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THE MISSION AT VAN AN ARMENIAN TRAGEDY
By Elizabeth H. Ussher
A vivid story of the persecution of the Armenians, and of Turkish^ treachery the American missionaries at Van, a city in Asiatic Turkey. I t is w ritten who safely passed through the terrifying experiences. toward by one S A.N was one of the most beau tiful cities of Asiatic Turkey—: a city of gardens and vine yards, situated on Lake Van in the center of a plateau bor leaders were Vremyan, member of the Ottoman Parliament; Ishkhan, the one most skilled in military tactics, and Aram, of whom there will be much to say later. The Governor often consulted with these men and seemed to be on the most friendly terms with them.
dered by magnificent mountains. The walled city, containing the shops and most of the publjc buildings, was dominated by Castle Rock, a huge rock rising sheer from the plain,- crowned with ancient bat tlements and fortification, and bearing on its lakeward face famous cuneiform in scriptions. The Garden, so called because nearly every house had its garden or vine yard, extended over four miles eastward from the walled city and was about-two miles in width. The inhabitants numbered 50,000, three- fifths of whom were Armenians, two-fifths Turks. The Armenians were progressive and ambitious, and because of their numeri cal strength and the .proximity of Russia, the revolutionary party grew to be a force to be reckoned with. Three of its noted
The American Mission Compound was on the southeastern border of the middle third of the Gardens on a slight rise of ground that made its buildings somewhat conspicuous. These buildings were a church, two large school buildings, two small ones, a lace school, a hospital, dis pensary and four missionary houses. Southeast and quite near was a broad plain. Here was the largest Turkish barracks of the large garrison, between which and the American premises nothing intervened. North and nearer, but with streets and houses between, was another large barracks, and farther north, within rifle range, was Toprakala Hill, surmounted by a small bar racks, dubbed by the Americans the “Pepper
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