PAINFUL SENSATION IN CHRIST. CHURCH.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13653, 19 February 1913, Page 4 (Supplement)

PAINFUL SENSATION IN CHRIST. CHURCH.

- SUm^IUSE AT WITHHOLDING THE NEWS. : ■ ■•• ' . [United Press Association.] Christcfturch, Feb. 11, A Very painful sensation was caused thero wtiou tho London-message came ■■through concerning tho loss of; tho " Southern party. Tho, party consisted; • of :-- Captain Scott. Dr." Wilson. Captain Oates. . - : . Lieutenant Bowers. Potty Officer Evans. . / / \n application was immediately mado to'ilr J J- Kinsfcy. tho New Zealand ( agent 'for the expedition,- for confirm- , ation of the London message. Mr Km- ; sey howovor, was unable to add any • details to tho message .received from London. He said it was a repetition of tho one ho had lnmsdi sent. H© added that a further mossage should shortly be in. the hands of the New Zealand newspapers, but all information at this stage would have to come through " return of tho Terra Nova yesterday caused much. speculation, as; , ft^sfnown that Captain Scott'j plans .involved full utilisation ,oi the, summer months.-in Antarctica, and tho Terra Nova .consequently was expected lato.in March. It was-'a .very general: ."'."".suggestion that the early return was .1 .* due to some disaster. .• ■ | Lieutenant Bennell is staying with . IMr, Kinsey, he being anxious to re-i main in seclusion. Air Kiusoy spent an arduous. «leeplcs"s .night.' When seen this moriiHjg lie had a pile of cablegrams on his desk. Ho is unable to sea pooplo wlio a*e .anxious for details of the disaster. Not even tjie barest hint of tho disastor was allowed to leak out yesterday, .and the news this inornuig came as.a dreadful shock to the hosts of friends made by the members of the e-xpedit.on II Christchureh. Indeed, the earliest Tumours wore received with flat,m-or-edulity, it being assumed-that if such A great calamity had beiallen.the •expedition, those concerned would surely have mentioned it when the vessel called at Oamc.ru. That secrecy was. so jealously maintained was; in the cir•eumstances, incredible. The persistence of the rumours carried conviction, and the. fact that, the "Star" office nag was half : mastod show•cd .the people arru-ing in uOffu at- J am. ■that' sad news of some sort had bell tolled shortly afterwards, and the tragedy .soon took _on the appearance of a national disastoi so far as this city was--concerned. S Mr Kinsoy and Lieut. PermeU wcu-e unable to see visitors, the newsviper offices had to, answer qucnes, fu the public refused to believe that no was oHawuAte" locally.