers were exhausted. Hap-
pily the Egyptian brig re-appeared, the boats came
back, and a sauve qui peut commenced, but the
ferocious Turkish passengers opposed every attempt
on the part of the Europeans to save those who
were exhausted by the labour at the pumps. Shortly
after, the Silistria went down, with 77 persons on
board, the brig carrying into Alexandria 273 pas-
sengers and sailors, the Europeans being exposed
during the passage to the violence and brutality
of the Turks. A commission of inquiry has been
opened at Alexandria as to the causes which led to
this disaster, which will leave on the minds of all
to whom the details become known, an impres-
sion which the Turks will do well to endeavour
to remove by serious reforms. A, commission is ap-
pointed here also, and on the arrival of the survivors
au inquiry will be held, the preceding account com-
ing from Egypt, and if through a Greek source, as
is probable, the Turks justly observe that it needs
some confirmation.
The electric cable is laid between Chio and
Smyrna, about thirty miles on the Smyrna side
being overland. A message was received yesterday
in about seventeen hours, and in about a month it
will be open to the public, and Smyrna, after in-
numerable delays, will be in communication with
all Europe.
The Sultan does not decide on his journey until
Saturday week, the astrologers being probably re•
sponsible for the delay.
The sovereign has risen to 164, having been as
low as 156 within the last three days.

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