The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-04-21
ST. SOPHIA.
the REFUGEES HUDDLED TOGETHER
In THE GREAT MOSQUE OF
CONsTANTINOPLE,

The condition of the thousands of refugees
In Stamboul Is indeed lamentable, but they
are. much better off than would be Supposed
ana, compared with the hardshps endured
y. oy tiose Sc stu on the road the suerngs here
Is, like most Of the others, now the home Of ia a
gresag gs, mass ~ IS OF these people, roughly esti-
mated In this edifice alone at three Thousand
souls: There is now no difficulty about
ehIeriDg tne place. The long passage way to
Inc north Is full OF families camped on the
stone floor, and merry troop of children is
running up and down the winding. inclined
plane that leads to the galleries. A stray
attendant 5 looks at the visitor, perhaps, as he
razieps 1enS ms way , among the beds and burning
up household effects to to the M p'fgo enl
trance. On the ground floor every availabIe
men OF room is covered with these peOple,
t IN the e. stone floors of the arcades planks have
each family; and here, as well as all over over the M
great straw mats of the body of the mosoue
the beds are spread. few rudely Dainted
boxes, bales OF clothing and blankets. a pile
" copper utensils, q brazier with live Goals.
with an ,ug!y-looking yataghan-these are
collected beside the beds, so chat each family
has It's own little space and it's own little
rampant ran OF possessions. The women gather
az q day long, while the children seamper
apolt, play, hide-and-seek among the col |
umns, and shout and laugh until the interior
Iesounds and seems like an immense chill
orens playhouse. The people all
and altogether not Uncomfortable. They
nave clothing enough to keep them
warm; they cook their food on little
ofazlers, the women wash the clothes in the
pa55sdgeways an5 bsty ana hang them up in the yard
urklsh compassionate Fund is near at hand
where bread is distributed SO that no one
need starve there is absolutely nothing to
no 1e. put II 70 tg1ssP and smoke, and they all ap-
From the gallery, which is itself great nest
u refugees, the interior presents q rare and
peculiar spectacle. 1t has little of the same
"a 10 i.n1presslveness which it had when a few
'Ilehe hat rs. w9rsn,Pers were the only people on
llde the floor The architecture is alwavs
grand; there are the same wonderfully rich
lued columns and alabaster walls. the same
lch gold mosaic ceilings, but with the motley
mod lna interesting mt assemblage Of people,
ttention diverted from the we wealth ti7
II art and architecture of the edifice
nd watches the children and studies
ne q people with undivided interest. Here are
agra and Zezanlik, the terrible scenes en-
cted during the first Balkan campaign.
rom high up in the valley of the Martha
yen across the mountains from the villages
iuue 1Le va, ana from Plevna itself have
athered these refugees, now at rest after
her tollsome exodus from their villages and
arms. Many of the strong men lie helpless
q the rude beds prostrated doubtless for the
rst time in their lives by wasting illness, Ii
he typhus and smallpox are finishing the
M ork which exhaustion and exposure began.
nd many have made the weary march to die "
last peacefully in the trusted place of o.
tfety, and to learn in their last hours that T.
le much-dreaded, much-detested enemy has
ut his foot within the sacred nclosure Of the
osque that shelters them WIZ