MANNING THE FORTS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2221, 6 August 1914, Page 6

MANNING THE FORTS

TERRITORIAL GUNNERS ON GUARD YESTERDAY'S MOBILISATION \ -. . . ■ , The Wellington'forfe—Dorset, Ballance,' ond Kejbum—rwerei manned yesterday by: the Garrison Artillery ' division -of the Wellington Coast Defenco troops. For Some days past the forts have been garrisoned by the Royal New' Zealand Artillery, but. in view of .the latest developments that have taken place in Europe it was .considered necessary, merely; as a precautionary measure, that the fortsshould b» - garrisoned to tlheir -full .strength,' and manned day and night.Mobilisation orders were issued on Monday evening, 'and the members'of tho three companies ordered to parade assembled for duty between 9 and 10 o'clock yesterday morning. No. 3 and .No., •9' companies mustered at the Drill -' Hall, Buckle Street, and No. 5 Company attended'' at Ngahauranga. The vicinity- of Buckle Street, when the troops concentrated, presented a busy aspect when the hour for mobilisation ar- ' jived. As the men arrived, with their kits, etc., civilians collected and watched tho proceedings with keen interest. Sev- • oral wagons which- had been commissioned by the' Defenco authorities were engagei" in removing the kits of the men, together with cases of ball cartridge, while special wagons moved off laden with oanip utensjls. ' _ Shortly after 10 a.m., No. 3 and No. 9 companies moved iff to Forts Dorset and Pallance' respectively. . The. mobilisation was carried, out under the personal supervWnn of Colonel G. F. C. Campbell. Coast Defence Commandor, . and LieutenantOMonel Courtney, officer commanding the. division. Captain Brown, is officer ,in charge at .Fort DdVset, whilo Major' A. Hume is at Fort Ballance, together, with Majors D.. R.. Menzies and E. V. Bevan, assistant officers; Major A. Hollis is at Fort' ICelburn. . - ; Tho three forts . accommodate m all about four Hundred men. LYTTELTON GUNNERS AT THEIR . POSTS. (By Telegraph—Press . Association.) Christehurch, August 5. No.-i Company N.Z. Garrison Artillery mobilised at Lyttelton this morning; and are to proceed, to Ripa Island for active servico at Fort Jorvois.: Mobilisation was carried out very-systematically. , > Dunedin, August 5. - Tho officer commanding the Otago District (Colonel Bauchop) has taken 1 the , necessary stops-', for.;. local" mobilisation, witli-itliotl ofyefet of:■ securing' volunteer's-,-from tho'differeiib'sub-unitsiv. When 'these" aro 'complete the required men will be selected," equipped, •-and . subsisted nnder •regimental arrangements, iind : mobilised-. ■ at Tahuna Krk. - \ Auckland, August 5. . - At midnight three companies of tho.; Acckland- Garrison : Artillery- marched to the wharf en route-to the forts. There .were about four hundred men, and tho remainder - aro expcctcd to -, report ..to, iheir -rcspectivo Minpanies -immediately. . Throughout the evening, . there were largo crowds in Queen Street. When an anti-militarist expressed unpatriotic sentiments he was effectively silenced ,by the crowd singing patriotic eongs.A PEREMPTORY SUMMONS ' SHOT ACROSS THE WAKATU'S BOWS. ; (By - Telegraph—Prees ',Association.) '• ' " Christchurcli, August 5. The' coastal steamer Wakatu,. when entering-Lytteltou about 5 . o'clock . this -niorning, failed, to stop. for examination when signalled, and a, shot ,was fired over her bows from Fort' Jervois. - It is stated that Captain Wills, of the Wakatu, was not aware of the orders to signaL' The .vessel proceeded straight to the wharves. ; THE CAPTAIN'S .STORY! When the Wakatu was eighted i from the Harbour Boaird's signal station at Adderley Head, she was signalled in Morso code to wait for the-Cygnet, with .a view to being examined. No notice was taken,however, and the Wakatu came straight into the harbour. When she was abreast of 1 'Ripa Island / the Defence authorities at Fort Jorvois noticed that no signals 'were being flown indicating that she had beori oleared by the Cygnet, and fired a sliot' from one qf the big guns across hor bows. In spite of this the Wakatu continued'on her course, and as no further shots were fired sho reached Lyttelton without further incident. Captain Wills, master of the TTakatu, stated that when he left Kaikoura for Lyttelton yesterday afternoon he liad not received any advices regarding the examination service to bo carried out by tho Cygnet on inward and outward shipping movements, and as ,no war signals or others were seen' at Adderley Head signal station he came straight into the 'channel, aa'he did every week., A small steamer, carrying lights, was seen approaching the Wakatu, but as it was not known what vessel sho was the Wakatu kept under-way, and although the shot, or rockotj was fired from Fort Jervois, the vessel 'kept moving until her-arrival at Lyttelton. Captain Wills also stated that-he -was under the impression that the Himitangi, bound from Wellington,had entered tho harbour not long befefre him, and as. that; vessel could not be seen at anchor he presumed -that she had not been stopped. The Himitangi, however,: did not call at Lyttelton, but proceeded to Timaru. . ■ AUSTRIAN COLLIER AT WESTPORT It was reported in , Wellington last evening, in reliable quarters, that .an Austrian collier, at Westport had beeu detained. , AN ABSURD RUMOUR WHAT, A OF COPPERS (By Teleffraph—Press Assoeiation.) Christehurch, August 5. An absurd rumoiiT that there had been a run ori 4 local hank was floating about town last night. It appears that .a certain public institution needed-some cash for paying: out, and sent.ovot messengers to get the. money, -Mich Wa9 in copper and silver. By some means or other one of the messengers dropped a bag of copper coins outside tho bank, and tlio flood of pennies rolled over the footpath. A large crowd collected at once, to watch the frantic efforts of the messenger to retrieve tho lost cash, and some irresponsible person who saw the crush' from afar off at onco jumped to the'conclusion that thero had been a .run on the'bank. Nothing could havo been furthw from the tTuth. The ..business people are keepinc their' heads in a commendable manner. Trading concerns are'going, on. in an absolutely normal fashion, arid thero are no symptoms of panic.. It is a. fact that instead of there beiug a rush to withdraw ticposits, new accounts have been opened rather.more numerously than usual, and thn wholo tono of tho banking business is tkorougkly.TOSSTtfiog, \ >