Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-02-25
ITALIANS OPEN
FIRE ON BEIRUT
Flotilla Of Warships Begins Bonn
bardment of Seaport in Syria
Without Warning.
SIXTY PERSONS ARE KILLED
All Americans. Connected with Col
Ieges and Missions Are safe--sev-
eral Small Gunboats In
Harbor Are sunk.

BEIRUT. Feb. A-A flotilla Of Italian
warshlps today bombsrded this city.
killed sixty peaceful inhabitants and
wounded many others. They also sank
several small Turkish gunboats an
chored in the port
Appearing suddenly off the port the
commanders Of the Italian gunboat Vol
turno and the armored cruiser Giuseppe
Garibaldi sent to the authorities a per-
emptory demand for the surrender Of the
Turkish gunboats.
Before the provincial government could
deliver his reply to the Italian commander
or ask for time to negotiate. the cruisers
opened a devastating fire.
In q short time the Turkish gunboats In
the harbor were disabled and in q sink.
Ing condition. The euston, house wai
greatly damaged and other buildings also
suffered severely. Many people who eams
within the gone Of fire while passing alons
the streets were slaughtered. A panic sci
In and the people fled in droves towards
the Lebanon Hills.
None Of the American institutions In
the city suffered any injury from the en-.
plosion of the shells.
The professors. missionaries, student,
and employees are all safe.
LONDON, Feb 2A-Three Italian war
ships are bombardlng Beirut the principal
seaport Of the Turkish province of Syria
on the Mediterranean according to a
special dispatch received this morning. A
terrible panic prevails among the In
habitants Of the city, the majority Of
whom are Christians.
First Activity I'm Mediterranean.
The reported bombardment OF Beirut by
the Italians is the first sign Of Italian
naval activity in the Mediterranean for q
long period and appears to be part OF the
new plan Of campaign announced recently
by the Italian government The city has
only a small Turkish garrison, 500 In
fantry, 80 cavalry and detachments Of
artillery and engineers. II Is not strongly
fortified.
In Beirut there ls large foreign popu-
lation. most Of whom are Christians. and
there are thirty-eight churches OF various
Christian denominations.
The American Presbytef an mission has
been active In Beirut for nearly q CEN
tury. II possesses a church. a Sunday
school. girls school and q printing Of
flee IN the city itself. where II publishes
. weekly newspaper and monthly mag
azine. Spread over the province are about
$50 other schools connected with American
missions with many thousands OF pupils
Three married missionaries with their
wives, one bachelor missionary and five
women missionaries are engaged in the
Tork Of the society in Syria
The Seventh Day Adventists mission
airy board has four missionaries In the
contry while belonging to the Syrian
Protestant college In the city OF Beirut,
an institution generally known as the
American college, where there are 7bl
students under the instruction OF fifty
professors thirty of whom are Ameri-
can citizens ....s.-.
Italians Defeated at Zenzur.
PARIS, Fso. A-An Italian force was
defeated by the Turks and Arabs after
9 violent combat on February 2, at Zen
eur, . cost town fourteen miles west Of
Tripoli. according to dispatches received
here today from correspondents Of the
Paris Temps who are with the Turkish
army at Azizia. near Dehibat.