“A WORLD’S LOSS-A NATION’S GRIEF.”

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4263, 24 January 1901, Page 5

“A WORLD’S LOSS-A NATION’S GRIEF.”

HOW THE NEWS WAS RE- : GEBVEQ m THE CITY. \ SORROW ON EVERY FACE. ', PS-AGES OF BUSINESS CS-OSED. ; i: "The lolling, lolling bell's pcrpctual'l' clung'' from tho< tower of the General 1 . Post Office announced to the -people- of; Wellington City at about half-past 11; yesterday ■morning that the Queen v,asl; dead. | Though the news was expected, it came|| as ii shock to the community. | Grief was depicted on many faces, *ndij in tho streets grey-haired women w»re| observed to burst into tears. 1 Notwithstanding that heavy rain waJ falling (as if the very elements were in! grief at so' dire a catastrophe as the death of so vt'iiorable and reverend a sovereign) crowds of people camo trooping through the streets and stood in sombre groups befero the newspaper offices awaiting, as if in doubt, the eonfirma-i tion of the news. > They did not have long to wait. j A cablegram from the Premier (Mr! Scddon) to the Acting-Premier (Mr Ward) was posted and contained! the following words :;. — j "CABLE: AGENT-GENERAL, 22nd, 7.45 p.m., ' REG'iIET QUEEN DEAD.'?' THE tfJ3WS CONFIRMED. The -sad news was confirmed 'by an extraordinary Press Association message] from Sydney immediately afterwards;. by a telegraphic message from Hon' J. G. Ward, Acting-Premier, to the! •'Now Zealand Times"; and by a cablegram to the Hon W. C. Walkor (senior Minister in Wellington) as follows : LONDON, January 22 (7Ao n.m.) " Regret Queen dead. A world's loss, a nation's grief." A CITY IN MOURNING. At the time that the news was rereived, his Worship the Mayor was presiding over a meeting of citizens convened to make arrangements for a send-off demonstration to tho troopers of the Sixth Contingent on Saturday. The meeting at once adjourned, amidst expressions of profound regret, anal Mr Aitken at once sent an urgent message to the newspapers asking them to invite the public to close their places of busi-

ness. In many cases liis Worship's in-1 tcntiou was forestalled, business peoples having at once put up their shutters onlf first intimation of the sad news. ThoscS who'had not done so at once complied,'! and everywhere throughout the city llags'J wore flown at half-mast and blinds -wereS lowered as a signification of the sorrow| of the citizens at the loss of the le-g loved Sovereign. I A deep-toned bell in the Post Office* tower tolled the completed years of the| Queen's age, and also the completed! years of her reign, and the sad refrainl was re-echoed from the steeples of Uu| •city churches. | Crowds of men, women and children J pervaded the streets, and stood about| in drenching groups discussing the sitaa-J tion. The prevailing note was.one oil sorrow and down some of the olderjj faces in the crowd tears flowed freely/■ So deep was the regara induced in rj.ef hearts of her subjects by our belovedj Queen during the many years of i.er, eventful roign.

'H The Royal Standard was flown at iialf.jp fcrniast at Government House; at the Gov-|sj fficrnment Departmental Buildings *he|| ElNew Zealand Ensign floated mournful!}' , gi K'and at the Consulates the flags of tlioro afi nations flew half-most high. On ro-Bt af.ceipt of the news work at the Govei'n-||; ||j«ioiit offices was suspended, and the K .-f, employees trooped silently out into tln>|| |S '4\ Shortly before midday proceedings he-jg the Conciliation Board were inter-j|| Erupted by the arrival of the news ofil Ijthe Queen's death. After an intervaleS if! 1 of suspense spent in awaiting confinna-fe lotion of the sad intelligence the Chair-S Wraan announced that it was his painfulffl Is;duty to confirm the news. No one, he™ would think of going on with snyH •i! business that day. The Board continued® iE to sit for some time in silence. m ■fflji All work on the wharves was Eat noon, by order of the Harbour Board.iS 1 THE MILITARY IN MOURNING. 1 M Lieutenant-Colonel Porter issued the M j§ following District Order from the head-11 H quarters, office yesterday:—"Mourning, m M —All corps throughout the district will M Wgo into mourning for herniate Majesty |j HQueen Viotoria: 1. The officers will wear |l ||a black cloth or crape band, 3jin wide', |> Babove,the elbow on the left arm. 2. Thejjfij llrank and'file 'by draping in black theKjj Ssecond button of the tunic. 3. CorpsS Swill not take part in ceremonies llor M I march with fixed bayonets. 4. Ban.lsg I will not take part in any marching, i>ft-B| K rades, or ceremonies." Ij I NO SEND-OFF TO THE SIXTH. | Wt Tho a'bove order is practically an inti- ft! Hmation that there will be no send-off to Sj lithe Sixth Contingent on Saturdaj'. There|p ilwill be no dinner, nor demonstration of sf asany kind. The men will file quietly on § aboard ship, and set sail without beat cf a '1 PARLIAMENTARY MESSAGES. | M Immediately upon receipt of the M jamournful news of the death of the Queen g> ; |«the memibers of the Government in Wei- Bj '•lslington—the Hons Messrs W. C. Walker, m riW. Hall-Jones, T. Duncan and C. 11. | .HMills—met together and despatched r-o-fft ||tifi cations of the death of the Queen top sgeach member of Parliament. « 'I CONDOLENCES FROM THE | m CONSULS. I m The various Consiils having their nead-'S in s this city have forwarded'S is{ condolences to the English people niroughfe a the Governor. The French Consul (Countfe -Ifdo Courte) had his flag lowered to halfjg ■-Ssfmast as soon a.s the news reached r.im,j| ,viand telegraphed to his Excellency theS who is on his way back tog l llWellington, his sincere condolences to-E s 'Sgether°wit'h those of the French coio.-iyg • fain New Zealand. Later in the day the| t*Consul received a message from Ihe| thanking him for his expres-| r ||sions of sympathy. I

THE GOVERNOR'S RETURN. | His Excellency the Governor will rp.| turn to the capital to-day by the s.s.| Tarawera. He received news of hers Majesty's death when travelling l-e-| tween Christ-church and. Dnnedin. He| is expected' to arrive here shortly afterf noon to-day. | PRESS ASSOCIATION. ft CHRISTCHURCH. January 23 The Governor arrived from iae South to-night, and went on to Wellington. A MUNICIPAL MESSAGE. | At a special meeting yesterday afterinoon', reported elsewhere,the City Council passed the following motion: —"That the Council places on record its sorrow] at the death of her Mast Gracilis: Majesty the Queen, and deep heart.olt, sense of the great loss sustained by the: millions of peoplo over' whom she rules." The Council also decided to cable as follows to the Secretary of State for the Colonies:—"Council and citizens deeply I regret sad news received death of our Queen." I TO-DAY'S RACES POSTPONED. I The stewards of the Wellington Racking Club met yesterday afternoon, and

! decided, owing, io the death of (he Queen, not to hold the races to-day, but to’ adjourn them tili to-morrow and on Saturday, providing that such an r.r.j rangement does not clash with the national mourning. ■m A ROYAL SALUTE. SH The Governor has ordered that a j|{|Royal salute (101 guns) shall be find mat noon to-day.