COMMONWEALTH BANQUET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13844, 2 September 1908, Page 7

COMMONWEALTH BANQUET.

A BRILLIANT GATHERING. V; i":" i; -;v. .. , - • • • ' STREET ACCIDENTS. ' ' ' lill - ■— . : MANY FAINTING WOMEN. >1 ,;K : Kj" jf; : y;-. j$ JJ.jJJS fj,,;:as. . 'V-t Br Telegraph — Press Association.—Copyright. Melbourne, September 1. \ Cv-fl The Commonwealth banquet concluded yes- ;' | terday's programme. > , J \> It was a brilliant and historic gathering, <,-. J the speeches being a reiteration of the Jj! friendly sentiments expressed ,' at", previous '--M functions, Mr. Deakiu referred to the natural and. national'.great friendship be- : ■/■ tween America and Australia. , v£ The city was illuminated, but the d''s,p ay ,f§ was confined tc a number of public build- 'tm ir.gs and one or two leading streets: Tlieee, with the warships, made an effective show, - ' ,-j A torchlight procession of *,1500 firemen .. p added an interesting feature. ' " , M Many people,, overcome by. crushing in ' If the crowds, received medical treatment. ~ The block at * the railway stations 5 ' at ' -J; night was terrible., , Women/ fainted ;in ?mk scores. It was impossible to provide ac : -' conunodation for the immense crowds, and !'* fai thousands were kept waiting for hours. - .j,j FESTIVITIES MARRED BY RAIN. "' (Received September 1, 11.21 p.m.) ,^ji ' •' " ' Melbourne, September 1. i ' |1 The festivities in connection with the American fleet to-day worefarced by rain. '/[ w RACE FOR THE 3ATTENBERG CUP. — • LOUISIANA'S EASY WIN. .•' , Melbourne, September 1,: The race for the Wittenberg Tup'and » i.' money prize of £400;' between ere we" from the Louisiana and the warship Challenger', Cjr|«| over a distance of three miles, resulkwTin Ij t||| an easy win for the Americans, the British- . : ' era lei for a-quarter of a mile,-and' thejjj Americans then shot to" 1 the' front * and • ||| finished with nearly a thousand yards to spare.