Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-09-19
mashingtun Sentinel.
Correspondence cfthe Daily Neps.
The Fire at Varna.

by the military occupation of this summer. In
former years, when the fire found empty houses
TOR 1t Is peculiarly Of the Turks and Bulga
rams that their houses are ALWAYS empty those
houses would have blazed away, and each fire
would have been over almost immediately after
~ began. Quick burning it certainly was but
there was no material for long burning-noth
Ing TO generate the dangerous heat which in
many cases makes conhagration, SO to say
epidemic, when the flames burst out in twenty
places at once, and the demon of destruction
rides on the wings of a summers breeze. But
just at present the town of Varna is a depot
LOT Two large armies-enormous quantities oil
military stores were so late as yesterday heaped
up within Its walls There were magazines Of
wood, OF Goals, OF barley, and straw, of pitch,
and tar, and of spirituous liquors. Besides,
the main lanes and the shops in the bazaars
were in the hands of canteen men from STAN
boul and Galata, who dealt in brandy and rum.
IN bacon, butter, Oil, cotton, and other things,
useful and iniammabe. These public and
private stores were SO many pieces dc resistance
lor the hre, which chung to them and gloated
over them, nor would it leave them, nor indeed
mas 1t left them at the hour write, for at this
moment though late at night, the bright red
names are still darling up from the burnt quar-.
tiers of Varna.
The hire, as said before, broke out in the
vicinity OF the harbor, near the powder maya.
zine. The opinion at present prevailing is that
1t was caused by the Greeks, who are known
TO be favorable to Russia and hostile to the
allied troops. There certainly has been a great
connection among the GREEKS for some time
past. When our hussars marched from Deyna
TO Sanibazar and the light division advanced
from Devna to Monastir, and when all the
camps on the line from Varna to Devna were
SHIFTED forward to improve the health Of the
troops, signal fires were burning all night on
tne peaks OF the mountains from Devna to
chumla l myself was out riding, and camping
ing OUT the whole OF that night, and saw those
nres plainly They were not herdsmen's fires
IN the plain or on the mountain side, but they
were on the highest mountain tops-not fires
OF Goals kept up to warm the campers out, but
burning high up, fires that were made to give
the alarm and to spread news The Greeks Of
the Varna district and the Bulgarians of the
mountains would be excellent spies we're it not
lor their total ignorance of military matters.
Ihey believed in an advance of the English
arm, and IN the course of that night sent the
message up to the Danube, and across to the
RUSSIAN camp. Exactly three days later the
russians left their position ar Giurgevo.
The Greeks left Farna, as they allepe. from
fear of the cholera Many of them-eyery
landlord for instance-threw up lucrative stu
atoms In order to get away. But it is a strange
fact that their fear of the cholera drove them
away at the exact time when the disease had
spent Its FIRST strength, and when, according to
all accounts, and the examples daily before our
eyes, It's fury began to abate. Nor were they
III hurry to leave until day or two before the
catastrophe, and they left, not scared and sud
den, as people who fly from pestilence, but in
nigh spirits, shouting, laughing, and drunk
From what saw then / believed, and still be-
ileVe, that those people were privy to some
plan that was Matching against us, and am
confident that the investigation which is now
taking place viii justify my view of the case.
In the confusion which prevails it is impossible
to ascertain facts, and what / am now going to
mention must be considered as rumor-idle
perhaps, perhaps founded on facts. / am told
that the Turks arrested three Greeks at the
Outbreak OF the fire and gave them over to the
French. 1 am also told that the Zouaves
burnt Greek, whom they suspected of having
caused the confagration. They bound him
and flung him into the fire. Such was the
common talk Of Earna all this day.
The lire, If laid, was certainly ably laid
For two hours the town was in the most awful
danger.
The Turkish powder magazine, established
IN the basement and the cellars of an old tower
Of enormous strength, is well stored and com
paratively safe. Capt W was one of the
engineers who in the course of last winter as.
sisted in completing the defenses of Varna.
lie knows the fortress and its arrangements,
and while the flames rose up to the sky and
the magazines appeared enveloped in fire, he
gave me an account of the position Of the
powder, and discussed our chances Of destruc
ton or safety. We were not 200 yards from
the chief depot-that was one consolation. If
an explosion took place our deaths must be in
Simultaneous. There was too much powder to
make long affair Of it. Last winter when
Capt. W. examined the stores, he found
$4,000 cwt. Say that one-half Of il had been
used, and no fresh additions made to the stock,
still there would not be less than 5000 cwt of
powder in the Turkish magazine. There were
10000 cwt in the batteries and mines. The
French magazine, with rather a large store Of
5000 cwt, was close by; and close by, too,
was the English magazine, both Of them got
up in hurry, and without those elaborate
precautions which the destructive character Of
the material demands.
The Turks had tanks filed with water bafore
the doors Of their magazine. The tower is of
enormous strength and bomb-proof, so that IL
the Turks kept quiet there was not much
danger in that quarter. But my friend, who
has for some years past known the Turkish
service, had his fears lest the Turks should
show too much zeal. He thought the most
likely thing they would do was to remove the
powder, even il they had to carry it through
the midst Of the flames. To-day l was told
that Captain W. was perfectly justified in his
apprehension. and that but for the interior.
ence of the French he Turks would certainlv
have attempted to reno. their powder 70 q
q safer SPOT The English anu i~pob maSa.
zines, being Sadly protected, we're, ofcoas'@ss 4
imminent danger, and if they went, according
70 the law Of explosions, the Turkish magazine
must 20 too. The explosion of $4,000 or
10000 cwt: Of powder taking the lowest posi-
BILE estimate) would be enough to blow all
Varna 81 into this week next year" and utter
destroy all the shipping in the harbor. Tse
loss Of their ships and stores, and perhar "
10000 or $1,000 men in and near thew
would have crippled the allied armi1 ana
there is no saying what would hayf,een tne
influence Of such . catastrophe on - chances
-. - and tlk fate of E,ro.