Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-09-17
TRE sULrANs sERAaLIO BURNED.
FRIGHT AND FLIGHT OF -FOUR ROYAL WINS THREE hun
DRfD orHsR WOMEN, AND ALL THE Servants AND AT


DkfD oTHER WOMEN, AND ALL THE Servants AND At
TESDAkTs
GFrOm the Lsvknt Herald, August 12l
A positive calamity has befalen SambouL
Tue old palace Of Selim, Of Mustapha, and of Nah
moud-next to the principal mosques the most unique
and Characteristic architec:Ur feature the south side
OF the Golden Horn-bas been leveled by the James
The d-aser which has thus deprived the Turkish CAPT.
tai OF one OF its most striking and historically interest
ing monuments happened on Monday forenoon when
about eleven o'clock, the sudden bursting out of
column of black smoke from the southern extremity of
the binding announced To nearly every quarter of the
city that the quantity beautiful old building VIII ch had
escaped the fiery Vlcstudes Of hundred years. had at
length fallen prey To the common local fate In esg
than ten minutes from the first appearance of this fatal
signal the crimson flames shot up from out the black
spreading mas, aud, famed by strong northwest
breeze, spread rapidly the bulldog which being of
wood and dried already to burang point by ten weeks
brOlng SUM- speedily Ignited wherever spark fell till
ia lttle more than half hour, the whole pile was
hopelessy and retrievably abaze. The fire GU above
Scutari boom out their summons of rescue TO both
sides OF the Bosphorus which was repeated equally to
no purpose by the signal g of Gaaia and Seraskeria
towers from Tophaneh TO EyOub and thence round 10
the Seven Towers before the frs. Of the scores Of
wreIched engines which hurried from every quarter of
the capital 70 the OF the calamity could even reach
the Point the old palace far beyond salvation by
any local means.
The Grand vzier, who happened to be at the Dolma-
baktche the time, the first on the spot having
hurried across in one of the Eaace caiques He was
speedily followed by the whole of the nihAr niAi-i-
nearly all the general ocers in garrison in the capital
and about three thou7and troops. A couple of strong
boats crews from her Msjesiys ship Yves err lying of
Tcphaneh also fastened to the and lent excellent
help in the efforts made to overcome the lmes IL
remarked that neither the large Russian steamers
those belonging to the Messangeres Imperales-both
lying close by-made any show of offering similar as
sistRnce Their aid, however, would have aVailed but
little Favored as I'VE said, by the wind aud the
finder like dryness of every part of the main and ad
Joining buildings the fire dehed all efforts to check
it The u-ual remedy of pulling down whole porcbel
of buildings on either side of it in vain r. sorted
to- the flames literally jumped over each successive chasm
thus made, and rolled on i'll increased volume, enveop
ing and devourng every thing before Incredible
as il may read to those who know the distance
ly sparks, hut Whole fakes Of fire, carried right
over the brow Of the hill which separates the Point from
ST. Sophia and falling in and around he Atneidam liz.
nted more than one house in the neighbUrLood The
fire. which spread thus dstanty not long in reaching
the beautiful alley Of expresses behind the lace anda
these caught after another, the blazing
carried in almost unbroken TO the sues esive
courts and buildings in the In attempt to cut
down these of them fell upon an unfortunate
sergeant Of Infantry end killed him the spot Hap.
PLY this was so fer we have been able to ascertain
he only a,a accident attending the disaster. Several
small burns aud contusOns reported but only this
one life are officially informed was lost on the oc
Vizer vas of the closest Accompan ed by dozen
or of soldiers his Hghness had penetrated into the
centre of the building, where 1t WIS believed some OF
the fair inmates yet remained. Whilst searching for
these the flames itera surrounded the in which
Fuad Pacha aud his companions were, aud il only
By escaping through a window which opened on the
Marmora that bis Highness aud the with lin ef-
cted their retreat but few moments before the roof
of the room they had left fell ill., BY three p. NJ the
work of destruction complete The fire, indeed
still ragged at that hour in the detached buildings 10 the
rear and ound towards YAH Kosf; but Of the Old pal
the Point only the court walls and the tot
teriug chimney stacks remained. About an hour after
the fire broke out the Sultan himself proceeded 10 the
scene but, on the urgent advice Of his Minister'S lis
Majesty remained only shor. time in the dangerous
neighbUrhood, returnog 10 Dolms-b kche whence q
progress of the conhagraton nearly visible as
from the peToRES SPOT yr us uesuye s one OF
the most historic in SambOul. In the earliest Byzln-
tine days it covered by the Acropois Of the
eastern capital; later, by palace Of the Empress Pla
cdia later still, by another and grander imper resi-
deDce reared by Jusinian the ruins of which other
palaces were successfully built ii Mahomet H. erected
that Of which the structure destroyed Monday was
the last Of many reservations. Ia this actual building
took place the assassnatOns of Sulans Sein III and
Mustapha w. and from it issued the successive edicts
which crushed the Wababees annbilAei the Jauissa-
res, and inaugurated the other acts OF reforming wig
or" which illustrated the reign of Mlhmoud. o. the
completion of the new palace OF donna baktche the
late Sultan removed to the latter residence and the old
building sunk in'o retreat for the surviving land un-
married OIL members of his fathers harem
On the death Of Abdul Med d himself the former in
mates were cleared out and ladies Of his own late
establishment installed in their stead These consisted
of four kadH-eGeHdS Tor wiVes and about three hon
dTed other females Of lower hlremic rank Besides this
goodly company the Establishment included nearly one
hundred black and white eunuchs and other servan-e
whole OF whom were in IL when the calamity on Monday
hp fra il said IN haV cd in a
private kitchen attached TO the suit oil apartments occu
pied by the fourth kddif who had barely time to hasten
to the adjoining Of her late cOnjugal cossguef-
disturbing them at their after breakfast coffee and CHI
bOuque-and urge immediate fight before the flames
spread from her own chamber 10 those of the other
ladies. The whole OF these as also the other women
eunuchs and servants managed to effect their retreat
into the outer front court and there they found
half an hour later by the haSRd dr-Std (lady govern
cs) OF the palace who FASTENED ffoG. Dona baktche
to take charge Of the burnt CIT establishment The
whole were speedily and safely removed in caques aud
carrage first in part 70 of the neighboring ha
rens, and finally the Of the afternoon to J.
ma baktche.
Efforts were made TO portion of the costly
Wardrobes jewels aud furniture thus hastily abandoned,
but with hardly any success The whole may be said 10
have fallen prey tie flames. Happily, the old Jew.
eled arms and o;her precious snqu,ties which visitors
TO this historic treasure house viii remember were
moved some months ago 10 Yen Kiosk, modern stone
building on the crown Of the hin behind, which has
capped tue general ruiz; and there they aud the silver
gil throne which does daty to Baifam under the Beau
ttul Gate'-nearer sti TO s., SOphia-stil sa,elS re-
eSfy every and chamber OF 1t was in historical
ASSOCIATION, the $500, O0O-or thereabou's intrinsic
value OF tee building and its contents IL perhep7 the
least l1ment ia the loss which its destruction eaails Gu
Stamboul.
GRAND R1ynw-A MoDEL Color SERGEASr-A let
ter III the Petersburg Express, describing revieS d
Gen. EweliS corps, Orange Court House, on We'd
nesday Of last week, says:
The bugle soon announced oil in readiness, and Gen.
Lee despatched for who came riding up, and
now the cayalcade, composed OF Gen. Lee and staff,
Gen. ERell and SlaG, and the division commanders
started oil at swift gAop to the right Of the first d