PRINCE OF WALES'S TOUR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 195, 13 May 1920, Page 5

PRINCE OF WALES'S TOUR

—-V —— VISIT TO WEST.COAST ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOMES AT ALL * ' POINTS ■■ ■ ■ ■ M JOURNEY FAVOURED BY I FINE WEATHER £ '' ■ ai : — ; w i ■ '•!' ' , Ei ■By Teleeraph—Press Asuoe'n-Ukm. ai Reofton, May 12. ?' Beautiful weather all day yesterday made the Prince's journey from Nelson A through the Waimea Valley at\d through the mountains and the upper Buller °- Gorge a succession of surprising pleasures, Everywhere there was the utmost . enthusiasm at the Prince's appearance. 11l the more older settlements _ in the earlier 6tages of'the journey by rail to Gienhope the people turned out in ' full- force, and. the spirit shown was always one of glad welcome and'good will. Leaving tho more settled* districts, Tadmore added its quota to t'he cheering and ei flag-waving. Gienhope came out en masse, A and gave the Eoyal party a joyous send- ai off as it transferred to motor-cars and di , started on;the eighty-mile run to Beefton, via Muroliison and Inangahua. Murchison's.welcome was warm and hearty. , Luncheon was partaken of, and then th« most impressive stage of the journey from the scenic point of view was en-. ; tered upon. Through the, upper Buller Gorge the Prince walked a: portion of tho way to ciijoy the beautiful sylvan and liver vistap more fully. g r After leaving Inangahua the party experienced the most exciting incident of th.6 whole tonr up to date. For the Gorge trip the Prince's car took up its position at the. rear of tho procession. The B others pushed ahead. Opposite Inangahua Railway Station one of the leading cars ' stopped suddenly,\ and the liext, following . closely at . a fair 6peed,'. had uot timo to 1 -stop. There was just room to at a B alow 6peed, but in. the circumstances the a eliance of getting past was slight. How- tl ever, it was the only one, and the driver a' •(T. Watson) tos it. The car was almost ti past, but the slippery ground let tho & wheels skid, and in a. .moment the car n had turned somorsault and landed strad- ti died ovar a big ditch. : The four occtt- a pants of the/ car, Messrs. E. Cotes (re- ti presenting Eeuter's Agency), F. Morgiui t< • (New Zealand Press Association), Taylor n (Internal Affairs Jiepartment), and G. 'V TV;: Turley (Riilway, Department), were ji shot into tho ditah through; a thick mat p of brambles, which broke their fall, and ,a • acted as a spring buffer to J prevent • tho li 'car. crushing " those underneath. Plenty r •of aasistaiice, was fortunately at hand; A ':and;the car was lifted and the occupanfe g released. Tliey were shaken and scratch- p ed.by the brambles, but otherwise were e. . uninjured, except that the driver was e . slightly cut by glass from, the broken p windscreon. The car was righted and •» proceeded on its journey, but the passen- fli , gers were transferred' to other care. d "The Prince's car reached Reefton after r 7.30 _ p. 111. j His Eoyal Highness himself P ■ drivin?' over the last stage from Ihanga- t hua.. His appearance was hailed by-quite h a large crowd with a great display of c enthusiasm. ; Aff.erJ dinner the Prince attended a reception in" the Council Cham- t tiers. . . , b . '■ ' v WESTPORT VISITED V J -'_2 - '' 3 ■ , c By Telegraph—Press Association.. t Hokitika, May 12. ? ,Wonderfully fine weather prevailed again -to-day, and the trip from Eeefton 8 . to Westport and back to Inangahua Junction by motor and thence to Hoki- . t.ika : .by trtAp was the pleasantcst perhaps of His Eoyal Highness eet out from Keefton. at. 9.30 in - the E ' morning. Westportwas . reached ,at . . midday, and the tOwnspeoplo gave the Prince a cordial welcome, fho streets ... being dMorated.,and ~a' "geneial. holiday T ' :'atmpsph'ere : ,lying over ' .the' coal-, port. c After a. half-hour's stay a , start was 1 ■ made on the.return journey to Inanga-- j < hua Junction, His Royal Highness tak- j ins: the wheel and driving his car all j the wav through the Gorge in good ( • style, his time being equal to anything , done on- the; run. On arrival at | Inangahua tho party found luncheon ) i awaiting them in the train/and certain- ( ly, they did justice to it. , HOKITIKA'S GREAT WELCOME 'By Tolsgraroh—Press •Association.'' ' ; Hokitika May 12. 'As the train passed through Grey- • mouth after dark considerable crowds , gathered in the vicinity of the station, and heartily cheered . the Eoyal carriage." . . At Hokitika. so. long the home of a man known in these islands as a great Imperialist, the people livetf up to the ' old-time reputation for loyalty. ■ The whole town and district seemed to have poured' into the streets :of Westland'B capital, ■ and. more enthusiastic crowds could not be found anywhere. Tho streets were'gaily, decorated, a special . feature , being illuminated arches at in- , .- tervals along the line of the Eoyal procession. with many transparencies, showing legends of welcome and .bene- ■ diction on the people's Prince of. to-day . and the King' of to-morrow. As the procession moved oft from the station coloured lights blazed up, tho band played, and tho people cheered,' tho whole keno being om of remarkable enthusiasm, which was sustained during ..\. the time tho motors made their way slowly to Keller's. Hotel, which is the Prince's headquarters. His .appearance, on the balcony with Mr. T. Y. Seddon, member for the district, and the Mayor, Mr. Perry, jmd'tlie county chairman, Mr. Bruce, was the signal for fresh, prolonged cheering. - . .. '• , Addresses'of welcome from locatl bbdita were presented, and the Prince, in a , happilv-worded reply, referred to the ■warmth of the receptions accorded him at; each place visited on. tho Coast, at •the Eome timo wishing tho peoplo a return and continuance of tho glorious prosperity the district had known in : years gone by. Later in the evening the Prince attended a, public reception and citizens' ball in the Drill Hall, which was finely de- ! : corated for the occasion. The function was a really brilliant success. Hokitika's welcome to the Prince was extraordinary in the intensity of tho patriotic feeling displayed. 1 To-morrow the party will make ifts way ' across the Otira Gorge cn route to 1 Christchurch. . RENOWN AT LYTTELTON. (. By Telegranh-Prosß Association. 1 Christchurch, May 12. The Eenown left Picton on Tuesday afternoop, i and, making a leisurely pas-, sage down the coast at little more than thirteen knots, arrived at ; Lyttelton Heads at 9 a.m. to-day, coming up the 'harbour a little before, flood tide. The Harbour Board's tug, with over (50t) guests on board, met tho Eenowri, and she' was escorted l>y numerous motorlaunches filled ifith eight-seers. Crowds of people lined the wharves and the hillsides. The Eenown was snugly berthed at 10.130. - . When at Westport yesterday (reports a Press Association message), Admiral Halsey was asked to arrange for tho Eenown, when making for Australia, to Bteam as close as possible to Westport, the nearest port to Australia. The Admiral stated that, if possible, this would be arranged.,