The Riots at Adana.-

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · May 26, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 21.

The Riots at Adana.—

There have been several outbreaks of fanaticism during the past week and the danger is not entirely over, but it is believed that there will be no more serious massacres. The reason why the riot was unchecked for many days was because the local authorities were uncertain of the outcome of the struggle in Constantinople and feared to take any decisive action, lest they should find themselves upon the wrong side. Accordingly they let Turks and Armenians fight it out among themselves. The few Turkish soldiers that were stationed to guard the mission buildings at Adana and Hadjin deserted, leaving the hundreds of girls in the mission schools unprotected. After the disorder had abated, many of the girls were sent down to Mersina to avoid the pestilence which followed the massacres. There were 1,400 sick and wounded in Adana. Smallpox and other epidemic diseases have broken out. Great numbers have perished from starvation. A large part of Adana has been burned, including the Jesuit and Armenian churches and schools. The American Mission building, the Catholic Sisters’ school and one Gregorian church have been saved. The bodies of the murdered Armenians are being gathered up in carts and dumped into the river. Rev. Mr. Gibbons, of Hartford, Conn., reports counting a dozen cartloads being carried to the river within half an hour on Saturday morning. Latakia is filled with refugees from the adjacent villages which have been destroyed by the Mohammedans. The number is estimated at 5,000, and the supply of food and medicine is altogether inadequate. The government at Constantinople is doing what it can to check the disorders in Asia Minor. The Governor-General of Adana, who was placed in power by Abdul Hamid, has been removed and a new governor-general sent to the province, with 3,000 reliable soldiers from Salonika. A military tribunal has been organized to court-martial the leaders in the massacre. Parliament has appropriated $100,000 for the relief of the sufferers in that region.—The Independent.