THE WAR AND CORONATION ME

West Coast Times, Issue 12508, 22 May 1903, Page 4

THE WAR AND CORONATION ME-

The very graceful strnctare which vii'l happily eonjbiae the peirpetuation^ of the memory of Westland's brave fallen soldiers and the great event of the corduation of the King Has beenda"ily growing under the'hsnda of Mr J B Parkinson , and his assistants, and is almost comp!etedl The public can now realise tbe beaufy of the design and in a very brief time, they will also appreciate thja usefulness of it - .when ■ • the chime a of 'the clock record the hours, a fast that Mr Bartlet expgets, to h-ive accomplished * very " soon. ' ' The on tractors have no 'doubt that with average flae weather, xthe ' monument wwiltl t be entirely completed in tiowMpr 1 the unveiling by Mrs Seddon on the 3rd Jnne (Prince of Wales Bjffchday.) 1 • To' Mr Parkinson, credit is due for the solid work which he has putinto^he^tructure^ llw has evidently taken a pride --'- in the work and there is littla doubt that when ho aod Mr Bartlett hand their contract over to the Memorial Committee, they will leave a substantial and-lasting testimonial to <fieir skill as artistic workmen. Now that the memorial is almost comple'ed. the following full description of v ifc will doubtless be of interest to those who have not had the opportunity' of s^eiog it yet. Themonumeut is from an original design by Messrs W Parkinson & Co., Auckland, who have had great experience in monumental work of all kinds. Amongst the last works of tbe 'firm was the erection of the ' Qneen's statue in Auckland, (bronze on a granite pedestal), the* troopers memorial in Auok land (a figure in marble of a returned trooper) tbe base being a drinking fountain. The technical description and measurements of our War and Coronation memorial are as follows : — Height fiom the foundation to the top of the finial 37ft 6in. It is 16 feet square at the base and stands on a three feet con • crete foundation. There are eight tablets inscribed as follows, two at each corner : "This monument; waa erected by the people of Westland. The foundation stone was laid on the 14tk February, 1902, by the Right Honorable R. J. Seddon, P. 0., L.L.D., Premier of New Zealand. Henry Leslie Michel, Mayor of Hokitika, Monument unveiled on the In memory of tbe Westland troopers : Herbert G. Williams, John K. .Allen, William P. Watters, Oscar Bottom. Who lost Iheir Hveß whilst on active pervice with tbe New Zealand contingents in the South African War, 1899 1902 No7i Sibi Sed Patriae. ' To commemorate the despatch of 130 men from the Westland District. - Who served as members of the ten New Zealand contingents with the Imperial Army in the South African War 1899-1902. Pro Arts et Focis. ' V Commemoration of the Coronation of His Majesty King Edward VII. King of Great Britain and Ireland, Emperor of India, and King of the Biitish Dominions beyond the seas. Crowned 9th August, 1902.. The tablets are surmounted by handsome turned bluestone columns with turned caps and ba>es of Mounc Sumeis stone. The caps are of square moulded design and give a fiae finish to this part of th 3 monumeut. A moulded arch with a a handsomely moulded keystone in the centre springs from the top of the columns. Tuese cirry the dial stones of the clock tower, which is the superstruc tur<T. The dial stones have all been turned and are three feet in diameter, which is also the diameter of the clock faces. At the corners of the four faces of the clock tower are projecting square pilasters and the whole tower is finished off by moulded arches at the top of tbe uivtonry. Tiid lower pait of the rr.onu ment is riven an artistic appearance by foui arched doorways, access, to them being by flights of steps, and these steps a^siin are fin-shed off by ornarneatnl urns The belfry is aty.purted by iron columns surrounded by an artist c ironwork f tieze, and ibis screens the four chiming beUs. The hour bell hiegs in the centre and will b 3 viable. Tha monument is surmounted by a copper cupola with a gilded irjn finial. The whole of the structure, with ibe exception of the bluestone pillars, is of Mount Somers stone.

The clock is by Messrs Gillet Johnston of Croydon, Enahnd, and Mr Bartlett, the contractor for the clock, is spec : a'Uy pleased with it.