THE LATE QUEEN.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 19, 24 January 1901, Page 2

THE LATE QUEEN.

THE DEATH' SCENE,

IN |PEESENCE OE CHILDEEN AND GE AND CHILDEEN.

DEEP EMOTION OF PUBLIC.

THE KING’S MESSAGE.

‘MY BELOVED MOTHEE HAS GONE TO HER EEST.”

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

Beceived January 22, 11.24 p.m. v . London, Jan. 22. The room in which tho dying Queen lay was at the north-west angle of Osborne House, overlooking- tlio Solent.

Wearily and expectantly, in heavy silence, throughout the morning and afternoon, saddened crowds waited and watched. Daylight gavo place to twilight, twilight to darkness, but the crowds remained watching the lighted windows. At a quarter to seven p.m. a royal servant appeared, and reverentially placed on the gate a board bearing the last sad medical bulletin that the Queen had breathed her last at half-past six, surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

The crowd read the bulletin, and, except for a wail of anguish, silently departed to hide their grief. As the Whippingham bells-began solemnly tolling, there was groat tension of feeling in the country. On Tuesday when tlie bulletin was posted in the morning at Mansion House, stating that tho Queen’s strength was diminishing, the crowd struck up the “National Anthem,” hundreds joining in tho singing and reverently uneovoring their heads. When the sad news reached London there was a huge, earnest, and breathless crowd in front of the Mansion House.

The window was opened and the Lord Mayor appeared. The crowd bared their heads.

The Lord Mayor, much affected, and leaning for support on the windowsill, said in a voice at first broken with emotion, but soon audible to the thousands of citizens

“It is with the deepest distress I “announce receipt of the fol- “ lowing telegram from the “ King:— “My beloved mother has “ passed to her rest.”

CANADA, AMEEICA, AND

FEANCE.

THE TOUCHING DYING SCENE.

A PEACEFUL ENDING,

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Eeceived Jan.. 23, 12.21 a.m. London, January 23. The bells of Canada were tolling at 1.45 and the newspapers pouring editions out. The news of the death was received within fifteen minutes of the occurrence. Business was suspended and the courts adjourned after paying brief tributes to the deceased Sovereign. In America tho flags on tho business places and public buildings, wore halfmasted, and the church bells were tolling. It was unanimously resolved, “That the death of Queen Victoria, a woman of noble virtues and great renown, is sincerely deplored by the Senate of America.”

Flags on the Executive Mansion were, for the first time for a foreign ruler, half-masted. Mr McKinley, addressing the King at Osborne, and Mr Hay, addressing Lord Lansdowne, sent very sympathetic messages. The French Chambers adjourned over to-day as a token of mourning and regard.

London, Jan. 23.

Mr Balfour telegraphed to the Earl of Pembroke, Lord Stewart at Buckingham Palace: “ The Queen died peacefully.” The Queen was raU . restless throughout the night. The only persons admitted were Dr Dosser, two maids under Nurse Soal from the sanatorium on the estate. Royalties in the morning were summoned with the Bishop of Winchester, who is Clerk of the Closet. Ail were recognised by .the Queen, who appeared especially gratified at the Kaiser’s filial devotion. She slept for a while, then a relapse came. At 3.30 the Royalties were again summoned. The Bishop was already kneeling beside the bed. The attendants had withdrawn to a corner. The Prince of Wales and Kaiser entered together. Then the Princess of Wales, Duke of Connaught, Duke of York, Princess Henry of Battenburg, the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg, Princess Christian, Elizabeth of Hesse and the Duchess of Argyll entered. There were three hours of intense emotion.

In the meantime the patient had occasional gleams of returning consciousness, hut her power of recognition was less clear than in the morning. As the dull, grey day passed the Duchess of York, the Duke of Connaught’s children, the Duke of Argyll, the Prince, Princess Louiso, Princess of Battenburg, Lord Clarendon, and the Lord Chamberlain arrived in time for the closing scene. Mr Balfour did not enter the chamber.

The end was absolutely- i | peaceful and painless.

HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED. GISBORNE IN MOURNING. The news of the death of our Gracious Queen was received in Gisborne with great manifestations of sorrow and sincere regret and fell upon everyone of the community as though he or she had lost a personal friend. Eor many reasons it appears to our finite views that it would have been very fortunate had her life been spared yet a little longer until the acute difficulties, which the Empire is involved had been satisfactorily settled, but there is an overwhelming and ruling Providonce which shapes our

ways, rough how them as wo may, and jj to this we shall and do all bow in l obeisance. Never before in the history of tho. British race has tho prayer of the nation for tlio long life of a Sovereign beon so fully and so frooly answered, and it has been given to our blessed Queen to be preserved m the full rnental and physical strength to within a very few hours of her death. The heart of the nation as a | whole has never been sounder than at 1 present, and to the vast myriads that j ranged |under its British banner tho * news of the death of their Queen can j only be received with heartfelt 5 sorrow and regret. Such was the . fooling in Gisborne when tho sad nows j reached hero at noon yesterday, tho | intimation being a wire received by | Mr G. W. Sampson couched in tho | following terms, “Irogrotto announce I that the Queen diod-btst'night.” The 1 announcement was quickly made pub- i lie by way of newspaper extras, | and the sad nows spread throughout | the town in a very few minutes. | The fireboll was tolled oiglity-two I times, a stroke for overy year of Her | Majesty’s eventful, life, and business | at once came to a standstill, whilst the f church bolls also gavo out tho sad i nows. The mournful nature of the j nows was to bo road upon every faco, and heartfelt expressions of regret 1 were on everybody’s lips. It was tho ! saddest announcement made in tho j first yoar of tho new century, and of the ninety-nine years and more that j have yet to run no such message is j likely to fill the British nation with j greater anxiety and concern. Every person sought how ho could best show the genuine sorrow undor which, ho labored. The shops wore closed, blinds were drawn, streamers of crape were displayed from almost overy building, flags were flown half-mast and fluttered sadly in tho breoze, aud in many other ways the griof of tho community was ovidoncod. All meetings arranged for yesterday and to-day were adjourned. His Worship tho Mayor cabled to tho Eight Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, Secretary of State for tho Colonies, the following expressive message : “ Gisborno deeply mourns the national loss of our great and beloved Queen.”

Shortly before three o’clock in the afternoon the City Band started from the Post Office, and with muffled drums marched to the firebell playing the Dead March. A largo crowd of citizens followed the Band to the firebell, where public notification of the sad nows was made by His Worship the Mayor.

IN THE COUNTBY. Tho nows of tho death of the Queon was received throughout tho country districts with great concern, natives as well as Europeans being visibly affected. The Maoris at tho various tcf-Vnships were greatly alarmed at tho receipt of tho news at the post oilices, and as they wended tlieir way to their respective pahs wore many times hoard to exclaim, “My word, to think the great Queen dead.” In many of the country districts tho school bolls were tolled, whilst in nearly every house the blinds were drawn. At Te Karaka tho nows was made known by Mr A. Lewis a few minutos after noon, and steps woro at once taken to toll tho school boll. Tho settlers in tho Karaka district and at all the places on route were waiting anxiously for news ef Hor Majesty’s health, and the morning paper containing the latest nows was eagerly lookodfor.