The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-03
IWomdn' S Account
Of d Massacre
American Missionary Writes
Story of Her Experiences
During Armenian
Numbering

II DANA Asiatie Turkey. May tvia
II constantinople. May 2).-Miss Eliz-
abeth H. Webb. missionary of the
American board from Bunker Hill. H..
has written a narrative of her expert
ences during the first days of the
massacres in Adana- The girls school.
TO which she was attached, was in the
greatest danger and the lives of the
students were threatened from all sides.
She says:
Our friends came to school as usual
on Wednesday. April 81. although we
heard that there was a great deal of
unrest in the city. Soon firing began.
ana before noon things were in such
a disturbed condition that we were
afraid to send the day scholars home.
The girls were too excited to study
We ourselves tried to go on with our
annual meeting, but the reading OF the
prayer books was interrupted by the
screaming in the streets and the shoot
ing. Two of our Turkish children were
present and we thought it would be
possible to send word of our danger
by a Turk who had come TO take them
home. Accordingly. notes TO their father
and to the governor were sent, but
there were no responses
As night came on fires began to
flare up in all directions. and we were
fearful that the rioters would break
into the school. Finally the English
consul arrived and left three of his
own guard OF Turkish soldiers to take
care of u.s.
An through the night we seemed
actually to be in a state of siege. The
three soldiers kept firing their Marinis
and-1he fire was returned from the
minaret houses near by. In the morn
ing our guard discovered that the men
in the minaret houses, whose fire they
had been returning, were Turkish SOL
diers and that others who had been
firing upon US were friends whom we
knew by name. Finally, in spite Of the
fact that consul had said they must
remain until he returned, the guards
climbed the wall and ran away.
I'm the meanwhile the fires about
the city had increased and the sound
of shooting could be heard from every
point At last the consul passed. He
was able TO spare only one man. Soon
after the consul left US fires broke
out In the adjacent streets We had
hung Turkish flags ON all sides OF
the building, but this did not stop
the thousands engaged, in the riots
from firing their weapons, although ap-
parentIy they were not directed
against US.
Our only safety seemed to be to
check the flames. We women and girls
carried water. while the men cut down
the street was also torn down. About
this time we were Mortified to learn
that Mr. Rogers and Mr.. Maurer had
been shot while lighting the fire. They
were brought into our dining room
Mr.. Maurer already was dead. and Mr..
Rogers only lived few minutes The
Rev. Stephen R Trowbridge, who was
near them at the time. escaped. al
though bullet took OF his hat.
Our guard of one man next disap-
peared; things looked pretty dark
That night young men from the
Gregorian and Protestant communities
patroled the streets around our build
ing.
"A great crowd composed of soldiers
and others bent on piundering gath
cred at the rear of our house for a,
attack
The greatest danger. of course, was
for the girls, and we decided to take
them to Mr.. Chambers house. Seem
ingly without fear they marched out in
order. two and two across the streel
to the house of Miss Wallace, the Eng
lish nurse, where they arrived in
safety"