THE BURNING OF SERAJEVO.

Kumara Times, Issue 963, 31 October 1879, Page 4

THE BURNING OF SERAJEVO.

Further particulars of the burning of Serajevo appear in the London Telegraph, which speaks of the town of Serajevo being "completely destroyed by fire." It says:—"Fifteen hundred houses are burnt to the ground, and 20,000 people are without shelter. The military hospital, together with the two large provision magazines, followed next, and within six hours every private warehouse, and even the mosques, had fallen a prey to the flames. The Servian Church, the Hotel Austria, and the German Consulatethree of the principle buildings of the town—are so many heaps of smouldering ashes. The Begova Mosque, built by the Grand Vizier Choaren, with its glitteiing copper dome, 150 ft high, resisted the flames for a time, but finally gave way, and fell to the ground with a crash that was heard distinctly for some distance around. The value of property destroyed is incalculable. The houses and public buildings being of wood, literally nothing remains of them. At one moment the flames over a space of 600 metres long by 400 broad, and their fury was only quelled when there was nothing left to burn. Two-thirds of the population are irretrievably ruined, and a number of large trading firms in Vienna and Trieste have sustained immense loss. The outbreak of the fire is reported to be due to the careless manipulation of inflamable liquid; but this can be nothing more than a supposition, as nobody on the premises where the accident occurred survives to give evidence. The number of victims is not great, the population being on foot when the first alarm was given. The town of .Serajevo is, or rather was, situated at the eastern entrance of the Serajevo Polje Valley, on either Bide of the river Miljacka. The principal thoroughfares run parallel to the river, the suburbs being built on the slope of the hill that borders it on one side. A more beautiful situation it is impossible to imagine, and for centuries it has been known amongst the Turks as the pearl of Bosnia the Golden. The houses built of wood were painted bright yellow, and in the suburbs were separated from each other by small gardens. The most important, and at the same time the most thrifty quarter of the town, of which hardly a vestige remains, was situated on the right bank of the river, and comprised the Servian, Jewish, Catholic, and trading elements of the population. A large number of the inhabitants are Europeans. This was the city of Serajevo, and went by the name of the Carsia. It included from 50 to 60 streets, and at certaia hours of the day the traffic was so great that movement was difficult. Large quantities of merchandise were warehoused there; but, the streets being extremely narrow and closely built, all attempts to isolate the flames were fruitless. This is the fifth time that Serajevo has been destroyed by fire. The previous conflagrations occurred in 1480, 1644. 1956, and 1687. It will now be built in European style, and I believe that no time will be lost in its reconstruction." The Standard correspondent says : " The latest accounts of the disaster at Serajevo represent that 760 houses exclusive of side houses and shops, have been burnt down. The rich Servians are leaving the town with their families for the country, To provide room for the homeless the military have left their quarters, which are now filled with the poor panic-stricken sufferers. Two explosions followed the outbreak of the fire, supposed to be of spirit casks. One man was killed. The house which first caught, as well as those in its neighborhood, "was very favorable to the spread of the flames, having felt the intense heat of the two preceding months. A high wind was blowing during most of the time the fire lasted. One hour after the fire broke out, three gunshots from the Castello called the attention of the inhabitants to their imminent danger. Meanwhile all the 10 streets of the Roman Catholic quarter were on fire, including the .Roman Catholic church, the nuns' school, and the German School. The fire advanced to the bridge and street known as Tschumurija, and reached a mosque filled with State provisions. On other sides the fire was half an hour later—namely, half-past six—before reaching the Latin Bridge and Franz Joseph street, which it immediately swept over, proceeding tthence to Taschlihan and the Great fßazaar. It was only at this juncture that [the inhabitants gained an idea of the kterrible danger which threatened the fwhole city. They hastened to their dwellings, crying " Sauve qui newt" The soldiers were all this time workinc indefatigably, but it was found impossible to limit the range of the fire. The commercial quarters, called Tscharschiga then began to burn, and at 8 p.m. Serajevo was one great furnace, the waves of the fire extending from Miljaskarivier to Ferhadia street, and from the great Servian church to the Begova mosque. The engines and water supply -were totally nadequate for the occasion. The Spanish juarter, with all its wooden houses, was et on fire, also Tschemaltusha street, with Officers' Hospital, the German Consulate, ;nd Turkish Bath. At 10 p.m. the pe stood at Careva bridge. From time o time the exploding of cartridges rod sharp detonations were heard -1 "°J^ I . n ? L inte ""Pted the gallantry nth which the soldiers worked. At midlight the fire reached the Italian Con ulate, near Mountainsides, where it was topped, but on the other side it went on a Tschernerlira and Lugawina streets it 2 o'clock in the morning the comlercial quarter could not yet be passed ezng still partly burning and partly lowing, after the expiring flames. The reat Bazaar in those portions not made f wood had resisted, as well as the Great

Mosque Begovadshamija. Two other mosques were, however, burned. The storm having ceased, and the mill-rivulet being led into the streets, the fire was limited and more easily extinguished. The next day there we?e only some litte outbreaks, but the chief danger had been overcome, but the interior oE Sarajevo, which was its most interesting part, exists no more. The danger threatening the Miljaska, on the left bank, of which the State buildings are situated, was averted by the cessation of the storm.

According to the report of Consul Perceval, of Port Said, the total number of vessels which passed through the Suez Canal in 1878 was 1550, of which 1227 were British, 89 French, 71 Dutch, 44 Italian, 38 Austrian, 22 German, 21 Spanish, 8 Egyptian, 8 Japanese, 6 Danish, 5 Swedish and Nor wegian, 4 Portugese, 3 Turkish, 2 Belgian, 1 American, and 1 Zanzibar. The total tonnage was 2,178 316 tons, of which 1,726,946 tons were British.