AT LYTTELTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12535, 24 June 1901, Page 7

AT LYTTELTON.

“ What will the Duke think of our climate?” was the thought, uttered or unspoken, of many a Lytteltonian. when the rain rattled on his roof at dawn on Saturday. Verily it seemed as, if Royalty’s welcome to * the South Island would be a web one; ; and the hearts of the loyal subjects of Ed- ■ ward VII. sank accordingly. For an. hour, or so this depression lasted. Then, before; eight o’clock, the rain ceased, but still the' clouds hung around in threatening masses, and the thunder of the saluting cannonj as the Ophir entered within Lyttelton Heads at five minutes to eight awakened apprehensions that the detonation would precipitate those masses in a torrent of rain on prince and people. Nothing of the kind happened. On the contrary, the clouds began slowly to disperse, and five minutes after the- Royal? yacht reached the > wharf the sun shone out. . 1 TELE PREPARATIONS AT THE WHARF. Number Seven Wharf had been prepared for the advent of Royalty. Useful, but unsightly, buildings and machines had-been hustled out of sight, and the wharf itself had been fenced oS to prevent the crushing of too intrusive crowds. It was substantially protected, by no flimsy barriers of ropes and rails, but by solid wooden walls, of inch thick planks, rising fqur feet in height. One of these barricades defended the : approach to the wharf from the west, and stretched from tne corner of Messrs J. Anderson and . Sons’ premises to the edge_ of the wharf. The other, bn the eastern side, extended across the railway line, a wide opening -being left in it lor -the Royal train "to pass through.■ In the western barrier was the doorway by which were admitted persons privileged to be on the wharf when the Roved visitors landed. The road leading to the railway yard near the tunnel mouth was closed by a strong fence of corrugated irou, without which the defences of the wharf could have been taken in the reor. That bone of contention, the covered wav ” ran for 320fb from the base of the wharf to a good «om footway ‘of'pTaS'K it was,; twelve feet in widthj'and carpeted along its whole length with maroon baize. At ten-foot intervals along the sides rose uprights, supporting “ principals,” over which was to have been strained a white canvas covering; for almost half the length of the structure, starting from the shoreward end, that liad been done on the preceding day, but the material for the remainder of the covering was not forthcoming, and, moreover, was not required, for under the agreement arrived at between the various authorities concerned, it was stipulated that the passage should not be covered over unless rain was falling. Each “ upright was made a representative of the country, inasmuch as it was swathed with the products of the native bush, ferns, toi-toi, matipo and other, foliage, thus making the Royal road from ship to train a veritable glade. The national red, white and blue were, of course, in evidence, for- the principals were draped in those/ colours, and from every alternate upright rose a slender must, of, on® or other of the j three hues. At the extremity of the j passage the flooring rose in a gentle slope till| it reached the level of the vessel’s gangway 7, and the structure terminated in_ a rounded -arch, facing the sea, and proclaiming “ Welcome to Canterbury ” by means of vivid, blue and scarlet lettering on, a white sctoll- The arch, in -keeping . with the general design of the structure, was feathery with ferns, palms, toitoi and foliage. The decorations were designed and carried out by Messrs W. Sey and Go., of Christchurch.' The passage, hy-the-bye, was not straight, but had a slight bend, about midway, so that it formed a - very obtuse angle. This was caused from its having to be extended further than was atj first, designed. Opposite the bend, somej twenty feet from the passage, ipse thej stand whfipce members of the Borough| Council and the Harbour Board and their wives were to view the ceremony of the 1 landing. A strong, unpretentious structure of- plank was this stage, with umbrageous adornment like those, of the Royal road. I At the base of the wharf on the eastern

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side, facing tike Waiting train, was a railed and sloping platform for tlie choir, some 105 adults and 400 children who were to sing the National Anthem. Xc(3 work of erecting the passage, stands andi 'barricades and a portion of the decor-, aliens were carried out under the direction of Mr Derbidge, the Harbour Board’s foreman, assisted by Mr Bowden, the Borough Foreman of Works. After the Royal guests had left Lyttelton, the structures were allowed to remain, and the barrier across the shore end of the-wharf was completed. OTHER DECORATIONS. Lyttelton would appear to be the home of flagstaff*, and from all of these flags were gaily flying, whilst the ships in the harbour were a mass of flying colour, every vessel, down to the' meanest hulk, having its scheme of decoration. lanes of flags ■were stretched across the principal streets. A couple of special flagstaffs were erected at the Post Office, and the seaward side of' that building displayed the word “Welcome,” in largo, blue letters on a white ground, relieved by scarlet ornamentation. THE ARRIVAL. Barring the formality of saluting the Royal yacht by the warships at anchor, and the island fort, the arrival of the Ophir at Lyttelton was of an entirely unpretentious description. The unfavourable atmospheric conditions, and. the fact that the Ophir came to hand with exceptional punctuality—misleading rumours as to the appointed time of arrival having been circulated—were probably the chief reasons of this, yet it seemed evident that the general dissatisfaction- with' the Reception arrangements must be reckoned with in noting the absence of enthusiasm. It was five minutes before eight o’clock when a salute from one of the warships announced the entry into the Heads, and immediately the hills resounded with an answering thunder from the guns of Fort Jervois and the men-of-wax. Attended by her escort, the Ophir steamed majestically up the harbour. The Juno and St George, which followed her, anchored in the stream, and she proceeded on her way alone after a -pause. Although two steam launches, a tug and the dredge were sent out to render assistance if necessary, their services were not required. The tide was almost at its height, and the Ophir was able, withoutany difficulty, to be taken right alongside the wharf. It was half-past eight when she passed between the moles, while church bells and ships’ bells rang out their welcome, and ten minutes later she touched the wharf. The crowd which witnessed the entry was not large. Captain Clark (the Harbourmaster), Captain Galbraith ■ (chief pilot), and Captain Thorpe (second-pilot) were there with a staff of assistants. A few wharf labourers, a contingent of Permanent Artillerymen, a dozen or so engaged in finishing the decorated arch and gangway, a trio of Pressmen and a solitary camera fiend, who rushed on to the, jetty just an time jl to be too late, completed the assemblage on the wharf from which the public were excluded. A few people stood around the trucks and! on the Dampier’s Bay road, whilst others were scattered along the Sumner Road. No demonstration was, made, and the vessel was' moored in the ordinary way. In this respect arrangements were thoroughly satisfactory, * and Commander Wemyss was moved to exclaim, “• It couldn’t have been better.” It seemed peculiarly appropriate that just as the vessel touched the wharf the artist who was painting the device for the arch commenced his lettering in “ Welcome,” whilst 'the sky showed signs., of and a rainbow made its appearance across the harbour. A little more than half an hour later the Hinemoa, Tutanekei, Mararoa and Taraw-er-a arrived, and were promptly moored. -As they discharged their passengers the wharves began to assume a more animated appearance. The Mararqa brought his Excellency the Governor, Lady Banfurly, the Premier, bins and Miss Seddon, Sir Joseph Ward, and the Hon W. C. Walker, and some of the North Island contingents. The Tarawera brought other northern Volunteers. The Premier was met by the Mayor, Mr T. C. Field, and the Chairman of the Harbour Board, Mr P. Waymouth, and soon, after arrival made his way to the Ophir,

THE LANDING. Half-past eleven was the time fixed foxthe landing of their Royal Highnesses, and exact punctuality was observed. Before that time the pilot train, of five carriages and two engines, had left its position on the inner loop of the railway at the base of No. 7 wharf, and gone on its advance mission, and the Royal train, also of_ five carriages and two engines, was waiting on the outer loop. Very splendid and luxurious the Royal bandages appeared, but, .naturally, their glories were not subjected to close inspection by the public. The representatives of the military of the South Island were present to render, homage to the Heir-Apparent, and made a most creditable appearance. Captain M’lntyre, of the N Battery, commanded a guard of honour of men of his own corps and of the Lyttelton Navais. Sixty of the former and eighty of the latter were on parade, hut several were detailed to guard the baiderp, in which work they were helped by the Naval Cadets, numbering forty, under Captain Longuet and lieutenant Wales. Lieutenants Brice, N Battery, and Curtis, of the Naval Artillery,-Surgeon-Captain Pair- 1 man and 1 the ,Rev E. Eliot Chambers, lain, were on parade'. The 'guard was drawn up in open order in front of th£ Ophir's gangway, with the Lyttelton Marine Band, under Bandmaster Collins, on the right of its line. Facing it, on board the vessel, gleamed the scarlet uniforms of tire marines of the Royal yacht. For half an hour before the landing the wharf presented a brilliant kaleidoscope of moving figures, for there was much passing to and fro of equerries and other in well-nigh all the uniforms of the twq services.- The glories of these costumes were, in some instances, partly concealed by overcoats, for. though the sun was shin-t ing, the wind blew keen- There was ( an° interesting' civilian ■ gathering <mj the wharf also, containing such; diverse elements as the Premier in his gold-laced uniform and cocked hat and the humble ‘'camera fiend.” His Excellency; the Governor, of course, was in evidence and in uniform, Sir J. G. , Ward, resplendent in his uniform • and his new title, was there, and so were ether members of the. Ministry in mufti. The Maori race had a creditable ropresen-; tativein the person of -MrTikao, while the I Mayor of the borough, the Chairman of the; Harbour Board, and many of the principal residents of Lyttelton were within th(| barriers. ■ Precisely at 11.30/a bugle rang out oh board the Ophir, and from the fine band of the vessel came the strains of the National Anthem. When they ceased, the Maxine Band, on the wharf, took them up and repeated them. Hats were off throughout the crowd, and there was an] instant of expectation. Then the Duke and the Duchess, with the Governor, ap| peart>d walking along the gangway, the Duka impassive but courteous, in his adl miral’s uniform, the Duchess smiling ana debonair, in a plain black dress. Holtingj in the passage-way, the Royal pair met! the Mayor of Lyttelton, Mr T. C. Field,, who bowed and smiled, and said, “ On 1 behalf of the townspeople of Lyttelton, I extend to your Royal Highnesses a very heax’ty welcome.” The Duke said two or

time© words of courteous thanks, and h» jand the Duchess shook hands with th« Mayor. A similar performance was gone through with the Chairman of the Harbour Board, Mr P. Waymouth, and that gentleman’s daughter presented her Highness with a splendid bouquet. Now the thunder of artillery told that the distant warships -were paying another saints to their Highnesses. Stopping out from the pas-sage-way the Duke went over to the guard and, inspected’ it. Captain MTntyre, the officer in command, was presented to him, and was asked a few questions as to his corps. Lieut.-Commander Hewlett, of th» Naval Artillery, was similarly introduced, and the Rev E. Eliot Chambers, chaplain of the Battery, was also presented to hi* Royal Highness by the Premier. The Royal progress towards the train was then resumed, and at the Premier’s call,' the assemblage on the wharf gave throa cheers. A second later the throng outside the barriers took up the cheering with a heartiness unusual in a colonial crowd. A choir consisting of 100 adults and 400 children from the two district schools and th* Roman Catholic School, under the" conductorship of Mr E. U. Juab, Bang the National Anthem, and then the Royalties and their entourage dKappaaredWithin the train, which at twenty minutes to twelve began its journey—-by running in the direction opposite to that in which it 'had to go. - This was necessary in order : to place it on the line leading to the tun-,.' nel-mouth. Rack it went, nearly to th» Gladstone Pier, cheers breaking out spasmodically as it proceeded. Then, returnring, it entered! the tunnel at a rattling pace at thirteen minutes to twelve, amid another hurst of cheering and much scampering of people anxious to catch a last glimpse of the visitors. Not many of the people of Lyttelton had had a good view of their Higrmesses. Those who were on the wharf and in the choir, of course, had that privilege, as did some of those who stood immediately outside the barriers, while those who stood on the Dampler’s Bay Road, and were fortunate enough to possess telescopes or field glasses, could see very well all that was done on the wharf. Though the people of'Lyttelton were nab over pleased at the visitors not being driven through tbs street, Norwich Quay, to the Railway Sta- * tion, a proceeding which would have been nearly, If not quite, as expeditious as that adopted, they did not allow their chagrin to interfere with the warmth of their welcome, • and ’ cheered with altogether unexpected heartiness. Rapidly the crowd melted away when the Royal train had vanished into the tunnel. Rapidly also disappeared the much-talked-of “covered way.” Mr Derbidge, the Harbour Board’s Foreman, with the assistance of Mr Sowden, the Borough Foreman of Works, had shown much energy in erecting ib, and now his men were equally active in taking it down. THE ROYAL TRAIN. The Royal train comprised one carriage for their Highnesses, on© for his Excel- ■ lency the Governor, one for the Minister of Railways, one for thewudte'and one for - th© Royal servants and Press representatives. It hod an engine before and'another behind, and was fitted throughout -with Westinghouse brakes. The pilot train consisted of three carriages, divided between Government guests and Royal servants, and two luggage vans. It was also driven by two engines, and had Westinghouse brakes. : v

THE TRAIN JOtJRNEY. At fourteen minutes to midday the Royal carriage left Lyttelton station, ftod as tie clock struck twelve it pulled up at the Christchurch platform.- Under a quarter of 'an hour for a journey tihat usually occupies twice tine time was «»-pleasant alteration,' for the Pressmen who /were aboard, albeit’the Royal visitors bad scant opportunity to absorb their preliminary impressions of Canterbury from the few miles of country that lie between tbs tunnel and the city proper. Yet the scan* waa a fair one. The sun, after a one-srdad struggle with the watery elements, had routed the clouds completely ‘from the vi- > cinity of the Port Hills, and these loomed up bright and clear, forming an admirable background for tli'S wed 3.-cultivait/©d fields o* Heathcote Valley and! the channing suburban residences of Opawa, whilst the previously rain-saturated atmosphere was dis* placed by one of comparative geniality. At the few stations ou the route were small assemblages of cheering people, and in between were collected! here and there knots of spectators, who testified by waving handkerchiefs and much “ hurrahing,their interest in the Royal party. The ease with which the train travelled was very noticeable. As it left the wharf, and afterwards the station, the passengers-could scarcely feel the motion, and stoppages were made with ai total absence of the abruptness that is usually a feature of colonial trains.