Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-01-08
KHlRPUT IN STORE
FOR AN IMPORTANT
PART ON THE FIGHT

WASHINGTON, D, c., Jan. s.
"Kharput, a fourishing city of 10000
inhabitants, beautifully situated on a
hill terrace a few miles south of the
Murad Su. or Eeastern Euphrates, and
near the head waters of the Tigris,
seems destined to play an important
part in the Russian campaign IN Asia
Minor during the next few weeks" ac-
cording to today's war geography bull
letin, issued from the Washington
headquarters of the National Geo
graphic Society.
"The strategic Importance OF the
town is due to its situation on the
great highway artery running from
Samsun on the Black Sea, to Diar-
bekr. Sivas, another strategic city on
the same road, Is some $50 miles north
west of Kharput, and Diarbekr is 80
miles to the southeast. To the north
east lies Erzerum, distance of 40
mile and seven days journey by a
fauguing bride path. Mezere, the
capital of the vilayet or province of
which Kharput is the chief city Is only
three miles to the south. ErZingan is
so miles due north.
"Kharput is widely known to Amer
leans as the center of missionary &C
tivities in Armenia. A college. theo-
logical seminary and boys and
girls school are located here. This
colony of Christians suffered terribly
ct the hands of Kurds some twenty
years ago when after burning many Of
the populous Armenian villages which
dotted the fertile plain stretching far
to the south, the wild tribesmen sue
ceeded in entering the town itself, put
ting to the sword Gregorian and prot
estant Armenian clergymen and con-
verts, and footing the monasteries and
missions.
THE history of Kharput goes back
to the cloudy obscurity of the years
which marked the decay of the Selucid
Empire, in which period it was known
as Carcathiocerta in the kingdom of
Sophene, founded by Zariadris. 1t was
one Of the towns visited by the Roman
general Corbule in the course of his
famous campaign against Tirdates, who
had been crowned king of Armenia by
lis brother, the Parthian Volgaeses.
Corbulo, after having forced Tiridates
to lay his diadem at the feet Of a statue
of the Roman emperor and to swear
never to resume it until he received it
at the hands of the sovereign in Rome,
was ordered home by the Jealous Nero.
When the hero, who was the idol Of his
soldiers and who might easily have
attained the imperial crown itself,
reached the port of Corinth he was met
by messengers from Nero who COM
handed him to commit suicide. With
out a moments hesitation the intrepid
general obeyed the order. saying as he
expired, I have deserved it.
"Kharput was one of the cities cap
tured by the ilistrous and powerful
Seljuk prince Kaikobad during his war
against Is princes of Syria and Meso-
lotamia led by the Egyptian Malifi-al-
Kamil. His triumph was short-liVed,
however, for two years after the fall Of
this city and the triumph of his arms
he was poisoned by his own son.
During the first quarter of the
twelfth century Kharput was the place
o. Imprisonment of Baldwin II, king of
Jerusalem, who had fallen into the
hands of the Amir Balkak of Mardin,
The historian William of Tyre has pre-
served the fictitious legend that while
irving to make his escape Baldwin
was apprehended and that in punish
ment for this he was cast from a near
by cliff and dashed to death on the
rocks below"