THE NAVAL ATTACK,

Otago Witness, Issue 1797, 30 April 1886, Page 9

THE NAVAL ATTACK,

The camp this morning preseuteel a very busy appearance; all was bustle in preparation for the great event of the enoampment — the naval attack. There was, however, no confusion, and everything seemed well planned. The Engineers and Naval Artillery corps paraded early in the morning, and having received 20 rounds of ammunition each, they marched into town and boarded the various vessels as follows : — Dunedin Navals (Captain Smith) and Peninsula Navals (Captain White), s.s. Plucky; Port Chalmers Navals (Captain Goldie), s.s. Reynolds; Bluff Navals, s.s. Beautiful Star ; Lyttelton Navals (Captain SJ'Lellan), s.s. Obau ; Timaru Navals (Captain Laiug Mcason) and Petone Navals (Lieutenant Davy), Hinemoa. Just before 11 o'clocJc the infantry paraded in drill order, and the artillery were also on parade, under instructions issued to

Major Hammersley, the men having all previously buen supplied with 20 rounds of ammunition. Tho brigades then "fell in in mass of column— No. 2 brigade in front— and marched out of the camp. As the long column wheeled from the racecourse paddock into the main road and marched towards Oamaru the sight was indeed a fine one; such a military spectacle having never before been witnessed in this island. No one except the guards on duty was left in the camp. It was a sweltering hot morning, but the men seemed to enter into the spirit of the movement, and on the main road being gained the strains of " One more river " and " John Brown's body " mingled with the harmony of the brass bands and the shrill pipes of the Highlanders. A halt was sounded just outside Oamaru, and the men enjoyed a brief respite after their brisk march. Water seemed to be in great demand, and it was an amusing sight to see the thirsty souls who were not fortunate enough to possess flasks rushing through the gates and fences to the water tanks of the neighbouring houses. Meanwhile the cavalry had paraded in drill order, and Colonel Whitmore was busy inspecting the progress of earthworks on shore. On the esplanade near the gasworks, and just fronting the beach, might havo been seen a number of artillerymen and our local engineers working like Trojans at the earthworks for the protection of the batteries. The excellent manner in which they did their work was remarked by a high authority, aud the only pity seemed to be that they were kept at it so long on such a warm day. They had in position a battery of converted 64-pounders and long 24-pounder stationary guns. -with four 24-pounder howitzers. While the operations in connection with this battery were progressing, the main column had once more got together, and just as the hour of noon was striking they marched into Oamaru, with the various garrison bands playing marching tunes. The townspeople began to gather in large crowds in the main thoroughfares, and the concourse was grcntly swelled by the large number of passengers who came by bpth the north and south trains; the 17 carriages in the express from Dunediu were crowded with people, and two engines were required to convey the heavy trrin to Oamaru, three being used over the steep gradients of the Blueskin line. As the troops were entering the city, Admiral Scott's little fleet was seen steaming slowly out of the harbour to the southward ; the Hinemoa (the flagship) leading, followed by the s.s. Beautiful Star, Plucky, Ohau, and Reynolds, towing boats with as many riflemen as could be accommodated without hindrance to the rowers. After steaming about two miles to the south the Hawea, from Dunedin, was met and taken captive. The fleet then returned, and at 1 o'clock was seen slowly rounding the south point in t.he direction of the. harbour. Admiral Scott's demand for a large sum of money and provisions and coal having beeu refused by the warlike people of Oamaru, he threatened to bombard and pillage the town. The officers on shore, however, conscious of their superior force, took little, heed of his threat, and without the least hesitation -or sign of fear they told him to do his worst. He at once proceeded to do it. The squadron approached in fighting order; a flash and puff of smoke appeared over the vessel's side, and the boom of the first cannon sounded over the waters, thus indicating that the battle of Oamaru had commenced.

Colonel Whitmore, who had been watching those movements from the shore, had quietly set about the disposition of his men in order to meet the attack by damaging the fleet and completely annihilating any landing party that might attempt to get ashore. With this object in view the No. 1 brigade, under his personal command, was marched behind the railway station, and the other brigade, consisting of 530 infantry, with artillery and engineers under Lieutenant - colonel Stavely, took up a position near the batteries on the esplanade where the Howitzers almost immediately ye sponded to l.ho fire from the admiral's flagship. The flagship and vessels astern, after firing six rounds each, despatched their boats to force an entrance, covering them the while with a brisk fire. The artillery then came up at the double from behind tilt railway station, and very quickly had three batteries, consisting of two Armstrong guns each,' in position, the Dunedin men being particularly smart iv their manoeuvring. By 2 o'clock the cannonading becamo pretty brisk; the Hotehkiss rapid-liriug Run on the flagship dealt out destruction to the batteries on shore, but the Howitzers and Armstrongs replied with 11 steady fire. The infantry were meanwhile deploying along the shoro, keeping under cover as much as possible. As the flotilla moved off the end of the. breakwater the Armstrongs quickened their fire, the men; who were working their guns splendidly now, being supposed l>y the riflen.cn, who had come round to the right Hank. The scene at this stage was indeed a fine one, and, excepting in the absence of hloodMied, the mimic warfare must have been as like a roal engagement us possible. From the heights above the harbour a splendid view of thu wholu proceedings was obtainable. The waters of the. bay lapped lazily over the shelving much undiMjiulu'd by wind or swell. Im•nediately in the foreground the Armstrong batteries were bolching forth their fire and smoke, and all along the beach a thin column of blue smoke denoted that the long lines of infantry were busy «ith thr-ir small arms; while away on the left flank tho >lt mm- smoke from the Howitzers curled gracefully seaward. The hills on the. right were dotted with thousands of spectators — a queer throng of rich and poor, 1 ild and young ; while behind all, the white buildings of the town, relieved here and there by a few trees and plantations on the hills, formed an appropriate background for the picture.

After some 20 minutes of pretty brisk work there was a brief lull in the firing from the fleet. The cause was nqt at first apparent, but it appeared that one of the mines had not been exploded as arranged. This was owing to the wire connecting it with the batteries having been cut by one of the steamers in going out of harbour. Firing on the shore, however, was kept up with a briskness that indicated very smart work. The boats were not successful in their endeavours to force an entrance under the heavy fire from the town, but tho vessoJs still replied, firing fast. The torpedo boat, which had previously done a preliminary canter in the basin, now steamed out from the end of the breakwater, and as she cut swiftly through the water the lines and speed <tf the trim little craft were greatly admire*?. She discharged a torpedo near the Reynolds' (,whi'"' had come into tho harbour to support the boats) the water beiugseuthighi^totheair. This manoeuvre was supposed to have disabled the Reynolds Things were now being made pretty warm for the fleet, for. jus.l; a,t this ppint the two guard boats wore driven off by the troops on shore, and tho ether boats having bean sorely peppered by the riflemen, also began to beat ji "hasty retreat Tho large mino which had been placed unrler a dummy boat in tho harbour was. now blown up, and a cry of surprise escaped the lips ol the onlookois as the little vessel appeared in the vast column of^ wj,^

shot high up into the air for 200 ft or more and then fell in graceful showers back into the parent ocean. One large large piece of wood was shot high up on the shoreward side of the column, and a long rope was seen coiling in snakelike form just above the apex of the column. When the waters had subsided there was not a vestige of the little dummy craft to be seen, but the muddy waters marked for a considerable time the spot where the explosion had taken place. While this was going on the torpedo boat was skimming out among the fleet, which now being much battered began to ietreat; and thus ended the first naval attack on the port of Oamaru. Altogether it was an unqualified success, and the officers and men must profit a good deal by this experience of Easter Saturday, 1886. After the contest numbers of volunteers were seen limping about as if suffering great agony, and some had their heads bandaged and their hands in slings ; but this was all done in fun or for the purpose of getting a lift in the ambulance waggon, and so far as I can learn there has not been the slightest accident of any kind.