AT LYTTELTON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8724, 25 November 1913, Page 4

AT LYTTELTON.

CAPTURING THE PORT.

A BLOODLESS VICTORY

(Per Piess Association.)

LYTTELTON, November 25 „,' -.-; . 11.30 a.m

Although on Monday night Lyttelton was fully aware that it,, would be rm- j vaded on the following day, and was cognisant of the plans of the attackers, the port slumbered peacefully duringj the early hours while the hill passes' were being taken. At 5 o'clock the: wharves were almost deserted. A few pressmen waited at .the waterfront, and the night watchman strolled about, while the sentry of H.M.S. Pysche, now without his bayonet, lnarchedceaselessly to and fro. Scouts on the Sky-line. Shortly after 5 two, scouts appeared at the top of the bridle path, and, torsaking all the rules of scouting laid down by Baden Powell, they stood boldly silhouetted against the sky-line. They were the first of the force that had been dispatched by motor-cars, tinder Staff-Officer Hewlett, to seize the tunnel, and the manoeuvre was carried out unopposed by 'he emjaiv, Guarding the Tunnel. The foot specials took charge of the Healthcote end of the tunnel moxithj and the remainder ascended the precipitous bridle-path. An advance guard joined the two ecouta after a few minutes, and the hills were scanned for strikers' pickets, but, they did not: exj ist. .;The main body,; about 150 strong, ■ then" boldly- burst over the top of the ! hill, and obtained its first view of the I defenceless port is was to occupy. Main Body Advances oh the Town. Marching in column of fours, and divided into two companies, the main body descended rapidly, but halted half-way down to allow a party of four to ascend a. spur and look for tlie mounted men. One excited onlooker from the port ariounced that th<j bronzed specials were pursuing a picket of w.atersiders, but subsequent inquiries proved,there had never been, a: picket^ Starting from the hill-top at 5.30, the force reached Norwich, Quay about' 6. It strode with martial air along the street, and then wheeled about to descend to the wharf and capture the Lyttelton end of the tunnel. The road over the tunnel leads down to the'wharf- with an easier slope, but necessitated a march round some buildings, which was accomplished with military precision. The position was seized, and the locked gate sea loci; men climbed the high tin fence, and the gate of the tunnel was secured. The Grand Attack. Resting from its exertions,. ,the advance guard waited by the mduth of the tunnel for the mounted men to arrive. The next move .was the development of the grand attack. lhe specials' train, laden with the remainder of the foot contingent and carrying the staff and "free" labourers, steamed into Lyttelton about b.M, receiving/ cheers from the specials already in port. Arrival cf Mounted Men. Almost simultaneously the mounted men showed up at three points. One party came along Governor s Bay Road, having come, by the Rapaki route; another; having crossed the hills by the Mount Pleasant way, came straight down Canterbury Street; while a third, : which had detoured round the signal station, appeared at the same time. They were marched down to the wharf, and the occupation of Lyttelton was complete. Vital Points Guarded. , The railway station, was controlled by some regular police, and strong squads of mounted specials were posted —-one at the Post Office and others/at the goods office. About tlie Coronation Hall the foot specials were gathered, and at various points "along the waterfront the invaders were; in strong force. ; Escort for Free Labourers. Fifty free labourers inarched, oil to the wharf with ia !l strong guard of specials' and a few regular police, and the Harbour Board's tug was brought round to take them off to the Te Anau, the houseboat. . J:.i; -;

Passes for the Wharf,

The. wharf and adjacent land was cleared of residents of the port, and orders wore issued, that no one . was permitted to go on the wharf-without a pass % There was immediately a demand for passes; and,' after. Colonel Chafrey had conferred' with the secretary of the Harbour Board, it was announced that passes could be obtained at the Harbour Board's office.

The Onlookers Amused

By 7.30 the crowdiin the streets had reached, somewhere near 50, and regarded the whole proceedings with obvious amusement. There was an outburst of hooting as ono train moved out, but it was only an excess of energy amongst some small boys in a rear carriage, and served to amuse both 1 specials and residents.

Strikers Give No Trouble.

The next event of interest occurred about 8 o clock, when several mounted squads put m a movement. Detachments oi. about 20 were moved about the streets, and several squads passed right through the. gathered strikers without any trouble. No comment was made, and the only remark passed was

by a resident, who announced that he saw the racehorse Midnight Sun; amongst the horses. A News Censor. The reporters got a shock this morning. When they applied for permits' to enter the wharves guarded by the specials, they were told by Colonel Chaff ey tha,t permits would be issued onlyi if the reporters would undertake t6'Consult him as to what they published . The .'■■"• Times '' reporters re-' fused the conditions, and" left the wharves.