The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-06-29
Religious Liberty in the Provinces
Lately Coded to Greece-The
Earthquake at Scio.
LOUISVILLE, KY, June Is, 1881

celvec IN letter from Mr. Sampson, a
few days ago. AS it is authentic and
quite interesting, 1 thought perhaps you
might like to publish it, though it may
be little old. have just received an
other letter from him, telling of the con-
summation of our hopes and plans and the
answer to our prayers, viz: the giving of
religious liberty to the inhabitants of the
provinces now coded to Greece. l will
quote from his letter which is the third
article of the treaty between Turkey and
Greece:
"The life, the property, the honor, the
religion and the liberties of those of the
inhabitants of the Provinces that shall be
coded to Greece, who shall remain under
the Greek government, shall be preserved
strictly inviolate. These inhabitants shall
enjoy to full extent, all the same munich
pal and civil rights which the native
born citizens of Greece enjoy"
Thus we have great cause of rejoicing
in having secured to the inhabitants of
that disputed territory, now to be ceded
to Greece, full religious and educational
privileges. The only regret is that more
territory, cannot or has not, been given
over. This, and the formation of our
first Presbytery in Greece, is truly cause
of great rejoicing. You will probably
remember that this religious liberty was
asked for by our mission in Athens, three
years ago, and promised officially by Eng
land, but until the terms of the treaty
between Turkey and Greece were decided
upon, it was of course doubtful, and our
mission in Athens have been working
faithfully with that end in view ever
since.
A letter published in the 81. Louis
Presbyterian Of last week, gives very
matured and correct statement and view
of the status of the Greeks in the East
and the Importance of the Greek work.
I. M. L.
ISLAND OF SC1o, April Is, 1881.
1t is painful to be obliged to 90 over
again, even in memory, all the sad sights,
sounds, and experiences of these few
days, and l shall avoid, so far as posi-
BILE, any reference to the most narrowing
incidents.
At about 1:3O P. M. on Sunday the
Sd of April, sudden movement was
felt, first lifting or vertical then swing
ing or horizontal, and then real or ap-
parent rotary motion, succeeded. by a
dull heavy crash as of distant cannon, all
lasting not more than fifteen seconds.
Almost every day since there have been
shocks; but these have only completed
the wreck of houses and walls unsettled
by the first shock. There has been little
or no addition to the death list from this
cause since the first day, when all the
inhabitants were driven from their houses
by fear into the fields and open spaces.
The cloud of dust seems to have pro-
duced the impression among some that
there were smoke and smell of sulphur.
Nor does there seem to have been any
hot water elected, although / am told
that there are some assures in one part
of the island; and there has been no
change Of the water level around the
whole island.
Last night [ spent upon Her Ma
iesty's man-of-war Thunderer, and Lieu
tenant Hamilton has given me this morn
ing the list obtained by all the previous
investigations and corrected by such in
formation as he, the surgeon of the
Thunderer, and l were able to obtain in
ride of twenty-five miles, visiting some
nine or ten villages yesterday. This is
certainly the most correct report that
has been made, and it gives-total
deaths, between $500 and 5000; Sc
verely wounded, $500; slightly wounded,
several thousand, whose exact number it
is, of course, impossible to ascertain. The
loss of property is not to be calculated
as yet.
Looked at from distance, we could
with difficulty believe that the towns and
villages had suffered so much, as the
walls seemed to be standing in 50 many
places. But as soon as one entered the
narrow streets there was quite different
! impression. More seems to have persisted
in the streets than in the houses. Alarm
ed by the sound, many were able to leap
from their doors and so escape the falling
floors, but only to be crushed in the
streets by the falling roofs and walls
Three-fourths Of the deaths are of women
and children. The men were in the cof-
fee shops or in the fields. In several
villages which we visited there was not
one single house which could be inhabited