THEIR NEW HOME.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 213, 2 June 1908, Page 8

THEIR NEW HOME.

THE WELLINGTON CARRISON HALL. TO BE OPENED TO-MOKROW. To-morrow night tho big galvanised iron building in Maginnity Street, which has hitherto done duty as a drill hall for the Volunteers of tho Wellington garrison, will servo as a muster placo for the last time. Tho troops of the garrison have now a new homo, iuto which they, with appropriate pomp and circumstance, will make' formil ontry to-morrow. Some time ago tho new structure which has been provided for tho accommodation of the garrison in Buckle Street was very fully described in the columns of The Dominion ; it may bo convenient, however, in view of to-morrow's proceedings, to refer in a general way to the new buildings. There are two halls, the main or Garrison Hall, and the Artillery Drill Hall, on tho .floor of which stands 0110 of the big six-inch B.L. disappearing guns, destined as part of the armament- of Fort Dorset. _ i Thc_ two halls form practically one building, 'with a frontage to Taranaki Street of 127 feet,, and to Buckle Street of practically 158 feet: .. The Artillery Drill Hall was previously a galvanised iron building, the walls of which were demolished. This hall has practically been rebuilt, its construction being in rod brick, while tho new Garrison Hall'is constructed almost entirely of 'white sand brick. ' 1 ■In tho basement portion of the building, which is reached by a sub-way at' tho far sido of the reconstructed portion, there is a room measuring 83ft. by 20ft. for tho Mining Corps; another, 75ft. by 28ft.; for tho Engineers; and a Morris-tube gallery 76ft. by 6ft. On tho ro&in floor aro the two drill halls, the lecturo and orderly rooms, and the gun shed. Tho big drill hall, which is floored in wood, measures 102 ft. by 82ft., while tho lesser hall, which has a concreto floor, is 100 ft. by 50ft. The gun shod, 50ft. by 24ft., is vsituatod at one end of the lesser hall. On the Taranaki Street, side of tho rooms in Jho big hall are—beginning at the lower end—two lecturorooms, officers' ante-room, officers' club-room, the Officer Commanding tho Garrison Artillery Division, tho Officer Commanding tho Wellington Ritlo Battalion, tho last-mentioned having a frontage to both Taranaki and Bucklo Streets. Coining along Buckle Street, towards tho main entrance; is the non-commissioned officers' room, and, adjoining that, a large lecturo-room. Above, are orderly rooms for the various company units of the Wellington Garrison —15 in all. Access to these is made by means of a gangway running round tho walls of the big hall. In tho Artillery Hall, abovo tho gun shed, are two rooms for the bandsmen, one reserved as a practice room, and tho other as an orderly room. ■ > v Tho troops will parade at the old Drill Shod to-morrow ovening at, 7.30, and after fall-in, the "Last Post" call will bo sounded, tho band will play "The girl I left, behind mo," and the big barn-like hall will bo evacuated. ■