H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 May 1913, Page 7

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND

HER BERTHING AT LYTTELTON. A GREAT SPECTACLE--IMPRESSIVE PROCEEDINGS. A TRIUMPH OF SEAMANSHIP. (By Telegraph—Special to the Star.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The berthing of the New Zealand in Lyttelton yesterday morning was a sight worth going far to see. Lyttelton could provide ample depth of water right from the Heads to the qnav, and naturally takes a proper amount of pride in the fact, but the turning <>f the big ship inside the moles demanded nice calculation. There were pessimists among the crowd who would not accept the confident assurances of the harbour staff until the battle cruiser was virtually berthed, and a gangway run out.

I The mighty ship crept up the harbour slowly but surely, and swung : round to the entrance of the inner har- ■ hour .with a majestic sweep. On her decks'men ran to and fro looking very liny in the distance, and the bandsmen assembling on one of the decks sent 'across the water the strains of "Nancy jLoe," "Life on the Ocean Wave" and 'other popular pieces. Opposite the [signal station the Lyttelton put on a 'spurt, ran in front, and tugged raid | hauled at a hawser made fast to the warship's bows.

For a moment as the. New Zealand hung in the fairway with the tug straining on its hawser on the starboard bow, and the other vessels filling in the back-ground, the scene was a most impressive otic, and in some ways very similar to that painted by the .great naval artist Wylie in the magnificent picture which he presented to the Dominion.

Gradually the New Zealand swung round, and then, as she entered the still waters of the inner enclosure, the tugs, dredges, escort steamers, and the vessels lying at the wharves blew their whistles or fog horns. Foundry whistles sounded sharp and shrill, railway engines tooted merrily, bells rang, people at the mole heads cheered and in a few moments the leviathan, was in-

side. ' The stillness which followed the noisy welcome was most marked, and it was 'made impressive by H.M.S. Pyramus. For some time her company had been standing to quarters and now at a sharp order a bugle call rang out. Only a note or two, but very clear. Almost immediately an answering call floated over the water from the big j visitor. . A single note replied ; a single note seemed almost to echo it; and some point of naval etiquette, some custom all unknown to the landsmam had been complied with. The battle cruiser at her moorings loomed up against the really respectable sized vessels at the wharves like Gulliver among the inhabitants of Lilliput. Her great beam seemed to al- ' most fill up the whole of the water,way between wharves Nos. 3 and 4, and even when she was brought right up alongside No. 3 her bow projected into the basin for a cnosiderable distance.

I' The Pyramus, on the other side of I the wharf, was dwarfed by this close proximity of her sister into something not very much more important than a 'torpedo boat. The battle' cruiser, dominated the harbour.

j Expectant sightseers, arriving in Lyttelton by tram, will have- no need to ask whether the New Zealand has reached port. The big ship rears her great free-board, her enormous funnels and her lofty tripod masts high j above the wharves, and proclaims to all the world that Lyttetlon is temporarily under her patronage and protec-

ition. I Perhaps to the average landsman the .work of hoving the vessel right round inside the moles was merely a pleasant ; sight. It was done so silently, to ' promptly that it really' looked easy enough, but the sailors on the wharves were loud in their praises of the skill , shown. ,

To turn a vessel of 19,000 tons in practically her own length was a triumph <>f seamanship, and those who knew the difficulties of 'the. task declared that the seamanship of the navy had again been proved to be unequalled. .: VISITED BY SCHOOL CHILDREN. BY TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATIONCHRISTCHURCH, This Day. \ All day H.Sf.S. New Zealand has been thronged by school children, and it is estimated that by five o'clock ovei; 8000 school children will'have visited the warship. The youngsters make the visit by schools according to schedule, and the arrangements are working excellently. Special arrangements have been made for meals, at Lyt lei ton and Christchnrcli for country schools.