The New York herald., 1922-09-16
SMYRNA DMM0LATED
in VOLCANIC BLAZE
Only Turkish Quarters Escape
Fury Of Mustapha's
Vengeance.
ILLUMINES ALL HARBOR
Oily Smoke of Two Mile Torch
Hides Moon as Explosions
Add to Din.
ILLUMINES ALL HARBOR
by g. WARD PRICE.

by 6. WARD PRICE.
By Wireless TO the DAILY Mali Of London and
to THE NEW York HERALD.
Copyright. 1929. by THE New YORK HERALD.
Ok BOARD II. M. S. IRON DUKE, Sept.
IA, 4 A. M. (off Smyrna) Smyrna
has been practically destroyed by
gigantic fire which wiped out during
the night all the town except the
poor Turkish quarters on the hill at
the back and the extreme fringe on
the north toward the point. With
out exaggeration to-nights conflag
ration is one Of the biggest fires in
the worlds history. The damage is
incalculable and there has been
great loss of life among the native
population.
The flames are still licking up
whole quarters OF the city within a
mile from which I am writing. The
spectacle is magnificently terrible
Even the great fire of London in 1866
could not have been worse for
Smyrna counts $4,000 inhabitants.
Scenes of frantic terror have taken
place during the night amid the
Greek and Armenian population, and
were made worse by the incompe-
tence of the Turkish authorities to
deal with such vast catastrophe
and by the dread which these Greeks
and Armenians have for the Turkish
conquerors
What see as I stand. on the deck
of the Iron Duke is an unbroken wal
OF fire two miles long with twenty
distinct volcanoes raging, the flames
throwing up jagged writhing tongues
to height of a hundred feet. Against
this curtain of fire which blocks out
the sky are slhouetted the towers OF
Greek churches. the domes of mosques
and the fiat. square roofs of houses
All of Smyrna's warehouses, business
buildings, European residences and
others behind them burned like furious
torches.
Frantic Screams Above Roar.
From this intensely glowing mass
of yellow, orange and crimson fire
pour UP thick coils Of oily. black smoke
that hide the moon at It's zenith. The
sea glows deep copper red. and worst
of all. from the densely packed mob
of many thousands of refugees hud-
died on the narrow quays between the
advancing fiery death behind and the
deep water in front. comes continu-
ously such frantic screaming of sheer
terror as can be heard miles away.
Added to this there is the frequent
roar and crash of exploding ammuni-
tion stores accompanied by the rattle
of burning cartridges. which sound
like intense infantry action.
Picture a constant projection into
the red hot sky of gigantic incan-
descent balloons, a burning oil spout
in the 4Egean Sea. the air filled with
gaseous smell, while a parching
cloud of cinders and sparks drifts
across us--and you have but glim-
mering scene OF the appalling. ma jestic
destruction we are watching tonight.
II started as an insignificant out
break of black smoke fourteen hours
ago-at r. VI. Wednesday-in the
Armenian quarter, which lies a mile
and a half inshore. Only a few people
paid any attention to 1t.
.started by Armcnians.o
The work OF embarking the last part
OF the British colony, which fortu-
nately had been decided on "Wednesday
morning. went on Systematically and
all the British were safely taken away
before midnight. l was then ashore
and. climbing to the roof OF my house
and looking toward the Armenian
quarter, l saw two other fires had
started in the same part Of the city
But no one yet was uneasy.
Al 1880 p. NJ. accompanied by Gen
Kiazin Pasha. the Turkish command
ant CT the town, and two British Of
ficers. I went in an automobile 70 q
place outside Smyrna where yesterday
were aeen the bodies Of 800 Greek
girls. From there | looked back or
Smyrna. From the center of the
town n solid mass black smoke was
now pouring.
1T seems a serious fire" said tc
the town commnndant.
oh we will stop II by blowing NJ
the houses in the locality" he replied
These will go soon" he added as Q
loud report reached us.
The fire was started by Armenians,'
tho General told me. There is a band
of them barricaded in their church
in the heart of the town with supplies
and arms. Knowing they can't escape
they have fired the quarters in nine
different places. We have arrested
twenty-five of them"
Such at least was the Generals YER
sion.
Sept. II (afternoon) The fire 4
still spreading. The situation Of tn
surviving inhabitants is desperate. On
a rough estimate 100000 people are Il
ddn1er OF death from starvation.