TWO HOURS TO THINK.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1534, 2 September 1912, Page 4

TWO HOURS TO THINK.

INCIDENT OF THE TURCO-ITALIAN WAR. Dr. P. Mackin, the well-known Wellington physician, who returned from a comprehensive world's tour a few days ago, had a remarkable experience at ouo stage of his journey. After a tour through the Holy Land, Dr. .Mackin visited Beyrout just as a couple of Italian cruisers, of. 'mischief bent, arrived in port. At' 7 a.m. tlio Italian commander sent in an ultimatum stating that he would givo the two Turkish gunboats in port two liours to decide if they would surrender or Split. Being Tather indolent people the twe hours went by without resjionso of any kind. A minute later, a. shell ripped out the whole side of tho Bank of (Salonika and killed about fifty people in the streets, though, strangely enough, no, one in the bank was killed. Then tlio cruisers came in closer, opened firo on the nn fortunato gunboats, and after ft shoi; fusillade sank them both, over a hundred men perishing cither by being shot or drowned. Having completed their mission the cruisers fired a couple of shells high over tlio town, and took their departure. The inhabitants of the city were terribly alarmed at tho demonstration, and. 20,000 of them sought sanctuary in the hills round Lebanon, fearing that the city was doomed. Martial law was proclaimed, and all the -placM of business were shut for a couple of days. On tho third day a French cruiser quietly dropped enchor in the harbour, and, gaining courage from her presence, the people slowly returned from the mountains, and resumed business.