RECEPTION OF THE NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11949, 24 January 1901, Page 3

RECEPTION OF THE NEWS

A SORROWFUL DAY IN DUNEDIN. Absolutely - tho first intimation that tho citizens of DunGdin had of the* closing of uc most glorious reign that the history of the British Empire has known was contained 111 the'display of the flag at the telegraph office at half-must high. That signal was capable of but one sorrowful interpretation. It was, however, a comparatively insignificant crowd that had assembled in the vicinity of the telegraph office. There were thousands of people, on the other hand, massed in the precmcts of the Triangle, on the hillside overlooking the Triangle, in First Church grounds, and on the passenger overbridgc at the railway, the volunteers also being drawn up_ in companies in tho open space that was being preserved between the railway station and the Triangle reserve. For them the tidings came through the display at half-mast, of the Union. Jack on the flagpole at the Daily Times Office. The telegraph officials hacl communicated the news to the off.ee of this . paper by telephone, and immediately upon its receipt the flag was displayed at half-mast. f As it was hoisted its significance was appreciated. The first to observe it pointed it out to those that were standing by them, and thus the ill news was quickly circulated throughout the crowd. And then a melancholy interest was taken in watching the other flags that were'flying in the neighbourhood drop to half-mast. That at the Terminus Hotel was the first to be silently lowered; then that on the Equitable Insurance buildings; then that on the Union Company's offices; one by one the tokens of welcomc for a colony's returning troopers were converted into tokens of mourning for an Empire's Queen. And next the tolling of bells fell upon the ear. In the Triangle, the measured clsng of the Town Hall bell, of that of St. Joseph's Cathedral, and of that at First Church was plainly distinguished. The other bells were all tolled, but thc-y were not near enough to be heard where the ■ crowd was thickest. And all the while' the public, watching and hearing these symbols of grief, were endeavouring to realise; what had happened. The Queen was dead! There were few aT.ong Ihcm who had ever known what it was rot lo have a Queen—not to have this particular Queen. One patriarch, whose faculties are not impaired by the march of year?, there was whose memory served to rccall four monarchs of the United Kingdom; but an old man it is whose recollection of the proclamation of Victoria as Queen of England is a vivid one, and the bulk of tho crowd in the streets had only known one ruler— tho Queen who has just breathed her last at Osborne, And it was. necessarily difficult for them to realise that she was no more. The news of her death was passed from mouth to mouth, but a curious phase of the human character was manifested in their demand for some tangible evidence of the accuracy, of tho intelligence. The extras which "were promptly published conveyed tho simple statement that the Queen was dead, but hundreds of people were not satisfied until they had read thi*, and not only that—they must receive copies of tho extra and stuff them in their pockets. And when they had thus assured themselves the crowds began to molt away. Tho news from tho death chamber overshadowed everything else. For the time, there wa3 nothing but this talked about. In subdued voices and grave tones ' the situation was earnestly discussed by little parties of men and women. Some of the moro youthful portion of the community wemed to imperfectly recognise the seriousness of the tidings that had been flashed across the wires.

At Hid railway station in Cumberland street, at which llio troopers wore expected to arrive in the afternoon, a wreath of crepe was hune conspicuously as a mark of the deep grief felt ou all hand?. In (ho Agricultural Hall, wlirro the welcome to the home-comers took place in the afternoon, signs of tho people's mourning were- also in evidence. THE CITY COUNtfL ADJOURNS. At the meeting of the City Council Inst evening, when there were present Crr, Muir, Haynes, Denniston, Christie, Carroll, Core, Park, and Christopher, the Mayor (llr It. Cliisholm) raid that in view of the fad intelligence that had reached them that day of the decease of her Majesty Queen Victoria ho would move that the council adjourn to that night week. Cr Ilaynes seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously in silence. Cr Gore drew attention to the fact that there was also another meeting to consider tho weekly half-holiday, and suggested the adviseabloness of adjourning that as well. That meeting, which must be held this month, was also adjourned to next Wednesday evening, MEMORIAL SERVICES.

A special service in memoriam was held in St. Paul's Cathedral last night, lasting about an hour. The cathedral was crowded in every part. The service consisted of special hymns,, suffrages, collects, and prayers, and was chiefly taken from the burial office: and the reverent singing of the hymns "Brief.life is here our portion," "When our heads are howeel with woe," and " Jesus loves" showed how deeply tho Queen's death had touched the religious feeling of the neople. At the conclusion of the service the Rev. Mr Jonce, who 1 presided at the organ, played the Dead March in " Saul," the congregation standing until the last chords had died away. A short address was given by Archdeacon Robinson' from Ezekiel xxi, 26: "Tims faith the Lord God, Remove the diadem, take off tho crown." The Salvation Army's Dowling street Hall was the scene of a very impressive memorial servicd last evening, in which fully 450 took pari. Colonel Eitill, tho Army's chief officer in this colony, presided, and was'assisted by Major Gallant, Staff-captain Bishop, Ensign Rupreclit, and a large number of local Salvationists. The Army's excellent band rendered appropriate sacred music, and the large congregation joined in singing her Majesty's favourite hymn, "Abide with me." After several sacred solos, etc., Colonel Estill delivered au impressive eulogistic address, in the course of which he enlarged upon the admirable private life and also tho administrative ability of our departed Sovereign.

j VOLUNTEER MEMORIAL SERVICE. | Shortly after the news of the death of her Majesty had been received the volunteers were drawn up in the enclosure on the west side of Ihc railway station, where I Colonel Webb, addressing them, said: In view of the very sad news which has been rej ceivcd of the death of her Most Gracious Maj jesty it is considered right and proper that the ministers of religion now present should address the troops on parade. j The Rev, \V. Curzon-Siigers said: We. are j assembled to-day on the saddest occasion that ! ever you or I are likely to witness, or havo I witnessed—the most sad event that has ever , occurred in the history of our great Empire namely, the chronicling of the death of Vic-' toria the Good, tlio late Sovereign of our Empire. This is not. a day for words, but it is a day on which we should, as the Home land will do—meet together and commit the Empire to the care of Almighty God and leave the soul of our Queen in His safe keeping. With that intent we will take the order for the burial of the dead in memory of this sad cccasiop. The reverend gentleman then i read the burial service, which included the 39th Psalm, the 15th chapter of the First j Episilo of Paul to the Corinthians, and the | Lord's Prayer, in which the volunteers . joined. |' The Rev. I, tTollv then engaged in prayer, [ after which the Rev. W. Ronaldson pro- [ nounced the benediction. | The volunteer* were then marchcd to the | Agricultural Hall for lunch.