The Washington times., 1901-10-13

"A considera bic number of European
architects and engineers are employed
by the Sultan. As he is as distrusttul
of them as of everyone else, he makes
their work very difficult by compelling
them to take n number of absurd pre-
cautions intended to surround their
work with the most absolute secrecy
plans, designs, and buildings in course
Of construCtion-lor fear that details of
this nature being divulged. imaginary
cOnspiratOrS might find it easy TO at
tempt some bold stroke.
This ridiculous caution often causes
the builders real embarrassment; for
instance, they are strictly forbidden
to measure otherwise than by PAGES
the distance separating two buildings.
IF NildiZ is, as We have said,
barbarous medley of incongruous
dwellings ii is particularly to Abdul
Hamid. s fear and the conditions it has
tyrannically imposed in building-the
composition of the facades, the ar
rangement of the apartments down to
the most trihing detai's-that one must
attribute this lack Of harmony, for
there is not wanting certain natural
taste and talent for architecture. the
Sultan showing a marked preference
for the modern and even for the new
More than one plan, executed with his
own hand, has surprised his archi-
tects. He understands their eNplana-
tionS very well and recognizes the cor
rectness of the observations they
make, but he never gives way to them,
he wants them. He is very trouble
some employer, for he tyranniZes and
exasperates them during the entire
work. For instance, he never finds
their walls strong enough, and has
them doubled in thickness, at the risk
of max ing the facade look heavy and
of disturbing the interior arrange
ments.'
Then follows an elaborate description
of the Yildiz estate and of the Sultan's
apartments He will allow no electricity
to be used either in his palace or in Con-
stantinople, for fear of some sort of ex-
plosion; and he has a morbid terror Of
d: Mantle One of the Sultans peculiar
customs is thus described:
Abdul Iiamid goes to bed late. as
he likes to sleep as little as possible.
Nightfall frightens him and darkness
terrifies him. So is the miracle of fiat
lux realized each night I'm the palace
and out-of-the-way lobbies of
the palace and the most dis
tant alleys of the immense
park are lighted brilliantly from
twilight until dawn. If by chance he
notices that a lamp has blown out he
Immediately enquiries into the cause OF
the accident and opens minute in
vestigaticl on the subject. Moreover,
IL is not only on account of its dark
ness that he fears night, but also on
on account of its silerce, and in order
escape the fright tat this causes him
he has the palace orchestra play un-
til a very late hour. or else gives or
ders that men in his employ march
ceaselessly before his room so that
the sound of their measured tramp
may calm his nerves.
The Sultan's terror Of assassination
takes a thousand forms. Here is an
other:
Abdul Hamid has many pockets,
all deep and Queerly arra nged accord
ing to his own directions to his tailor.
They serve him both as archives and
arsenals. In addition to putting in
them the numerous reports from spies,
which he is accustomed to keep a
long time and read several times be-
fore filing away. he also carries in
them the three reVolyers with which
he is always armed. Generally speak
ing. the pocket question, his own as
much as those of others, usurp an i'm
portant place among the anxieties of
the suspicious monarch. The discreet
folds and mysteriously obscure Sits,
secret entrances to impenetrable hid
ing places, cause him visible uneaSi-
ness, and he would gladly forbid his
subjects their use dare he decree so
tyrannical a law. However. If Turks
are allowed to have pockets, it is a
crime to put one s hands in them, or
to unbuttOn one Of ones garments in
presence Of the Padshah. His cham
berlains and secretaries must, there
fore, hold out in their hands the docu-
ments they bring him. Sadyk Pasha,
the former Grand Nizier. was dis
graced and eXiled to Lemnos-a mere
coincidence, porhaps-a few days after
an unfortunate gesture he made dur
ing an interview with his Ma jeSty.
The Sultan having asked for a GER
tain paper, the Minister plunged his
hand into the inside pocket of his
stambouline TO get it. Abdul Hamid
thought that the gesture was not very
graceful, and more especially not very
reassuring.
THE Sultan watches atten.ively the
few persons he receives in audience.
and follows anxiously their slightest
change in attitude. He has horror
of quick gesture, a rapid step, an un-
expected movement and woe to him
who unwittingly startles this monoma-
MAC, constantly prey to the mania of
persecution. The habit he has of al
ways carrying firearms renders his
timidity dangerous for others, and up
to the present time IL has cost the
lives of a large number of innocent be-
ings of both sexes
I'VE win mention here only the case
of one of his gardeners. who, working
one day in the park of Yildiz, on see
ing the Sultan approach unexpectedly.
rose quickly from a STOPPING posture
to assume a respectful attitude Alb
dul Hamid. startled at his sudden ap-
pearance and suspecting some evil mo
tive, at once fired at him. The unfor-
tunate man expired soon after, and as
no weapon was found upon hm, it
had to be Acknowledged that a blunder
had been committed.
Incidents of this sort make the narra-
I'VE Of NJ. Dorys read like a melodramatic
ovel Of intrigue emanating from the
vely brain of some writer of romance,
ut there is an air of realism about them,
1r all that.
One chapter is devoted to the harem
nd its occupants, and the last contains
ONE information about the children Of
lie Sultan, thirteen in number. Curiously
lough. 1T is stated that two at least of
lese children, son and a daughter. are
OF only intelligent and well educated,
ut Of altogether attractive personality. |
rince Selim Effendi and Princess Maine
re said to be happily married, devoted
, their respective mates and the former.
specially, is said TO be decidedly intellec-
Ial' in spite of the hampering restric-
ons of his life. NJ. Dorys says:
Although thoroughly good man.
hard worker, and possessed of keen in /
telligence, Prince Selim. unfortunately.
has not been able to turn his abilities
TO account owing to the state of cap
tivity in which he is practically kept.
He is subjected TO eNasperating sur
veillance, deprived of all communica-
tion, not only with the outside world
but with the people of the palace, and
even with his own brothers, and is fur
nished with course OF reading more
apt TO dull his intellect than to de-
velop ii. The prince imperial must,
indeed. have been remarkably wen en- ;
dowed by nature not to show more
the pernicious effects of this system of
education. said recently some one II
whose functions in the palace have
brought him In close contact with the
prince.
AT the present time he still con-
tinues his studies with the assistance
of a professor. and Inv hinf nf rnr.n Z