WELCOME TO OUR BOYS,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11949, 24 January 1901, Page 5

WELCOME TO OUR BOYS,

DEMY AND DISAPPOINTMENT,

•JOT GIVES PLACE TO GRIEF.

THE PROGRAMME ABAKDOKED,

A QUIET WELCOME AND A SOIUtOWFUL DAY.

Yesterday was to have been a gala day in Dnnedin, but the fates willed otherwise. Having been disappointed in accofdiiig the returned troops of the Harlcoh Castle the welcome intended for them, the Acting-Pre-mier considerately made arrangements for the returning New Zealanders by the troopship Orient, to land at Dunedin, and rcceive such a welcome as Dunedin is always prepared, to accord, our gallant sons. Consequently the Reception Committees at Port Chalmers alid Dunedin made elaborate preparations to accord the war-worn troops who went a year ago to fight for Queen and Empire in South Africa a right royal welcome. But'while preparations were in full swing the disquieting news concerning the health of tho beloved Queen came to hand, and, under the circumstances, the programme for the reception of .tho troops had to be considerably modified. So much (lie men were told by Mr IVard on board the Orient yesterday. Later bulletins received during the night conveyed a gleam of hope, and it was decided to go on with tho modified programme, including the procession. In anticipation of a display of the kind, ilio vessels in harbour were early dressed in bunting, and flags flew all over the town. Early the citizcns were astir, and as a close holiday hat! been proclaimed the sirens wore thronged between.9 and 10 a.m., while train? brought in a large number from the country. Positions of advantage were taken up early and held for some time, but. it soon became known that the troops could not, arrive liefore midday, and later on it transpired that the proposed landing at Port Chalmers had been abandoned, and that the Government steamer Tutanekiii was to bring 1 he troops direct to Dunedin, arriving about 2 p.m. But while the waiting crowds were making the most of a disappointing time of suspense conecrning the whole proceedings the flag on the Daily Times Office and on the Telegraph Office dropped to half-mast about 11.40 a.m. That ominous signal was capable of only one interpretation, and a hush fell upon the crowd. In a moment after all the flairs in the town were dropped to half-mast, and all display flasjs on the shipping and elsewhere were withdrawn. Soon the tolling of the bells from the Town Hall and churches conveyed to all the town the sad tidings. Tt was becoming now that all attcmnts at display should l)e abandoned, and the procession withdrawn from the programme. The local volunteers, who had been drawn up in readiness for some time near the railway station, were dismissed; but before that- the Rev. W. Curco'n-Siggev.i briefly addressed them, and told them that it was the saddest occasion, any one of them had over seen or was likely to see again, and made feeling reference to the death of "Victoria the Good." He then read the very impressive memorial service of the Church of. England.

Even while preparations were made to tranship the troops from the Orient to the Tutanekai the flag at the Otago Heads siirnnl station dropped to half-mast, and all tho other flags were lowered. With a sickcnim; sensation the troops who so recently had risked their lives on veldt and Iconie for the beloved Queen mother viewed the sad omen, nnd when the flag codp signal celled out the fircf word. "Sorrowful," it amply expressed the feeling of all on board both vessels. The troops onlv looked forward to n, formal reception and greetings from their friends after "the worst was known. .At aliout 2 p.m. (!'.e Tutanekai steamed up to (he tongue wharf, and although a few cheers greeted the returning troops, there was no demonstration, .the reception being remarkably subdued, as befitting the ocea Fjon, when n deen sorrow had snppres c cd ioy. It is to ha regretted that an alternative programme 'wl npi been wniiKnil in v : nw of f'e serious state of hor Mnicftv's health, for the abandonment nf the nHlnial nro«rpmme left" matters in a state of clno?, and nobody seemed to know what was to be done by wav of welcoming the troops. While crowds thronged t!j> railwav station in order to obtain a enmpsc of f l*e troops, others riish°d to the wharves. When the actual point of 4 ion was knomi an immense crowd fn'irlv burred i-he wav to the Agricultural • Fa!', where the 1 vorp to he entertained at luncheon. The men I'ad to force their way through the crowd as best thev could, es carted liv t'ie Ota?o Hussars. The eallories of the. hall sot '"''art for the public W rp soon cowded. and hundreds outside had to be refused admission. T"«'de the hall all was oniet and oviWv: but oi'twK we are sory to say. p "art of t>'e crow l wa« not so orderly ps it mieht lieon. Luncheon over, the Mavor addrep!»d a few well cho"en words to f'e troop- and audiinc"' in-th? '">ll I'pfitti'ng the 0('C«l"n. pti'l "Mr ! .-\ctln<r-Pre*oicr. mac)" feeling rpfnrenee to t l '" of our dearly Moved Sovereign. F° also nrd c verv hio-h fulntrniin to the Voiv ZeMmd troops at t'te front. no{. omiftm" those who had just returned. There were tl-oirnmls of offers, he said, as nfirrrr p? fltev to tight fn<* Tint; and count"' shou'd thev ever bp called mion to do c o. In ho asked all/to stand 'n silene" as a mark of ve:p«et to the dead (yueen. Tt was an impressive moment, end a pin mi"ht have he«n heard full while the crowd w't.'> rewent.lv-'-oy"d heids •=>- lcntly ackno"dedeed t!jn pafinn's grief. The troops were then allowed to disperse amongst their friend", and gradually the crowds withdrew from Hie street", carry"'"' with jt""n the memory of a day that p. lifetime will not efface. THE STREETS IN THE OTTY. The streets of the city yesterday morning presented an unusually animated appearance. In view of the home-coming of the troopers, the crowds began to gather at an early hour in the morning, and by 10 o'clock the main thoroughfares were throjig:d with people, the greatest numbers assembling in Princes street, between the Octagon and Stafford street. But although the citizens turned out in great force there was not much jubilation, among them: everywhere the feeling seemed to prevail that tho occasion was not one upon which io give way to excessive gaiety. There was, nevertheless, a feeling of joy in the hearts of most people at the anticipation of greeting the returning Boldiers. No one, however, seemed to know definitely when tho "boys" would arrive, and for hours the crowd wandered aimlessly about the streets. Rumours wore freely circulated throughout town that tho Orient, which wa3 to bring the troops to our shoves, had been delayed'at'the heads. At length it became known that there was a probability of the men reaching town by 2 o'clock. It was generally thought that they would come by train; and as soon as it got about that they were oxpeeted by 2, 'the,crowds began to gather in the vicinity of tile railway station, where the volunteers had assembled. Shortly afterwards a few flags were observed to be flying at half-mast; then ofie after another followed: then'tlie solemn tolling of bells from tho Town Hall and some of the city churches soon made many suspect that news of hor Majesty's death, which was not altogether unexpected, had been received. "Extras" w?re at length issued from the newspaper offices which confirmed their suspicions, and the sad news quickly spread throughout fne city, and cast a gloom over all. The crowds, nevertheless, continued to gather in the vicinity of the railway station, with the view of seeing the troops arrive by the train. 11l this, however, they were disappointed, as shortly before 2 o'clock the "boys" were landed at tho tongue wharf from the Tutanekai. When it lnd become known that the men had. avriveu by steamer a general rush was made for the wharf, and heaps of timber and piles of cases were quickly taken advantage of as a means of getting a, in many cases, fleeting glppse at the merf- as. they marched from the wngue wharf over the overbridge to the Agricultural Hall> Tho demonstrations of welcome were naturally subdued in character as the men passed along the wharf. and tho crowd which 'followed.'' eagerlv pressed forward on the Jicels of th'e men right up to the doors of the Asrriculttfral Hall, several thousands waiting about outside until the men reappeared.