E DUKE AND DUCHESS IN HE SOUTH.

Evening Post, Volume LXI, Issue 151, 28 June 1901, Page 6

E DUKE AND DUCHESS IN HE SOUTH.

AN INCIDENT AT CHRISTCHURCH. ALARM OF FIRE AT THE DUKE'ti RESIDENCE. [BY TELEGRAPH— J'KKSS ASSOCIATION.! CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. It has just transpired that there was an alarm of fire at "Te Koraha" during the time the Duko and Duchess of Cornwall were slaying there. Late on Sunday night a bright" iiaVo' in one of the downstairs rooms attracted attention, and two firemen, who kept watch night and day, were toon on the spot. The fire spread rapidly, and it seemed as though the whole house was in imminent danger. Tho Duke and Duchess, who .with tho household were aroxised, displayed great coolness. After considerable difficulty the flames were subdued just as the Fire Brigade was about to be summoned. The room where the fire originated was very much damaged. The origin of the fire is a mystery. Later. It turns out that the sensational statement in the Lyttelton Times thia morning concerning tho fire at Te Koraha is very much exaggerated. A slight blaze of inflamablo material occurred near the fireplace during dinner, and was easily suppressed, many guests not even being aware of the occurrence afr all. Colonel Pentoa is issuing a, general order to the following effect: — "His Royal Highness the Duke of Cornwall has commanded mo to express to all the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of tho forces who took part in the recent celebrations' throughout the colony his appreciation of their efforts, and his pleasure at the efficient manner in which till their duties were carried out." At the Danedin winter show this week, while inspecting a large cheese the bystanders remarked that Being such a, monster it ought to be called "The Duke." "No," remai'ked the Duke, "being such a monster it should be christened after Mr. Seddon." And then (says a contemporary) the people thought and thought and .thought. That a, spirit of loyalty lo the throne nnd its representatives burns more ardently in some breasts than others was (says the Dunedin correspondent of the Lyttelton Times) evidenced at the Caledonian Ground in a pretty and somewhat pathetic manner. An old lady leaned over the barrier, and catching the Duchess's hand in hers kissed! it. At first there was a natural inclination to withdraw the hand, but, Avith a smile, her Royal Highness let it stay, and the loyal old lndy kissed it seven time 3. Then still unsatisfied, she asked fox a flower, and the generous tyueen-that-some-day-is-to-be gave her two. It is not generally known, (.says the Dunedin. "correspondent of the Lyttelton Times) ""that the colony is footing the. bill for their Royal visitors from tho time of their arrival at Auckland till their departure from our shores. The cost of all the State dinners and the provisioning of tho various private residences where the visitor: have stayed have been born© by the Government. To use an expression of ono of tho Ministers, "They are our guests, or, rather, the guest?, of the colony during the time they are with* us. The people should know and recognise this." A Pres'j 'Association telegram from Lytteltee states that H.M.S. Torch, Sparrow, end Pylad'es left that port to-day. The Torch is going to Auckland, «nd the Sparrow — a first-class scre,w gunboat of 805 tons, and carrying six guns — is coming to Wellington. This is the first visit of the Sparrow to Port Nicholson. The destination of the Pylades is not stated. Tho address to Princess May by. tlue wives of the Ministers of the New Zealand Government was engrossed and illuminated by Mr. T. S. Lambert, M.E.A.A., architect, who (says the Lyttelton Times) has .every reason to be proud of ilia work. The lettering is beautiful in every way. The text of the address is written in. characters that do not change in mode or tone from the first line to the last, coloured capitals being the only deviation from the uniformity that, characterises tho vhdle. From the first scroll line, "Welcdme to New Zealand," on a blue foundutibn, :o tho last line of the JVimisters' -wives 1 signatures, % the ' address i: r, rigidir even, and graceful piece oil writing. The border starts, with the foliage ay.d .flower--, of tho North Island, raid follows doTrn, the colony to Southland with typical flora, relieving the story . with suitable pictures' in medallior. The frame h a handsqmo piece of work in Imitation of Maori curving. Dunedin seems to bs granted by gone ral consent pride of place among?'*, vhe four cities or' the colon;-' in tm success of her preparations for "the Royal visit. The special correspondent of tho Lyttolton Times, writing vz> one who visited all the centres; during the ecleb-ations says : — "The illuminations at Du.iedin were, undoubtedly, v preliminary kucc&sp, and excepting the Wellington '" Post Office, Government House and the Cathedri-A in Christchurch, there was nothing to touch the displays made by the Town Hall and Union Company. Private enterprise, too, was far more successfully conspicuous than in any city further north, and tho general eitcct was unmistakably superior to any yet experience-! in New Zealand Turning to the decorative schema, it had much to commend it, embodying as it did the graceful features cf several previous displays, Avhile avoiding their disabilities. As in Auckland, there was a plentiful use of greenery, but i* v/as not allowed to subordinate the colour note. A« •in Wellington, there tvjis a ' brave display of bunting,, but i* -waa supported by .", judicious mingling ol evergreens «nd v more varied display of 'colours. As ,in Christchurch, thcro twas a. wealth of coloured cloth employed, bub the decorative scheme v/as lesa crude and abortive, and there was a mingling of colours and a diversity of airangcment tlial wera botb artistic and effective. . . . Then £13 to the arches. Hero again was much that was suparior. The marino arch, the municipal . arch, and the Government arch, ths lust especially, will compare favourably v/ith any elsewhere. The graceful fern arch at Rotorua, and the Westport Coal Company's arch at Wellington, may fairly claim precedence, but thereafter the local arches m&o than held their own. Less disfigured by ths abortions of chromo-iichogrophy, and built upon a scale ies3 suggestive of tho use of children's blocks, thay vrcta distinctly more realistic and satisfying than many which were viewed elsewhere. . • .^ . I would with difficulty separate tiie wealth oi Dunedin I*1 '* welcome from that of Axiekland, and with trembling discrimination hoist , Wellington';} number for third place, with .u6 logend "also started" against cho name oi tho City of the Plains."

Another early settler passed away near Dunedin this week— viz., Mr. John Manning, , who was <born in Es^ex in 1814, and came out to Nelson in 1837. He left there for the Chatham Islands in 1846, removing to Otago in the Twins (schooner) in 1848. While working with the late Mr. Longuet at Purakanui he met Miss Ellen Maxwell, whom he married, and then settled at Sawyers Buy, where he remained until his death on the 22nd inst. at the age of eighty-seven years.