The Washington times., 1909-04-24

which two were killed.
The real engagement. however. did |
not begin until O'Clock this morning. !
when the battle broke in all its fury
The Daoud barracks are just outside /
the Stamboul walls. The sultan's sol |
diers were the FIRST to open fire. After |
the initiai fusillade the firing ceased |
for a ti2re.
Both sides Immediately began to bring
up re-enforcements. and the entire
population became frenzied with fear.
Hundreds rushed TO the embassy /
grounds OF the various legations and
pleaded for protection' The people fed
from the streets from a wall of fire,
and locked themselves in their homes.
Battle Begins.
Within a few hours both sides placed
machine guns in position, and the
actual battle was in progressg The
Young Turks soldiers poured into the
city from their camp at San Stefano.
and their other rendezvous 1t was
soon evident that the Young Turks
would overwhelm the reactionaries.
Their soldiers were better armed and
better offcered. and they swept down
upon the defenses of the Sultan's SOL
diers with Irresistible fury. One of the
bloodiest engagements was fought on
the Rue Grsnde, the principal street of
the Pers quarter.
The reactionaries fed along the street
in an effort to reach the French Hos
pital for a refuge. They were pursued
the entire length of the fashionable
thoroughfsre by the Young Turks, and
the street was covered with corpses.
Many Of the foreigners houses were
badly damaged by the fire Of the sol
diers.
The Russian embassy was in tse di-
rect line of the lighting, and its win
dows we're broken by stray shots.
The French. German. and British en-
bassies. all in the Pera quarter. were
close to the scene Of the engagement,
while the American embassy was but
a half mile removed.
Embassies Protected.
All the embassies were surrounded by
detachments Of the Young Turks. who
furnished magnificent protection.
The YTdiz Kiosk was not attacked,
though it escaped only because the gar
rison surrendered before the palace was
reached. The fighting was gradually
drawing near the palace when the sur
render was announced.
The Young Turks wrought their dead
Hest execution with their machine guns,
and cannon were used in the destruc-
ton of the barracks. The reactionaries
also answered with cannon fire.
The hardest part Of the fighting took
place between and O'Clock this morn
ing, though desultory engagements CON
tinued even after the fall of the gar
rison had been announced.
Losses Of ReactiOnaries.
The loss OF the Young Turks was not
nearly so heavy as that Of the reac-
tionaries It is believed that fully $500
Young Turks were involved in the at.
tack
Detachments of cadets under the com
mand of saloniks officers are now pa
trolling the embassies and attempting
to guard the part Of the six outside
the zone OF fighting. to prevent the
threatened uprising OF the populace.
The Young Turks have already begun
removing the grim sights of the battle
and they are restoring order with mar
4. veious celerity.
Every effort is being made to re
assure the public. Martial law has beer
declared andt he Young Turks have pro
claimed that the lives and property o
al citizens except the ringIeaders II
the uprising who have been condemned
to death. will be protected.
Dead Estimated at 5000.
Owing to the scattering nature o
much Of the Rghting it is still impossi
bic TO state the number Of killed. Tn
. total on both sides will probably reaci
soo0. besides an enormous number o
wounded
The worst OF the lighting was ii
Pera. which is the European quartz
and the residential district Of well-to
DO natives. All the embassies, the. bi
hotels and fashionable houses Of Con
stantinople are in the quarter.
The Rue Grand de Pera, which is 4
~Constantinople what Broadway is q
New York. was turned into a shambl
By the fercest clash % the entire bat
-. Soldiers fought up and down it
entire length OF two miles. Corpse
nftered the street from end to end an
the cutters ran with the blood of vi,
tins.
Homes Struck By Bullets.
Many OF the fashionable houses alon
this thoroughfsre were struck by tn
bullets though 50 far. no casualtie
have been reported from among tn
residents.
AL the barracks Of the city, in whic
the reactionaries made desperate stand.
were the scenes OF carnage. All wer
reduced . by artillery fire after IN