, 1863-09-12
Extraordinary Scene at Constan-
tinople.
Burning Of the Seraglio at StamboaL
GRIND sKEDADDLE OF WOMEN, EUNrCHs,
SERVANTS, it.
Jewels, Costly Wnrdrobes, etc., a
K1ran tn f1Aa X1fn m axr
TFrom the Leyart Herald, Aug. Il

lFIum Lie LtFdLk atIdiCs aug I-.l
"A positive calamity has betallen stannboul.
OF Mahmoud-next to the principal mosques,
the most unique and characteristic architec-
tural feature on the touth side Of the Golden
Horn-has been leyeled by the flames. Th8
disaster which has thus deprived the Tur
klsh capital Of one Of its most striking md
historically Interesting monuments, hap
pened on Monday forenoon, when, about IL
o'clock, the sudden bul sting out Of 4 column
Of black smoke from the southern extremity
Of the building, announced to nearly every
quarter Of the city that the qua1ntly beautt
ful old building, which bad escaped the 1eFy
yicissitudes Of d hundred years, had ut
liz: A l' ~' ~ A' '' &'
In little more than half IN hour more, the
whole pile was lopeless1y and if1etriegably
engines which hurried from every quarter Of
the capital to the scene of the calamity could
even reach the point, the old palace was fur
beyond salvation BY any local means. The
Grand Vizicr, who happened to be at Dolma-
baltcbe at tho time, was the tirBt on the spot,
having hurried across in one Of the palace
caiques. He was speedily followed by the
whole Of the other ministers, nearly all the
general officers in garrison in the capital, and
abt ut :, Goo trotps.
or the many narrow escapes, that Of the
Grand Vtzier Sas ole Of the closest. Accom-.
FInttQ " QGxcu Ut Eo u sol11tIas Ills 6lSQ
Icas had penetrated iuto the centre Of the
building, where 1t was believed some Of the
fair Inmates yet remaIued- Whilst scarching
for these, the flames literally surrounded the
room In which Fuad PacEa ard bis compan
ions we're, and 1t was only by escapiug
mora that his Bighncss and the men with
him Effected their 1etreat-but fen minutes
before the root Of the room they had left fell
In. By three P. m- the work of destruction
vas complete. The fire, indeed, still ragged
ut that hour in the detached buildings Ia the
rear snd round towards Yali kiosk, but OF the
cid palace on the Point cnly the outer court
walls and the tottering chimney stacks re-
nained. About an hour after the fire broke
out the Sultan himself proceeded to the
eccnc, but, on the urgent advice OF the min
isters, his Mafesty remained only short
time in the dangerous neiSShborhood, return
ing to Dolma -baktche, whence the progress
cf the conncgration was nearly as visible a.
from The perilous spot itseH.
The site OF the old building thus destroyed
IN one cf the most historic IN S'amboal. In
the earliest Byzantine days j. S.s covered by
the Acrorclis Of the new eastern capital;
later by : palace OF the Empress Pl.cidla;
reared BY Justinian, on the ruins Of which
ether palaces we're successfully built, till
Maho1net II. erected that Of which the struc-
ture destroyed On Monday Vas the last of
many restoratlons., In this building took
place the asEaselnations Of Sultan Ssiim II.
aud Mustnp1a ~, and from 1t issued the sue
cstsirc e2ic,s which crushed the Wahhabees,
annihilatcd the Jannfssarfes. and inaugnmted
the other acts Of reforming "vigor' which il
lustrated the reign Of Mahmond. On the
completion Of the new palace Of Dolna-
baktchc, the late Sultan removed to the latter
reeidence, and the old building sunk into
retreat for the surviving {and unmarried oE}
members of iskther's harem. On the death
Of Abdul MedIid himself, the former inmates
we're cleared out and the ladies' Of his own
1ate Establishment Installed in their stead.
These consisted Of four ka7in egsndis Tor
barenic rank Besides this goodly company,
the establishment included nearly 100 white
ard black eunuchs and other servants,
The whole Of whom were IN It when the
calamity Of Monday occurred. The fire is
eaid to hare originated in a small kitchen at.
by The fourth kadin, who had barely time to
hasten to the adjoining rooms Of her late
ccnjugal colleagues-distuTb them at their
after breakfast coffee and chibouque, and
urge immediate flight before the flames
spread from her own chamber to those Of the
other ladies. The whole Of these, as also
the ether women. ennuchs, and servants,
managed to effect their retreat into the outer
frnnt court, and there they were found half
IN hour later by tue hasud1Ir 1ssta OadT GOV
e,nees) Of tie Palace, who hastensd from
Dolma- baktche to take charge Of the burnt
out establishment. The whole were splen-
duly and safely removed in caiqaes and car
riages, first in part to some of the neighbor-
irg hareme, ard fra1ty In the course Of the
.ftsrnoon to Dolna. baktche. Efforts were
made to eaye some portions ot the costly
wa:drobee, jewels and furniture thus hastily
abandoned, but With hardly any success.
The whole may be said to hare fallen prey
to the flames. Happily the old jewelled
arms and other precious antiquities which
visitors to this historic treasure hsuse will
remember, were removed some months ago
to Yentkiosk. moderate stone building on
the crown Of the hill behind, which has
escaped the general ruin; and there they and
The silver gilt throne which does duty at
Bai5nm under the "Beautifnl Gate"-near
tho old serl itaelt is gone; and. rich as
nearly every court and chamber Of It was in
historical association, the s300, ,000-or there
abouta-intrfnsic value of the building md
It's contents, Is, perhaps, the least element in
the 1oes which It's destruction entails on
Stamboul.