LONDON CHAT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 112, 8 November 1906, Page 3

LONDON CHAT.

UNIVERSITY CELEBRATIONS. A HERO HONOURED. MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S ILLNESS. (moM ouit own oobbespontjent.) LONDON, 28th September. Aberdeen has been quite the centre of attraction throughout the past week, the occasion being the four hundredth celebrations of the famous university and the opening of the new buildings at Marischal College w. connection with the university — a splendid granite structure erected at a cost of £250,000, and adniitted to be not only the largest' but the finest sample of'igranite architecture in the world. Thousands of visitors are in the northern city attending these celebrations, and. a State visit was paid there yesterday by Their Majesties, the special reason for the RoyaL visit being the opening by the King of tho- new buildings. A brilliant assemblage was present of leading men and women in every branch of science, art, and literature, speeches were made, the Chief Magistrate had the honour of knighthood conferred upon him, a luncheon followed', and in the evening a great banquet was given by Lord Strathcona to more than 2500 guests. The granite, city was illuminated gorgeously at night, and uli the celebrations have I been favoured, with ideal wealher. Degrees, were conferred on many eminent I men during the week by the university, | and representatives from all parts of the world attended the festivities, two having come from New Zealand. A PLEASING ACT. At the conclusion of the King's speech "yesterday, a gold key was presented to His Majesty by Lord' Strathcona, the Chancellor' of ' the University, and tho formal ceremony of opening the buildings was performed. Afterward the entire assemblage sang three verses of the "Old Hundredth. " But it is acknowlpdged by. all who were there that the finest incident of the day was yet to come. Along the Royal platform, past the rows and rows of famous men who lined it. came a bent figure hobbling on crutches. His name was Robert Munros, a man of only 28. yeai's of age, and a labourer, who wiis seriously injured in April in a heroic endeavour to save the life of a feliowvnvkman at Brodie. His Majesty had heard, of lib brave deed, and had sent for him to honour him at this great gathering of distinguished men and women. There was ia. sudden rush of expectancy as the cripple was helped up to the King and Queen, for there had been no hint in the printed arrangements of the King's wish to see the ' poor .man. In a few words the details of the circumstances of the man^s heroism were stated, then with a smile the King bent down and shook his hand. Then His Majesty, with his own hands, pinned on Mnnroe's, breast the Albert Medal for bravery, and put into his pocket the accompanying parchment The assembled guests cheered Munroe even as they had' cheered the King only afw minutes before Uis by little acts such a.s this that tho King and ueen endear themselves to all. MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S ILLNESS. Mr. Chamberlain, ex-Secretary of State for the Colonies, has been on the sick list for quite a long time suffering from a sharp and prolonged attack of gout. It is now announced that on medical advice tho right hon. gentleman will not under take any public engagements this iftutumn, and therefore has been obliged^ to cancel some fixtures which had been announced' for the imme-, diate future, Mr. Austen Chamberlain taking his father's place. It is also stated that Mr. Chamberlain will not be in Parliament during tho autumn, as it is his intention to take a long and complete rest from work of every kind. The following official statement has found publication in Birmingham : — "Mr. Chamberlain ha& suffered from the most severe attack of gout he has over experienced, but he is recovering. He came home to Birmingham on Monday week, and he would have returned a week earlier but for the fact that gout was them not his only ti-ouble. While walking- in his house in Princes Gardens he slipped down and 1 twisted his foot Tho injury was so painful that he was not able to walk in comforti but alter Testing the limb for some days he was in a position to travel. He bore tho jouTney very well, and on arrival at Snow Hill Station, Birmingham, he was carried on an invalid chair flora the train to his carriage. This method! was adapted by the right hon. gentleman's family as a measure of precaution, but when the fact became known rumour began to spread that Mr. Chamberlain's illness was still of so serious a character as to leave him prostrate. It> has also been stated that the gout has affected, his eyesight to mich an extent that he is unable to see, that his right arm is so contracted that he is not able to write, and that since/ his return to Highbury he lias been, wheeled in the garden .in a bath chair. These weTe the latest rumours, and it was because of them, followed by the announcement thai. Mr.' Chamberlain had cancelled his autumn engagements, that ojjr representative had an interview with Mr. Neville ChambeTlain at Highbury, who said that the injured fo.ob was rapidly gaining strength, that it* was true that his father's eyesight had been slightly affected, and that he had 1 not been able to Tead much, but that an improvement was now noticeable ; it was not true that his arm had been effected so that he could not write. His progress toward recovery was regarded as being very satisfactory. 'Indeed,' added Mr. Neville Chamberlain, 'I think I can see an improvement in him every day.' " MEMORIAL SERVICE. One evening this week a great audience representing Salvation Army workers in all the countries and colonies where tho organisation is established, assembled at tho Albert Hall to hold a memorial service for thirty-six. Salvation Army officers who have died during tho past year — "Salvation lArmy officers in heaven." Tho vast building was crowded from floor to ceiling with members of tho Army and their friends, and the sooue was remarkably, picturesque and

impressive. Salvation Army laeses were eeated in the body of the hall in such a way that their headdresses formed a cross and crown against a background of dark costumes. The service began with silent prayer. Representatives wearing costumes and carrying the flags of the countries and colonies in which the Array ia working, and where the officerts in whosa memory the service was held had died, then entered the hall singing the verse of a hymn beginning, " We shall walk through the valley of the ehadow of death." Then, with the organ and the bands of the headquartor'a staff playing the Dead March in "Saul," General Booth and numerous prominent officers took their places on the platform, the audience engaged in united song and prayers, which were followed by Scripture reading and a fervent address from General Booth himself on tho desire common to the human race to do honour to loved onas who had faithfully fulfilled their mission on earth and to keep their memories green.' The Gcnerafs marvellous voice could be heard all over the ' building when he spoke of the moral courage of the Army's departed oflicera. At the conclusion of the, addrers, rh& hall was darkened while "messages from promoted comrades" — the dying words of offic-ars — were thrown on a screen. Then the words of hymns sung in the death chambers of the officers were also thrown on to the screen and Bung by the huge audience in the darkness. Tho services concluded with further song and "a wave offering,' the latter consisting in the waving of hundreds of flags and palms, producing a curious, but nofc unpicturesque, effect. THE "GREAT WHEEL." What ha? for some years past been quite a landmark in south-west London, namely the Great Wheel at Earl's Court Exhibition, is shortly to become^ a memory of the past. At the close'of the Exhibition next mouth the Groat Wheel is to be removed. The work of demolition ha* been placed in the hands of a contractor, and the material forming the wheel will be disposed of by him as besj. he can. .There is considered to be practically no hope of any one want, ing to buy the structure in its entirety to put into his own garden or to reerect anywhere else for the relaxation of the public, T)ut the separate cars are being offered for sale singly to be used as sum-mer-houses, bungalows, or bathing-ma-chines ; no reserve price has been fixed for the separate cars, and no ! reasonable offers will be refused, so if there are any New Zealanders who entertain any particular affection for the Great Wheel, and would like to possess one of the. cars, there is no reason why they should not apply. It is expected that at least four or five months must elapse before the work pf demolition will be completed — that is from the time the work is taken in hand. The building of this enormous wheel was begun twelve years ago ; it occupied a year and a half in construction, and the undertaking was fraught with considerable danger and difficulty. It is officially stated that two and a half million persons. Hive travelled on it since July, 1895, and during the whole of that period there has been only one serious hitch in its working — on a certain bank holiday, when the wheel was less than a yenr old, and when fifty-eight passengers were imprisoned on it all night. That incident cost the management several hundred pounds, but, of course, it was worth a great deal more than that to the authorities as an advertisement. Even 'if sold as "scrap" the doomed wheel should realise a large sum, for it is all of the beet quality steel. GUN TRIALS ON BATTLESHIPS. Some alarmist rumours found publica"tion yesterday to the effect that the newest battleship, the Hibernia, which has

just been built at the Devonport Dockyard, had returned to Plymouth from her heavy-gun trials very seriously damaged, and with members of the gun. crews temporarily disabled. It was stated that after only firing half a quarter's allowance of full service charges from her four 12in and fonr 9.2 in guns* she returned to Plymouth. Sound with buckled quarter-deck, stanchions, ventilators, and other deck fittings distinctly strained, and the glass in the quarterdeck skylights shivered. But these statements have been immediately contradicted by « gentleman who »vas on^-boartj the Hibernia during the trials lie said : "I can only hope that the Dreadnought will pass through her gunnery trials as well as the Hibernia responded to the severe strain put upon her yesterday. It is not the fact that the battleship -was seriously damaged, nor were any 'serious results' reported with respect to the effects of concussion. Yesterday's trials were thoroughly satisfactory, and were, indeed, the most successful of any of that dare. When these tests take place the greatest possible strain is always purposely pat upon the vessel and its arninment. Battleships are not built to be used as playgrounds. _ The buckling of the plates was a very slight matter — much less than has generally happened 'before under like circumstances to any ship of this largo class. The eitent of the damage in this direction was one plate slightly opened. We always erpect a lot of damage on. tuese trials; but yesterday's experience on the Hibernia \vas in this respect an agreeable surprise. Cf course, the elastic deck is bound to shalie a bit when, the great force of the charge is liberated ; but the fact that a little glass flew around during the firing is certainly not an incident -worth chronicling. No damago was reported yesterday, either to ship or men ; and the responsible officers are perfectly satisfied witli the trials."