The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-17
AMERICAN MISSIONS BURNED.
Mohammedans at kharput spared Mis-
sLonarles. hmI NnI Lha.lr nrnns.riN.

HAVGaE4c~. out NOT A3tNtF Properly
Boston. Nov. l6-News of the massacre
az and devastation OF an American mis-
sion az KAarput was received AZ the rooms
or the American board Of commissioners fof
foreign missions here through the Asso-
GATED Press. and the announcement caused
the greatest CONSERVATION. IS the khsrput
mission Was not only one % thc most pros
porous ana successful. but also considered
the most secure from trouble. The Ameri-
can board gives the Associated Press the
following details concerning the kharput
MISSION: The buildings destroyed are those
OF the Anne rican board kharpug Is 20
miles southwest of Erzeroum. and about
twenty miles west of the Euphrates. Il Is
the center of a large number Of villages
covering an eNtende plain. and IS
tho only section OF Armenia where the
Armen.ans can fairly claim 10 constitute
q majority of the population. The city itself
has large Turkish population. but the
place is Almost entirely Armenian. It IS
the seat of EuphrGtes college Fifteen out
stations lie within ten miles of The city.
The Arabkir fed on the west was Joined
20 kharput in 1855. and the following yeSr
the larger part of the Diarhekir field on
the south. 50 that now the limits OF the
khGrput station embraces a district nearly
one-third as large rs New England. The
nrst missionary 10 occupy this station was
Mr.. Dunmore, IN 1855. Tie left after thrse
years, and during the civil war in America
he became a chaplain IN the army and was
killed. The first church was formed n
kharput in 1886, with two members Now
there are twenty-five churches. which have
a membership OF more than s. ooo persons.
The following telegram was received to-
day by the hoard from Rev II. l. Dwight
Of Constantinople: Five hundred were
killed In Kharput eight of the twelve
mission buildings burned. lives spared.
houses stripped. The Turks viii regard
this as a test OF the intention of the
United States To defend the missions. No
missionaries anywhere were Killed. The
villages everywhere are desolated the
people naked and starving. Instant help
is needed"
Washington City Nov. 16-Secretary OIL
ney has received a cablegram from United
States Minister Terrell. confirming the
Associated Press reports from CONSTANT
nople concerning a massacre Of 500 per-
sons by Mussulmans at kharput and the
destruction of a large amount Of mission
and other property.
The scene Of the Kharput massacre IS
far inland and beyond the reach OF Il man.
of-war. which would be obliged 10 pass
the Dardanelles and enter the Black sea
to approach even the neighbortng coast
There is reason to believe that MIR. Ter
reli. in addition 20 strongly insisting upon
the protection OF the Americans there
has urged them 10 come to the coast
where they can be more readily assisted
by the American men-of-war now off tho
Syrian coast As the reports indicate that
the missionaries themselves have escaped
the massacre unhsrmcd. it is probable
that the. ameads required from the Turk
ish government by the United States win
be confined 10 a demand for payment on
account of the property destroyed.