PRINCE REACHES REEFTON.

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1920, Page 3

PRINCE REACHES REEFTON.

TOWN BRILLIANTLY ILLUMINI ATED..

* ACCIDENT^ TO A CAR.

PRINCE TAKES TURN AS * CHAUFFEUR."

("Argus' Special Correspondent.)

REEFTON-, Last Night. _/ After a lengtliy day's travel by •-•;' motor from Nelson, the. Prince of .->* Wales and party arrived here this L - evening. The time of their arrival \[ was 7.35 o'clock. The Prince must have felt satisfied with the elements on \ this the occasion of his advent to the W West Coast. 'Twas a beautiful, clear. t starry night as^ihe long line of cars V made its way along the road.from the '!« Junction to T&eeftoxi>. The town is *' very gaily decorated. There are num- "•£ erous arches along the Royal route, \ and a great wealth' of native trees and ,% greenery on all .sides. With the ' streets illuminated by the presence of /■ arc lights, the ' scene as the Royal „.- Party arrived was, an. impressive and W enlivening one. Broadway, lined on * both sides with , these electrical illumi £ inaiits, is a glittering avenue Lti of brilliancy. , . I > The arrival of the Royal party was I * rather later than expected, as the X time anticipated -vh* 6,30 instead of an Vhour later. Upon' 'landing from his %■ car, His Royal Highness at once came ••/ forward and got i v>to touch with the assemblage. At either side of Dawi I son's Hotel the Returned Soldiers were *> lined up as a guard of honour, and the '. Prince shook hands with each and all '• of them. The rettlmed men were unider the charge of 'Sergeant-Major Mettrick. ], . . The Royal Party-proves to be a very numerous one. No fewer than thirty cars came i r'"to Reefton this evening from the North, along with that i^ which the Prince motored. '] Some little excitement was created \ when it became known that there had been an accident on the final sage of the trip, on the run from the Junction to town. I( transpired that one a£bf the cars went over the bank off •j'the road, and. the four occupants ,-^finished up iheir' movements i.neath tlie car. However, they all eswithout serious injury. I don't » ; know yet what minor injuries there may have been. I€ 'seems one car r* stopped an-d another, in trying to pass f it, collided with it. n The result was the second car went over the side. It happened just about half-a-mile Jo the Reefton side of the Junction. The Prince's car was away in the rear of the rest, but when His Royal Highness came up Inter and learned all about it. He ageed to dispense with his own driver, in the interests of those who met. with the mishap, and rising to the occasion the Prince drove his own car from that point on right V into Reefton. People were quite inter- * ested to learn of the ready adaptability • of tiie Prince. At the moment of wir- - ing the Prince is about to attend the public reception, which i s to take place at. 9 p.m. in front of the Inangahua County Chambers. There is a big crowd i Q town.