New-York tribune., 1922-10-10
Smyrna Horror
Is Told Here by
/ Eye Witnesses
Ohicers of the Freighter
Winona Describe Greek
ketreat and Terrifying
Flight of the Refugees
Hailed by Harbor Ships
Story Of Her r ellie f
Work Arrives First; Car.
ried Fugitives to Pireaus

NAoPHAc CaieS Oh the horrors attend
ing the evacuation Of Smyrna by the
Greeks, the Turkish invasion and the
subsequent confagration were given
yesterday by the officers of the freight
er Winona, the first vessel to arrive
here from the stricken city. Stories of
the relief work accomplished by the
Wlnona preceded her to this port, and
when she came up the bay she was
given an ovation by other craft in the
harbor.
Captain John Walters, of the Wi
mona, was deeply affected as he told of
the events leading up to the burning
OF Smyrna, and declared that in his
twenty-four years at sea he had never
witnessed anything so depressing and
The Winona, operated by the Export
Steamship Company, Of 25 Broadway,
for the Shipping Board. arrived in the
inner harbor Of Smyrna on the morn
ing of September s. At that time the
Greek army was retreating through the
streets, and 100000 refugees were
storming steamship Offices in the re-
mote hope that they might leave before
tho entrance Of the victorious Turk.
All merchant vessels we're ordered that
night from their anchorages to the
outer harbor, precautionary measure
adopted by the Allied naval officers,
who feared disorders in the town,
threats having already been made by
the Turks to destroy the city by fire.
The Winona, the officers said, was the
last to leave the inner harbor, and
when she weighed anchor the Allied
battleships, destroyers and smaller
craft were tied up along the water
front.
Then Turks Enter City
\ The following morning the vanguard
of the Turkish army entered the town.
according to the captain, and when
their presence became known the refu-
gees along the water front became
panieky, and the Greek soldiers dis
carded their uniforms and fed.
The officers of the Winona, which
was anchored about mile off shore,
said that they heard plainly the
screams Of women interspersed with
volleys of rife shots coming from the
Jewish and Armenian quarters of the
city. On the night of September II
shooting again was heard. About mid
night an Armenian swan to the
Winona and told os the promiscuous
shooting of Greeks, Armenians and
Jews and the looting of their homes.
The following day the officers and men
of the Winona said they saw a group
Of Turks kill half dozen civilians
after they had driven them out of
their homes.
The following night the shooting in
the city subsided and no screaming
was heard, and on the morning Of
September IA the Winona, through
the efforts of the American Consul
was granted permission by the Turks
to return to the inner harbor for
cargo. When she tied up, the officers
said, Turkish civilians could be seen
looting Greek and Armenian shops.
That. afternoon about o'clock, ac-
cording to Captain Walters, fire broke
out in four different places in the city
The captain said he did not believe it
was case Of incendiarism on the part
of the Greeks or Armeniar.s, for the
configrations started in their own
quarters. American relief workers
told the officers of the Winona that
they had seen Turkish officers enter
houses remain few minutes and then
emerge, and that shortly afterward
smoke was issuing from these houses.
American School Pupils Safe
Several hours later the entire busi-
ness section of the city was in flames,
the wind forcing the blaze into the
European quarters. Boats from the
American destroyer Litchield began
arriving at the side of the Winona
shortly after o'clock, bringing the
inmates Of an American orphanage and
pupils Of several American schools.
When the American College was aban-
doned Greeks and Armenians sought
refuge there, but the Turks were seen
following them and in tho opinion OF
the relief workers probably all of the
fugitives perished
The Winona got under way from
Smyrna on the evening OF Septem Der
Ia with 1,243 refugees 1t was under
| orders from Captain A. j. Hep'3ur,'
U. s.. NJ, to proceed to Piraus, where
the American Consul already had gone
on the destroyer Simpson TO prepare
for the Decentralization.
When the Winona left she pas e /
| several lighters crowded with refugees
that had been towed out and anchored
five days previous. The refugees had
been left without food or water. The
men, the older and younger women
were being segregated by the Turkish
soldiers as the Winona passed, but
what disposition was made of these
ficers, Of the freighter.
were fully clad. One girl was nude,
and was hysterical and delirous during
the. entire trip to Pireus, so it was
never learned what had happened to
her. Scantily clad men were suffering
from bayonet wounds and endured in
tnse suffering until Pireaus was
reached, where all the refugees were
sheltered, fed and. clothed.