The director of YMCA in Smyrna, Edward Fischer, witness, writes:
"The fire had spread within only ten hours to a width of two miles. In the waterfront a crowd of panicked people are striving to save themselves.

After the terrible massacre, there was nothing left but the fire to put the Christian population of Smyrna to the test. The frantic crowds encircle the American seamen and ask in the name of Jesus Christ to protect them. The seamen cannot. The heat from the flames constantly spreading is such, that they are unable to help. Many dip blankets in the sea and enwrap themselves in them. Others shout like madmen, others meet their death by the Turkish soldiers who are constantly shooting at them. The corpses of hundreds of Christians who have been slaughetered or met their death from Turkish bullets float on the sea".[...]

"What happened on the night of 31 August, on the waterfront of Smyrna, towards which the crowds of the Smyrniots were heading, continuously trapped by the fiery torrents of the burning city and the crowds of Nureddin, is related by the French historian Driault:
"Thousands of unfortunate people crowding along the waterfront fell into the sea. A great part of the port has been filled with hundreds of corpses that one could walk on them. Those floating on water were finished off by the Turks with swords and woods ...". And the same writer adds: Who will describe the atrocious scenes? ... Countless lives, mostly women, children and old people have been massacred amidst ignominious savagery...".

The most terrible of all is that this orgy of blood, disaster and various other crimes took place under the eyes, frequently the spiteful smiles and even the cheers of the crews of the foreign war ships,

or the official representatives of the Christian powers.[...]

The same (French) consul himself invited to dinner, to which the consul George Horton was also invited, the only consul, as has been said, friendly predisposed towards the Greeks, excused himself for his delay of a few minutes with these terrible words: "Because, he said, the motor-launch in which I was on my way from the French war ship hit continuously upon the floating corpses of Greek women". And the American consul listening to this cynical excuse, spited himself for being a human being.[...]

In the French "Revue de Paris" these terrible things are cited among others concerning the Christian population: "The cries of the massacred reached from the beach and the corpses of the drowned floated around the ships. Amidst this savagery sounds of music have been heard from a British war ship to the satisfaction of its passengers". And the correspondent of "The Times" in Constantinople adds himself in his 3/16 September telegram: "A British party that was guarding the gas factory witnessed atrocious crimes at the expense of Greek women in the street without intervening, as they had the command to not intevene, except in an event concerning the security of the factory".

Ch. Angelomatis, Chronikon Megalis Tragodias, Athens, Bookshop of Estia, n.d., pp. 249, 251-252, 255-256.