THE HONOURED DEAD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1676, 17 February 1913, Page 7

THE HONOURED DEAD.

SOUTH POLE TRAGEDY.

MEMORIAL SERVICES.

THE KING AT ST. PAUL'S.

AN IMPRESSIVE OCCASION.

By .Telegraph—Press Aflsocia-tlon— Copyright . ■V . London, February U. ,

1 St; Paul's Cathedral was > crowded two hours beforo tho memorial service for tho dead explorers commenced. V •Tho King, in the uniform of an admiral,, drove unescorted to the oathcdral.

• Among those present at the service were, the Prime' Minister (Mr. Asquith), the Beorotary of State for War (Colonel Seely), other members of the Cabinet, leaders of tho ' Opposition . party, the Lord Mayor •of London,, relatives of the deacrexplorsrs, and representatives of lcaricd so- : sletios. The Nationalists were; represented by Mr. Redmond tmd, -Mr! O'Con-. j nor.'. ■. r; : ! v

Captain Collinir'represented Sir George Reid (High Commissioner for. Australia). Tho servico started with the singing of tho hymn "Rookof Ages." The,height of solemnity was readied by the. playing - of tho Dead March in "Saul" by a band. • Tho introduction of the nanies of the .flv» explorers, into' tho oollect, and the; • words, "whom we humbly leave in Thy fatherly keoptng," made a deep impres- ■ 'Bion.j ! The service was closed by the cfingfegti- ■ tlon singings "Jesu, Lover of My Soul," and Beethoven's "Funeral March." Crowded services wero also held ,at Davenport Dockyard and Portsmouth. A story of the Scott expedition will be read In the schools throughout the country. /The reading, will be prefaoe<l by the singing- of"Rock-of Ages." ; •Memorial services were also hold at St. Giles's, Edinburgh, and at Gestingthorpe, • iieut. 1 Gates's native village. •■; . ' THE KING'S MESSAGE TO MRS. , SCOTT. "MOURNED.THE DEATH OF A • ' FRIEND." • (Rio. February 18, 6.5 p.m.) • . '. / ■ London, February 15. Tho King, in a messago ;to Captain Scott's mother, saya he knew lior son intimately and mourned the:death. of < & - friend m well 1 as & distinguished naval officer,

< THE MEMORIAL FUND,

EXPEDITION'S OUTSTANDING , ' LIABILITIES. i . v (Rbo. February 16, 5.5 p.m.) - -* - , • London, February 15. / 'The .Geographical Scoioty has • vd'ted <81000 to the memorial fund, find tho . Gaekwar 61 Baroda .£2OO. o . . > " ' : Lord Curzon-suggests the erection of tho Scott memorial on. half the Geographical Society's .'Bite facing- ( Hjj<ls . /Nearly jfiSO.OOO i<9 reguireci to meet the expedition's outstanding liabilities, and to . felieve the Soott Estate.';' - Captain Scott ,!. ; lirgtely pledged •hii ! eW)i' , aAi r hia'wlfeV

fortune to carry out'tho expedition, ::, Lord Curzon, writing to the press, stated that ha has .the highest authority, for. stating that tho Government will make provision for tho depondents of the deadexplorers fro*m the national funds, .■ 'Sir Joseph Ward suggests that'a naval . scholarship should be provided In memory;;of. CaptainiScott; all eons of the Empire to bo eligible, i , , '' • The members of the Stock Exotiaoge have : opened a fund for tho depondents of the dead explorers. :* The Geographical Sooiety has received , the', condolences of ' the Commonwealth Parliament and West Australia. ; . ~' " AMUNDSEN'S FBARS. , ' ■ London, February 15. 'The "Times" correspondent states that Captain Amundsen, -in September last, expresoed feara; for the "safety' «f Captain, • Soott'e' party, bnt refrained from publishing .thorn for fear of causing anxiety' to the relatives, ■ . ■ ■< " • EUMOURS DENIED. ; .. (Reo. February 17, 0.25 a.m.) ■ London, December 16, In denying New Zealand and Australian reports .Captain Scott's, m'other (who ~. Is eighty-five years Did) >arid* his relatives doolare that they:'are satisfied that every . possible effort was tnado ,to , assist, the southern party. *■'..' '' ;

WELLINGTON PULPIT TRIBUTES I 1 SERVICI IN THE TOWN HALL. "A GREAT WORLD-SORROW." ■■■ About 2000. people assembled dn tho Wellington -.Town - Hall last; night . and took part .in toe Scott memorial service held by tho Methodist Church. The Rev. S. Lawry. (president of the Methodist Conference), presided, and the jlreaoher: was tho Mv.■. P. -,W. IWolough, of, Duasdin. :On the platform, also, were : Tho Rovs. 0. •".. Laws (secretary of. the Conference), J. o,.Chapman, Q. Knowl«a Smith, 8. J, Bwpell, and G. H. Mann. / V Tho Rev, C. H. Laws read tho 00th Pjal™,and ( a portion of the 14th chapter of St, John's Gospel. The Rev. G. Hi Mann lead tho Msambly in prayer. Mr. Henry Wells played tho organ, at tho conelusion rendering- tho Dead March. I 1 , We t 'rtMt m the shadow of'a great world^Sorroff,' eaid Mr. Fairolongh in epinftienciflg his address, "and of n no- ; tional disappointment;.and wo stand confronted ivnth .one of tho great ironies of life,'for the flags were bent and the feast' ST?®!!' nnd 'now athwart tho festive ward their lies ft Shadow and the flags ' half-mast. 'vTho pride of our nation;had been at stake, he proceeded, in the:matter of the race for. the Pole, and when WO .learnt that the Norwegian had ■ reached thft goal first wo had hoped that nn( expedition would excel the other in value. We hoped that something would' happen which would permit our explorers to leave a name ivhlch would ehino like a constellation. ■ It happened. It was a traMdy.- Why did men «pek the 'Polo ■wnyjud-'they'.risk-'thttr lives, to reach )t? Jho tfole was the factory of our weather, in .co-partnership with'' the sun, There were mysteries of terrestriol mngjetum for men to solve, And we in New cramnn were wculiarly interested. No doiibt tho majority of mankind could life ■jyry oomfftttnWv without any of these things beinsr solved. But there were. tho«e '/t . had h'en ouicfeened bv their, store, of ktiowMdgC) Tho dar of mental (Went wni crtne, Men were now not. rnti<fi»d to «impl* Iwlleve in what tMi ane'ents said. TntollliMit fiulMtv WSH movit.f frrfwnrfl to rorlojiff the world whew preT'in-lr nv-n h»d been .content to wonrt«i, Think of th« rHt and *tren»th n«e«x«rr to McftMhlifh th* jonrnev to nw South Pol# | The«« hta+e «onls bote thetT torrlble trial* with fortitude. The? wret* flrt viln flo recrliflinaMnns. .ri. "•mplslnts. Th» eneaker here mid - rwmifo to the tortitnde of tMly-OfHrer •fWjnSiitid Contain Aslei Oates, he said, had a It'rre r«ln «f th» h»mlo to him. It was>!t»«die«f fiat Ottes (dmuld die, and he took up his HrosA l>k» * Wo and went out into the Mirrerd s end tor a?«s to eonVe that tnanV «"tf-sacriflee. Mirouph the dnrkwi ef the Pole. w«iiM (rlea-m liko a star.; see"e of all—three Mizwdbmitid inen writtoir th°ie messaees to the worH'of life. Thw did not write com-

plaints or recriminations: they wrote retiueata and petitions to the world to care for' their dependents. The memory >of these mon would last for ever. They lay in the grandest of all mausoleums with the Southern Cross standing abovo. lhcy woro ii truer crown than any wreath man could weavo them. Ho trusted God would receive them. . ■

The proceeds of a collection which \v<n taken as people left tho hall vi'i go to swell the Scott moinorial fund. The hymns sung during tho eervlte Wero: "0 God I Our Help In Ages Past," "Eternal Father," "Fierce Raged' tho Tempest," and "Nearer My God:to Thee."

DR. E. A. WILSON. : A CHARACTER SKETCH BY ONE WHO KNEW HIM. . Before commencing his 6ermon at St. Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral, Mulgrave Street, yesterday' morning, the Rev. A. M. Johnson in ado reference to tho South Polo disaster. He said: 1 hope we have all cut out of our papers Captain Scott's letter. It should be kept—it should be read in our 6ohool books. We should use it at once, aiid not leave it for a future generation to discover. I. What a humble triumph of heroism is that letter —full of self-re-straintj full of brotherly feeling for those with him j and wo shall not, I nope, for'get that appeal for those dependent on them With which it closes.

"But to mo personally there is a deeper note in this tragedy. I had the privilege twenty years ago of being at the sarao college at Cambridge with one of the heroes that perished in that relentless blizzard. * For'somo time my rooms were ,on the next Staircase to those of E, A. Wilson, of Caius. Looking back now I can see something of tho spirit that ho,showed in tho'Polar snows. .His college career was one of which any man might be proud. After uniform success ill collego examinations he gained a first class in his science tripos. But ho was more than a scholar—his was 'mens 'Sana in corpora'sano/ He rowed, in a most successful college eight; and was a man whose friendship was oounted an honour by all who enjoyed it. But there was another side toWilson's life. No one was more averse to cant or parade of re-, ligion than t he—but I do not remernber any . .who more frequently,' .attended his college chapel. As many of you know, a certain number,■ of is required at" most, colleges : at ' Cambridge;, Wilson tfa9 ■ never content with this minimum. I can picture him' now at the early celebration on a Sundfty morning—kneeling withi .reverence nt the, altar. That Was to him the source Of tno strong life that was. his. ; Lent is more difficult to keep in a mixed college , suoli as ours than perhaps anywhere else—but he kept it quietly and without parade. Behind oil his life there was the power that never failed him—tho' power .that. radiated through him. He served Christ iji life— ho was permitted to servo him in def.th. Following his Master he has followed Him to the end. 'Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.' Wa thank God for these lives—men we have mixed with, men we have known. : Heroism, is not dead, the British sense of duty is not gone. The appeal to realise our brotherhood-soften checked in the rush And competition of our crowded life—rings with steady clearness from out those fastnesses; of tho silent enows. ' God help us in all our questionings to lay just this to heart thAt ltfo -itself is • not to be. cherished if ■ our brothers ' have ■' need of ;ns. What should We have thought of= ■ any one of the four if he had left tho others and saved himselff Suoli a .thought was impossible to men I liko Scott .and his companions." ?.

THE REV. W. SHIRBR'S TRIBUTE. Preaching at St. James's Presbyterian Church yesterday from . the text, "He, .being dead, yet spwiketh," the; Rev. W. Shirer said:—"Tha good man dies, but his ■voioo is 6tilrhwdv,| ,The r.ecord of ,6omo is written in • Scripture, i Men of faith and courage are still bearing- witness from history afldjMtd.;,their . written .words. still iepeaks; "In Momoriam" has a message from ft true .heart to all time.; There; ore many . voices. Tho Evangelists have passed to another life, bait? the .Gospels are .still living .voices.. The roll of heroes of faith and : men of vision,; practical, mystios, is not 1 yet closed." ' . V' : .After reading the last words written by Captain Scott, the preacher Said that the old flag had been raised at the Pole. Another V; brave, man had reached , it sooner, but thero was no pitiful envy. After success came disaster, but if ever a voice came back to us, .'Tlay ; the man," wo heard it now. Self, was forgotten in i caring for others, even to personal sacrifice and in appeal for thOse.left in somw. True men had erected humble memorials ;fOr those found and for the bravo soldier not found. . The old Nary and Army were well represented. Simple manly religion was not : forgotten by thoso wRo "held Divine service on Sunday, evening" and later "read tho i burial service. Tho Voice saidt "Do your duty, face discouragement and difficulty, even death, with courage, care for others in weakness, think what life In bereavement means for ■others} quit ye'liko meh." Some might not understand, some wight say, Why this waste? Men of faith, understanding, and true aspiration would hear the Voice,' and, wondering, :woUld honour.

' ST. PETER'S CHURCH. 'At Sfc Peter's Church 1 yesterday, Archdeacon- Harper took as the basis of his address the deaths of. Captain Scott and his 'companions in /thoAntarctic, and special prayers and hvmns were included In tho «!rvics.' At tho morning service, Chopin's "Funeral March" wm played, and in the evening the Dead March in .. 'A BRAVD LEADER. At the Northland Methodist Church yesterday, the Hot.' C. B. Ward, of Christ" churon, preachcd ' from Hobreirs ix, 27. "It is appointed for man once •to die." In his sermon he said that news of tho fato of Captain Scott and the monitors of his 'gallant paf ty had cast ft Sense of bereavement over-the Dominion and over the nation. He spoke of Cfcptain Scptt as a man of sterling wofth and great ability, a brave and gallant leader, and those with him, he added, were worthy of . their leader.. All felt • that they had a part in the disaster whioh had overtaken these bravo men. 1 Yet they had como to a glorious end face to face with Naturo in her .kternost moba. Captain' Oates, in walking to hifl death dn a raging blizzard to give his comrades in peril a chance, had revealed a' splendid manhood and. rare courage. These men,in their end had proved themselves worthy, of the highest traditions of-their race. A nation that 'could produce such sons was surely not in decay.

UNCONSCIOtTS GREATNUSS.. Proacfhing at St; Andrew's Presbyterian Church yesterday, the Rev. J. Gibson Smith to6k as his. subjcct "Unconscious Greatness," and the sermon had special reference to tho death of Captain Scott nnd his In'iive companions, Tho congregation stood whiio tho Dead March, was played, and tho hymns of tho day were appropriate to the memorial service. In the cotirso of his address, the preacher said that Captain Scott v/as a splondid' example of unconscious greatness. The thing that had really touched the hearts of tho people was that Captain Scott in his last moments had so absolutely lost fcll thought of himself, and thought only of his cause, and 'Of those dependent On him. Thore was no rhetoric about his final "Message to the public." It was just the letter of ft sltnplJ-minded sailor, but at the same time the letter of a hero.

MISSIONS TO SEAMEN, The Polar memorial forvico at the Soamsn's Institute Church .was lartfoly attended by' seamen and their friends last evening. Appropriate hymns were fiung, anil at the of the service the oangregation stood whtlo tlw organist, l/r. W. Gardiner, played "The Dead March in Saul." Tho mksioner. Mr. W. E. Cocks, biined hln sermon on tho words, "Men that have hazarded their lives. Ho combated the idea that it was a waste of human life for mftil to hazard thoit lives in scientific research, and lie went oil to speak of the value of true heroism, 'pointing out that ntany real heroes nover reached fame amongst their fellows. Jle appealed to his congrojation to put into their daily lives the Spirit of triio heroism «S displayed in the life of Jesus Christ, and as His service called for daily nets of heroism even though these might never gain the applause of their follows. JEWISH SYNAGOGUE. Tho Rev. H. Van Staveren, Jewish Uabbi, preached a sermon yesterday morning, in which ho ninde reference to the 1 Antarctic tragedy. Speaking of Captain

Scott and the party who perished with him, Mr. Van Staveren sajd that these brave men hod fallen on the altar of research. Thero wore over offerings and sacrifices to be made, and many had offered on the altar of fame, but theso men stood pre-eminent, having sacrified their lives in quite another way and in pursuit of quite ft different object.

PETONE AND HTJTT. Memorial servicos in connection with the death of Captain Scott and his comrades woro held at St. David's Church, l'etone, and lCnox Church, Lower Hutt. In the former ohurch the llev. A. Thomson, preaching from the text "Tho Crown of Sacrifice," epoko in feeling terms of tho loss to I ho nation of the nol>lo Antarctio explorers. '11m> I(ov. J. M'Caw, ftt Itnox Church, also madevfeeling reference to the dead heroes, In both cases the congregations were very large. At tho Methodist Conference on Saturday afternoon, reference was made in tho ionforcnco address to tho Antarctic tragedy. Tho coufcrenco address (whieli was drawn up by the Rev. A. C- I/awry) stated: "As wo sat in conference wo wero all shocked and saddened by the tidings of "the death of Captain Scott and his intrepid comrades, who calmly yielded their lives for Britain's honour and for the advancement of science. They left luxury and life and love for the Weak icefields of the Antarctic, and slow' death under tho darkness and fury of a blizzard.'" IN OTHER CENTRES.. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Auckland, February 16. Memorial services, were held in Auck-< land to-day in memory of tho Antarctic heroes. At St. Matthew's Anglican Church there was a very largo attendance, muffled peals being rung beforo the service commenced. , ■ . / Dunedin, February 18. The Dunedin branch of the Overseas Club held .'a memorial service for Captain Scott and his comrades to-day in the Octagon Hall, .'which was orowded to the doors, local M.P.'s, tho Mayor, and city councillors, and representatives of all the ohurclies were present. The speakers were the Revs. W. Gray' Dixon, and TV. Slade, both of whom referred feelingly to the noble work of the explorers. The service was opened with Chopin's

Funeral March In "Saul," played by the Kaikorai Band. >

PROPOSED MEMORIAL. Dunedin, FeßhiaTy 15,

At the Harbour Bonrd's meeting last night a suggestion was • mads that a memorial be erected at Port Chalmers as marking. Captain Scott's final departure from New Zealand. Thp chairman expressed the opinion that there would bo no lock of subsoribors for such a. memorial.