The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-14
IN STEAMBOAT.
More Scenes of General Disorder at
All Points.

All Points.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec. II. via
Sofa, Dec. 13.-(Copyrighted 1895. by
Associated Press. )-There was a dis
turbance in STEAMBOAT today and it
caused the spread Of rumors so alarm
ing that Galata and Pera will soon be
in a state of panic and serious out
breaks are threatened. This, in view
of the passage through the Dardanelles
of the British gunboat Dryad and the
Italian gunboat Archimede. the extra
guardships of the British and Italian
embassies. formed the basis for the re-
port that the rioting predicted by Yil-
dir Kiosk couriers had actually COM
menced, but happily the trouble was
not serious. although the Armenians,
as usual, are accused of having at
tempted to bring about an uprising Of
trouble. The panic, however, was
striking evidence of the nervousness
and apprehension which prevail here
as a result Of the long drawn out nego-
tiations between the powers and the
sultan regarding the suppression of
the outbreaks in Asiatic Turkey and
the admittance of extra guardships
into the Bosphorus. Simmered down
to the bare facts, the cause of the panic
was a fierce quarrel between two Ar
menians in STEAMBOAT quarters. Finally
one drew a revolver and fired at his
opponent The shot was signal for
an uproar the stampede Of the specta-
tors and eventually the panic which
spread from one end Of the city to the
other, until matters began to look very
serious indeed. The ArmenianS and
other Christians terrified by shouting
and yelling, imagined that fresh mas
sacre had commenced. They hurriedly
closed their shops and houses, barri-
caded their doors and windows, con-
cealed most of their valuable belong
ings and made all preparations possi-
Bile for defense. Women and men arm
ed themselves as best they could after
the recent visits of the police, who
searched the Armenian residences for
concealed weapons, and left those UNI
fortunate people very little to fall back
upon for defense in case Of an uprising
of Mussulmans.
Every Shop Shut.
The example Of the Armenians OF
STEAMBOAT in hurriedly closing their
shops, etc, was followed in street after
street until in the briefest period Of
time imaginable, every shop was shut
and nearly all the houses were barri-
caded Crowds of people, male and
female. old and young. were seized
with terror which grew in strength as
the time wore on. and the confusion
increased. People FASTENED hither and
thither aimlessly, helplessly, apparent
ly unaware Of what they were doing,
not knowing what had actually hap
pened, but with the general impression
that a massacre was in progress some-
where.
1t is difficult to describe to those un.
acquainted with the vagaries of the
population of this city, and who are
not familiar with the state of nervous
tension which has existed here for
alarm and disorder which prevailed
here ait the height of the excitement
this morning. Every mann seem in the
streets seemed to have lost his head for
the time, and it would not have needed
much more to actually precipitate a
terrible outbreak.
From STEAMBOAT the wave of terror
swept to Galata and to Pera, carried
onward by the panic-stricken fugitives
from the first named quarter, who were
evidently under the impression that
they were fleeing for their lives.
FINALLY the gen d'armes circulated
among the people and explained to
them the real state of affairs, which
soon caused the majority to return to
their usual occupations somewhat dis
gusted at having been so needlessly
frightened.
The Turkish government, when IN
formed of the alarming report in cir
culation, sent to the different embas-
sizes saying that the report was ground
less, and that there was no cause for
alarm.
The troops, however, have been or
dered to patrol the streets in order to