NEWS BY THE SAN FRANCISCO MALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2596, 20 July 1876, Page 3

NEWS BY THE SAN FRANCISCO MALL.

SUICIDE OF THE BULTAN OF TURKEY.

It is officially announced, ssyi the Nm York Tribune ot June 7, that the ex-Sultan Abdel Azix committed suicide on Sunday morning by opening the veins of his arms with a pair of scissors. The Turkish Minister at Athens baa received an official telegram stating that Abdul Asia committed suicide because he was maddened by the setxure at 30,000,000 Turkish pounds, lib private treasure. At Paris the story of the Sultan's suicide meets with contemptuous incredulity. At Rome the journals generally express the belief that Abdul Axis was murdered. Tho incidents which attended his overthrow and imprisonment appear to be as follows:— The) Ministers assembled on Monday of last week at tbe residence of the Grand Vixier. and dia* cussed tbe state of public affairs. They oonoluded that unless some radical measure* were adopted general rebellion and a total collapse of the State would result. A resolution was adopted embodying these view*, and a petition to the Sultan was drawn up praying bim to abdicate in order to save tho country. The Sultan reoeived the petition with affected composure, and said he would consider the matter. On Tuesday then was popular demonstration in the streets. The trade guilds, headed by the Softas marched to the Sultan's Palace, unopposed by the military, who were evidently disaffected. The crowd cheered for Murad, and demanded the dowra* fall of Abdul Axix. In the meantime Murad. having been released from his own house to whioh he had been confined by the Sultan, was conducted to the mosque and deolared Sultan Murad the Fifth. Soon after this, Suleiman Pasha, accompanied by soldiers aad officers, informed Abdul Axix that the nation had deposed bim, and he should surrender the palace to bis successor. The atitude of the troops convinced Axix that resistance was impossible. Immediately after his overthrow reports were current that the Sultan had been murdered. His fate created deep concern in the royal courts of Europe. Queen Viotoria took steps at onoe te be assured of his personal safety. This anxiety was allayed bv a telegraph circular fron the Porte, wherein it was stated that the ex-Sultan would be treated with the consideration and honour due to hia person. Despite the official assurance rumours have been current that tbe ex-Sultan would be sent to Asia Minor, where it would be out of bis power to disturb the Government. It may have been fears of this step, aa well a* the hostility of the new Vixier, which led Abdul Axis to commit suicide. There are rumours of a nossible war between Russia and Austria, arising from the Eastern fusetion.

Trnc SKERRYVORE-

It will be remembered thai this vessel, whioh took the Philadelphia exhibits from Melbourne and Lyttelton, made a very protracted voyage. In the Fall Mall Gatetts we find the following :— William Stoddart, master of the ship Skerryvore, of Sunderland, was oharged before 'the Plymouth magistrates, with attempting to scuttle the ship while oa a voyage from Melbourne to New York, with articles for tie Philadelphia Exhibition. Tho evidence of George Armstrong, mate, and Joseph Thompson, steward, was that the vessel was perfectly sound until April 28, and, when sounded, 7ft 6in of water was found in her hold. Soon after the inrush of water was stopped, and she was pumped dry in fourteen hours. Armstrong said tbat tbe captain j endeavoured to run the vessel ashore two or ' three times. The witness tried to see the chronometer, bnt the captain would not Ist him. He was from seventy to seventy-five miles out of his reckoning. Five or six days before April 23, the captain ordered the witness to give him two augurs, a saw, two ohisels, aad a plane, and he had never seen the augurs since. Armstrong said be could not aooount for the leak from the perils ef the sea. The prisoner, who protested against beiag kept a prisoner merely on suspicion, was remanded. — — THB GREAT QUEBEC FIRE. Qubbbc, May 31.— Nearly 700 houses were destroyed by tbe fire which yesterday raged for nine hours in this city. The ire was caused, it is supposed, by children playing incautiously with matches. Tbe flames were first noticed by the fire brigade about three o'clock in the afternoon, and the alarm was immediately sounded. There was a smart westerly wind blowing at she time, and this served to carry the flames to the roofs of neighbouring houses, which being mostly of wood ignited rapidly. Immense clouds of black smoke belched forth and threw a dark shadow over the vicinity. Vehicles of all sorts were pressed into service, and people began moving their effeots. Valuable articles of furniture were thrown from windows or hauled through doorways, rapidly blocking up the pavements and portions of the streets. Heavily laden horses wended their way through these obstructions, whipped and urged on by half frantic drivers. This created terrible confusion. Men and women rushed wildly about looking for children, who in turn sought as anxiously for their parents. John street and the lower suburbs were crowded with effects saved and deposited on tbe sidewalks aad in every vacant space. St. Louis street and the cricket field were also occupied by household goods, while the tower fields towards the close of night looked like a fair ground. Police were early on the ground, as were also the fire brigade in full strength, but as usual the water supply was slow in ooming to their aid. The Levis steam engine did excellent service during the even* ing in checking the spread of tbe Are in St. Bustaohe, drawing its supply of water from a well at Esplanade and projecting it through about 3000ft of rubber hose. Tbe city steam fire engine also was placed inthe vicinity of St John's Churoh, but it did not get into proper working order until the evening was somewhat advanced, owing to a scanty supply of water. The fire having once got headway, it was impossible to check its progress, and it hud to be left to take its course, driven as it w»- by a westerly wind. The efforts of the Fire Brigade, the Provinoial Police, aad Battery B were limited to fighting tbe domes whenever an opportunity offered of confining them within a narrower circle. The rows of buildings lining Grande Alice, though in great danger at one time, were saved ; bat it may be stated generally that a whole section of the city is now only^ a forest of chimney stacks and smouldering ruins. At one time also embers were carried by the wind, and fell in showers within the walls, setting fire to a number of houses, but fortunately in all cases the flames were speedily extinguished, After nightfall the wind lulled somewhat, and tbe conflagration gradually burned itself eut on the line of St.

Eustaoho stroot, having nothing more to feed upon, owing fco fche forfcunato intervention at this point of the Glacis Field and Esplanade. It was reported last night that a woman was missing, also a ohild of Mr Cote, a joiner, on Soott street, who was himself badly burned about tho face and hands, and also ono or two other ohildren, whose names it was impossible to ascertain. It is olbp stated that one of the nuns of tho Good Shepherd Convent, who was in delicate health, reoeived suoh a nervous shock as to puporinduoe her sudden death. Thero were minor casualties and narrow escapes.