Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-09-26
The rcrrihIe Cnnllnerntion in smrrna-

The Terrible CONFEDERATION in smyrna
Seven Hundred Houses Destroyed
Thousands of Persons Rendered HOme-
less.
A supplement to the Impartial, Of Smyrna,
of the Goth of August gives the following
account of terrible conhagration which has
taken place at that city:
A terrible disaster has befalen the city Of
Smyrna; a conhagration has destroyed that
part which had remained intact after the
CatastrOphes of the year 1874 and l845. Ac-
cording to the estimation made, seven hun
dred houses have fallen prey to the flames
For more than a month the heat here has
been sufiOcating, varying from 900 to 1902
Fahrenheit. This Senegalian atmosphere
has dried the wood beyond measure, and
rendered it more easily infammable. At the
same time a north wind of extraordinary
violence, never ceased to blow except at rare
intervals.
About hnlf-past seven o'clock on the morn
| ing of the 9th, pistol shots announced that
a fire had broken out some where. 1t was
| at ST. Dimitri People rushed to the spot,
| but before the first assistance could be given
the conflagration had made rapid progress.
st. Dimitri is a sort of faubourg of the
town. commencing at the extremity of the
Rue des Roses, bordered on the right by the
| Armenian border; on the left by that
of St. Catherine, and extends eastward to
the new hospital of st. Roch, where the gar
dens commence. All this space IS iilled with
very old houses, built exclusively of wood.
Most of the streets are exceedingly narrow;
some of the projecting roofs almost touch
across. The inhabitants are nearly all
Greeks, and are chiefly day workmen at
various trades.
Owing to the strength of the wind the
greatest anxiety was felt. Strong gusts sent
the flames in every direction, and the con-
hagration assumed terrible proportions AL
hopes of stopping the flames had to be aban.
doned, and for seven hours they did theiI
work of destruction. At two p. NJ. il
reached the extreme end of the Rue de-
Roses. In this street the fifth house on each
side is of stone; on the right side the grea
establishment of the Deaconesses, recently
increased by the adjunction of the ancen
Papasian house, on the left the house o
Roboly
Every effort was made here to arrest thu
progress of the flames. The house of Papa
sion, nevertheless, caught fire. and had no
the wind lulled, the destruction of the whole
of this quarter of the town would have beer
inevitable. The flames were got under OF
? this side. In the street to the left, leading
; to St. Catherine, one single building wa
left standing, that of DIR. j. Edwards.
All the public establishments have beel
l thrown open to receive the sufferers frou
= this disaster, and a committee was at ono
formed 70 collect subscriptions to provide 70
E their immediate wants. To-day, at noon
, 10000 piastres had already been subscribed
The cause of the disaster was purely acci
dental. 1t is said that q woman had lighte
candle in honor of the Virgin, and, havin
3 left it burning, it caused the fire.
The official report gives the number {
. houses burned at 700; at first it was suppose
u that 1000 had been destroyed.