WELLINGTON CELEBRATIONS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 42, 13 November 1918, Page 8

WELLINGTON CELEBRATIONS

j JOY 'AND THANKSGIVING

' HAPPY CROWDS: PATRIOTIC SPEECHES

u- ' " ' r IMPRESSIVE GATHERING AT BASIN

RESERVE

;Boom! What was that? Listen— sten! Boom! The guns—the gunshot eace! There was no doubt of it. The iund was distant, but there was no !istaking it'! All Wellington held its i-eath at 9 a.m. yesterday for the repetion of the sound. And when it came II doubt was at an end. Hearts tluob?d; eyes glistened with tears of joy ad thankfulness. Surely those guns of eacfi, that shocked the - fresh morning ir were the most "beautiful sounds ever bard byi mortal ears, ior did they not erald the end of the most coiossal war lat this world has ever, witnessed? Reeved, after four and a quarter years of ;nse anxiety—and not a little justifiable pprehension—the public's spirits rose to eights of ineffable joy, and they took no ains to.conceal the fact. 'A few minutes fter , the first boom of the peace guris, uriting began to flutter in the breeze* com public and private buildings, and Jrings of flags iwere hoisted on the shiping, to the accompaniment of honrsekroated steamer whistles, shrieking fretis, ' and a gladdening chorus of Ingling bells, the sweetest music made— i>r did it not herald tlie coming of ihite-robwl peace, the daughter of war, iirough the dark gates? t !, . All Work Abandoned. [With oue accord work in the city was bandoned, and offices, - factories, shops, hd houses poured their thousands into he city streets, where joy scenes were iiacted on all sides. It was imagined hat -last, week's false alarm would (feet the intensity of feeling when the fcal' news came, but such was not the ase. There was a more vivid spon-, ineity of thought, speech, and action n the part of people, young and old, ban was ever witnessed or experienced a the history of the Dominion. Fairy lands seemed at work-in the air, clothjig the facades.flf buildings up and down own. As far as the eye could reach heir sombre faces became alive with (uttering colour. An 'hour after tho first ;un fired, the city was /throiged with lappy, jostling crowds,' and flashing lag-bedecked motor-cars, all edging towards Wellington North.

' In the Parliamentary Grounds. . ! There before tho Assembly Library Siiildings a vast crowd gathered in close irder on the broad walks and- lawns to tear the official news ■ read. Everyone ield a flag and wore patriotic favours, Ind when the herald blew a blast from iis silver trumpet from the top of the pain, flight of fc.eps, and His Excellency the Governor-Uenoml (Lord .Liverpool) stepped forward to read the official news )f the signing of the armistice terms by Germany, the vast assemblage, viewed at a little distance, resembled a great human flag, asprawl before tho nation. 1 )] edifice of the Dominion. ' Tho ceremony was brief and._formal, but the cheers that rent the air carried in them the heart of the Empire City. Again ■ (lie trumpet spoke! Then the Anthem, surely never so beautifully and gloriously sung! .- . . And away above against the 6ky from the tower -of,.the House flew the colours of the victors—the British Empire (the Jack), the Tricolour of I'rance, the Stars ,and, Stripes of America, the carnival colours of Italy, . and the red, black, and yellow bars of gallant little Belgium—fabricated pigments only, but.destined to form the curtained background of the future league of Nations that is to preserve' civilisation in all that is purest and best. / , At the Town Hall. hTlien followed the gaj-est and most delightful of cheerily disordered processions • that iever, trooped through the streets of Wellington. With blaring toy trumpets, rattles, cymbals, tin-cans, and •every-. imaginable musical instrument could be promptly secured, the crowds—filling the full width, of . the street—drifted noisily but ever so' gladBomely to the Town Hall. The whole of 'Lower Cuba .Street outside the municipal edifice was well packed shortly after 11 a.m. Before the speeches commenced the ■huge crowd amused itself by singing patriotic songs and choruses, one local ■singer, perched outside one ofGordon ;afid Gotch's windows, making an [unmistakable hit by singing a song about the fallen Kaiser, the chorus of which was a "count out," which was itakenmp enthusiastically by the vast assembly. When the block of p.eople was [penetrated by cars, in which were seated |the Prime Minister (Right Hon. W. E. Massey) and Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, 'the band greeted them with "Hearts of 'Oak," and the crowd cheered lustily and jthere was much flag-wagging.' Viewed ;Irom above the scene was an umforget- ! table one. There was inherent in the con- ' course an- exhilaration of spirit, but [rarely manifested in .peoplo'of British ■stock, illuminating every .face, however i'dull or stern in cast of feature, giving ; in the aggregate a brightness of ,60ul to 'the.gathering. Now and then'a woman, J overcome'with the heat and excitement, J fainted, and was borne out, to foe restarted. the Town Hall by the ladies (of the St. John Ambulance Association, • who were well prepared for such omerigencies. At ono time there were half a ■ dozen girls and women beins restored to j consciousness inside the building, whilst ; without the crowd • roared . itself hoarse I cheering the boys at the front, the. Allies, .- the French, the nurses, And tho Navy, ' at the call of various speakers. : Scene at the Basin Reserve. There was a great procession through : the streets in the afternoon. Assembling ; at the Government Buildings, and inter- | fipersed with ten bands, a splendid col- ; umii of returned soldiers, cadets, veter- : ants, scouts, and an army of citizens, 1 boys and girls, old and young, grave and ; gay, armed with (lags and emblems, j. stepped it out to the/lilt of bright march ' times to tho Basin Reserve, where the ' ■united service of thauksgivina: was held at 3 p.m. It is estimated that there j must have 'been some 10,0(H) people in the ! Reserve, and 'thousands of others watched ' tho scene from the fences 'tiul houses '"iround-the Reserve. It was an impressive ; scene and one that will live ill the memi ory for many years to come.

Major Norton Francis (Director of Base Records),' Major H. C. Nutsford (Assistant Quartermaster-General), Major J. A. •Wallingford (Chief Musketry Instructor),Major A. A. Corrigan (O.C. Group 5), Major Ilulme (K.X.Z.A.), Captain D. C. \V. Cossgrove (Director of Recruiting), Captain Cross (-Director of Organisation), Captain Fiirby (Assistant Adjutant-Gen-eral, Palmeraton North, representing Headquarters Wellington District). The Governor-General's aides-de-camp were Colour! 11, J. Collins and Colonel J. E. Purely. The National Anthem was played by the bands, and then Lord Liverpool read the following cablegram, dated November 11, from the Colonial Secretary:— The armistice was signed at 5 o'clock this morning. Tho Governor-General then read the message from His Majesty the King, and his reply, (which will be found on page 1 of this issue).