The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-08-16
r U r K = =.
City Scenes After the Great Fire-Finding
(. Of Dead Bodies, Where and how-Aid
Continued to the Sufferers-Impe-
rial Relations to Egypt, Russia
and the United States.
CoNsrANTNoPLE, July l6, 1870.

world, has such calamity occurred, at least to
such an extent, and accompanied by the death Of
so many victims. Almost daily discoveries are
made OF dead bodies among the ashes, and rem
nants OF fallen walls. The number OF houses, &C..
consumed is now said to be between six and seven
thousand and the deaths to from two to three
thousand Strange to say, many of the latter were
thieves, who came from distant parts OF Stamboul
to rob and even murder those who were bllndly
agonzed by the loss of members Of their families
and the destruction of their property. Quite
number of Persians have been found dead
inside of houses and among their ruins their per-
sons covered or surrounded with jewelry and other
objects of value stolen by them. In one case
three subjects of the Shah of Persia penetrated a
large building, the owner Of which, with his family,
was absent in the country, and having threatened
to kill the servants if they did not show them the
valuables, loaded their persons with them; but as
the servants aed they had fastened the entrance
of the house, and when the proximity of the fire
rendered it necessary for the thieves to escape
they found themselves shut up, and were conse.
quently burned up with theic ill-gotten stores In
large shop in Pera four dead bodies were found,
and in that of a small jeweller another one-all
thieves. Quite recently man, three women and
child were taken out of a cistern into which
they had escaped for preservation. In an Arme-
nian school for girls sixteen of them were shut
up while the mistress went for assistance. Before
she could return all were burned. TO prevent
these sad details from reaching the Sultan the
police do not report them. Indeed, the local
papers seem to abstain from publishing them. A
gentleman is, however, collecting them for future
publication, and the recital will then show the
horrible nature of the catastrophe.
In the meantime all is ruins, dust and ashes-far
worse than the results of any modern earthquake.
Engineers are employed laying out the site. in the
view of eulargipg the streets and creating reser-
vors of water. new system of firemen and fire
engines is being drawn up, so as, if possible, to
prevent the recurrence of such a calamity. As
the largest and best publ: stone edices share an
equal fate with the most ordinary wooden ones
the public have less confidence in the efficacy Of
the former, forgetting that the case was an ex.
traordinary one and that the spread of the flames
was due to the tornado Of wind blowing at
the time and the large quantities of American
petroleum stored in shops for sale. To the
latter, most probably, is due the destruction
OF the fine English Embassy. 1t was in
the midst of a volcano of fire almost equal
caught from the upper story. The Amer lean
Consulate Generals was large stone edihce near
to the Embassy, and met with the fate of other
similar buildings. Nearly all that was saved in
the Consulate was comprised in an iron safe.
Some persons residing in its upper story were
nearly burned to death before they could escape,
and even in the streets made their way through
the burning embers of other houses with great
danger.
AID FOR THE SUFFERERS.
Large sums have been subscribed by banking
institutions and private indivi duas for the suffer-
ers. More than 200 tents were sent imme diately
by the Sultan for the poorer classes. These are
now daily, diminishing in number, their inmates
having found refuge in the villages, and, by the
Sutans orders, in Mussulman quarters. 1t must
in justice be added that he, as well as all
of his Ministers, public functionaries and
even his Mussuman subjects, have shown
themselves good Sama ritans' - on this
sad occasion. He gave the day after the
fire sl2 900, and has since added 49, 900 more from
his own allowance for the relief of the sufferers.
The fetes on the circumcision Of his sons, nephews
and children of his functionaries and subjects at
large, in which he took more than ordinary inte-
rest, have been curtaed and the intended out
lay spent for the benefit of his suffering people.
The sums collected have been spent without re-
gard TO the religion or nationality of those who
were burned out and large number of Mussu-
men gave homes gratuitousy to Christians. It
will require several years before Pera can posi-
bly, be rebuilt, an it is expected that it will be
greatly improved in the new plan now being drawn
up by government engineers.
RELIGIOUS .FErE.
The .fetes of the circumcision have terminated
The enclosed account ofthe details of the operations
will probably interest you. The youngsters seem
not to have suffered much, and thus means
were used in the shape ofpublic plays, &C.. to lead
their thoughts away from themselves. AS the
minds of rejecting men now seek to penetrate the
real object of so strange Divine ordinance this,
1t may not be irrelevant to suppose that Moses
deemed it necessary to impose it upon the He
brews as Divine command for hygienic purposes.
The same has been handed down from them
through Mohammed, perhaps for a similar reason,
to the Musselnen. 1t is not, however, deemed by
them as absolutely necessary, and is consequently
called Sunnet in place of Faiz. The latter ex-
preston implies an ordinance strictly obligatory,
such belief in the Deity and the divine mission
Of Mohammed as messenger of God, sent or dep.
utcd to call the Arabs from dolatry to the worship
OF a and only true Almighty Creator. There are
many sunnets, but this being the principal one
is called by all true believers the Sunnet 1t was
80 timed as to occur the anniversary Of the
Sultan's accession to the throne, and so lessen
expenses. 1t is usual for the Grand Vzier to give
a banquet to the diplomatic corps and Ottoman
Minister on the anniversary" attended with
extensive fireworks. But this year all of this was
waived in favor of the sufferers from the recent
confagration of Pera. The diplomatic corps,
ted
its respects.
THE MASSACRE OF THE JEWS.
, You must be more doubtful of the ''cable tee-
grams" which are sent over Europe and thence to
the United States on the subject of occurrences
In this part of the world. 1t is difficult to appre
ciate the real object of this regarding the mas
sacre of the Jews" in Roumana, without it was
for some hidden political purpose. Though the Jews