Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-08-16
TATO| FOREST NOW
SMOULDERINC Ruins
Famous Residence of Late
King George of Greece
Destroyed
MOUNT PARNES
IS BARE OF FOREST


lily wooded slopes Of Mount Parnes
are as naked today as those Of Mount
Pentelicon or any other OF the Attic
hills.
The tens Of thousands OF dollars
spent In cultlvatinR a Furnishing pine
wood, as an example OF what might
be done with forestry. in barren At
tica have been burned up as complete
ly as II the bank notes themselves
had been thrown in the fire. The lives
OF three officers. 100 soldiers and an
unknown number Of shepherds aud
villagers have added tragedy TO the
disaster
King Constantlne's villa is a heap
OF ashes. Even the age-old pines
surrounding the grave Of King
George were felled TO save the tomb
itself from desecration Only the old
Kings palace. now the property OF
the dowager Queen Olga, remains.
saved by the fact that an open space
had been left about the building for
the snke OF the view.
Over a month OF unprecedented
drought IN Greece and a consistent
mean temperature in the neighbor-
hood OF ITO degrees in the shade has
turned the whole OF Greece into a
basket OF dried chips. For fort
night before the Are at Tatoi reports
had been coming in from Missolonghi.
Patras. Megara and the forrest of
Thebes. Kineta. Chalols. Camarza,
Trichonia. Names. Pyrgos. Agouli-
nltsa. and the island OF Scyros OF for
est fires IN which millions OF trees
were being destroyed. The fire az
Megara and In the forest OF Kincta is
still raging and Ia already greater in
extent than that Ht Tatoi
Started Near Fortress.
II was only upon the morning Of the
18th. however. that the general con-
flagration spread to the vicinity Of
the capital The hre is supposed 10
have started near the ancient fortress
known as the Palaeokastro OF Karl
smldl. in a defile near the summit OF
Mount parnes. only some four miles
as the wind blows from the Chateau
Of Pekelia at Tatoi. In few hours
the flames spread over an advancing
front OF six miles and were sweeping
down tho slopes OF Mount Parnes.
where Sophocles lies buried. with the
royal summer palace directly In their
path.
At once the order was given 10 re-
move the furniture Of the royal villa
TO Athens. The King himself accom-
panied by the chief OF his personal
bodyguard. Capt, Ellie Chrysospathis /:
by Lieut.. Col. Dellaporta and Lieut..
M I4n
and went toward the advancing
! flames.
Four regiments OF infantry we're
ordered from Athens and one from
Chalcis To try 10 stop the FIRE. but the
parched pines were like finder. and
nothing could be done The acrid
smoke obscured everything, sweeping
IN clouds even TO Athens An entire
company OF infantry was surround
ed by the FIRE, few escaping unscorch-
ed and some twenty being burned be-
yond recognition.
The flames approached so rapidly
the place where King Constantine and
his three companies we're stationed
that the sovereign found his retreat
cut OF and was forced 10 leap down
some eighteen feet into gully,
spraining his ankle so badly that I;
was with the greatest difficulty he
was able TO proceed further. Corporal
Alexiadis came upon the monarch IN
this state. and half carrying kim
managed 20 get the King to a place OF
safety. King Constantine has made
the corsbral knight OF tho order OF
the Saviour for his heroism.
Three Burned Alive.
Meanwhile Col. Dellaporta. Cant
Chrysospathis and Lieut. Kouloumopl
oulso, blinded by the smoke were un.
able TO find their way out Of the for
est All three we're burned alive
AZ s o'clock In the afternoon, II wal
deemed necessary FOR the Queen ant
her children TO flee Tatoi for Athens
An hour and a half later the KIM
himself was forced to leave after hav
ing given orders to cut the tree
around his fathers tomb 60 isolate I
from the flames. Nv night the FIR
had cut the northern railway to la
rissa. and destroyed the teiephon
, and telegraph wires. The whole SIX,
! 10 the north OF Athens was reddene,
! by the flames. which rapidly ap
| preached Kephissia. seven and hal
L miles from Tatoi. and only eight an,
{ half miles from Athens.
! Kephissia Is a fashionable suburb
/ OF the Greek capital where the great
err part OF Athenian society Is estab
] iished in villas for the summer Pani
seized the inhabitants OF Kephissii
and during the night many feverishl,
packed their belongings against
move tho frst thing in the morning
A sudden shift Of the wind. however
began to drive the flames back NJ
the slopes Of Mount Parnes and KEEP
hissia was left unframed.
/, A TIE Deum was held in the cathe
dral for the saving OF the lives OF IN
King and the royal family. and
state funeral service. attended by al
I the members OF the royal family. saw
the King. confined TO the palace b
HIS swollen ankle. for the three on
GERS who had lost their lives In IN
A flames AS many bodies OF soldier
: a. had been found up to yesterda
= were also Inferred. most Of them s
II charred as 70 render Identification i'm
n possible. More bodies are bein
,s brought in. but few are recognizable
n Some 100000 trees were destroyed
! as we'll as four small villages. In tn
~ royal garage seven automobiles wer
burned. The royal villa was insure
for $4,000. King Constantine and hi
ltarDflv will rnove info the Chatham =