Wisconsin Herald

Constantinople, Aug. 19.

On Wednesday, towards seven in the evening, a most lamentable fire broke out in Yemi-h Iskolessi, (dried fruit bazaar.) situated between the two bridges. The intensity of the conflagration acquired such force, on account of the surrounding inflammable matter, that in a quarter of an hour it had extended itself in a fearful manner. In the immediate neighborhood of the fruit bazaar was the Yagh Kapau, or oil depot, the magazines and warehouses being well stocked; on the other side, towards the arsenal, was an immense timber yard, the largest in the city, a quarter of a mile long, one hundred feet high, and five hundred broad. By eight o'clock both these places were in flames. A compact mass of shipping was moored opposite this spot, and the masts of several Turkish vessels, laden with oil, wheat, and timber, soon took fire. The fire has consumed, according to a detailed estimate, about twenty-five hundred shops and five hundred houses; about forty of the latter were splendid palaces, belonging to the Shiek-ul Islam, Moustapha Pasha, Said Pasha, Irret Pasha, Hassen Pasha, and others. The general loss is calculated at from £2,000,000 to £4,000,000 sterling, but some have carried it to £5,000,000. We should state it at about £2,500,000. To account for this great loss, it must be understood that vast depositories of merchandise were kept there, besides whole bazaars of oil, fruit, wax, rice, spices, tallow, coffee, sponges, &c., as well as the establishments of the knife-grinders, wholesale grocers, nut-sellers, &c. In addition to these must be noted 19 khans, 7 mosques, 4 baths, 2 public granaries, 15,000 barrels of rice belonging to the Pasha of Egypt, a government steam mill, and seventeen vessels, and among the rest an Austrian and a Russian vessel, &c.

This fire exceeds that of Pera, two months back, not only in the extent, but in the value of the property destroyed.