THE ROYAL VISIT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 121, 18 June 1901, Page 2

THE ROYAL VISIT.

THE VOYAGE TO WELLINGTON. ! PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. ! Wellington, June 17. ! The Postal Department is advis d that the Royal yacht and her consorts pasaed Akitcoa at 11 a.m. They [should thus arrive in Wellington early ttonight. Gisbojine, June 17, Tha Royal sqtndion passed Gisboi n<) at 2 o'clock this mnrning. The vesseh turned their flashlights on the town, and an attempt was made to communi- 1 cate with the Ophir. The wireless telegraphy instrument was visibly' agitated! but no definite record was taken, the apparatus evidently not' being quite in tune. Several messages were sent, and it is thought probable j the instrument on the Opbir being move sensitive they would be clearly recorded, j | Wellington, June 17. | The weather unfortunetely broke yesterday morning, and there were' heavy showers during the day and last ;night. The total rainfall in th"? 24 hours was .95 inch. At present there is evtry appearance of the weather ' settling again. Visitors are crowding : into the city .in thousands from all i "directions. j

PREPARATIONS AT WELLINGTON. } EFFECT OK THE WRT ON THE DKCOj RATIONB. Wellington, June 17. | It is mo3t unfortunate that a r ter three months of exceptionally fine' weather it should have chosen to bwak up just at this juncture, but Captain Edwin predicts hotter fortune for tomorrow. Toirontjiil rain fell during the night, hampering'the workmep who, in some cases, were to start decorating at midnight, and marring some of the work already done. The Chinese arch, which is largely composed of paper, looks very dilapidated at pressnt, and the Wts'port arch presents rather a shadv appaarance. This [afternoon a thunderstorm came on, ' giving the decorations a further drenching. The result of the change in the is that the preparations araall (behind, and a go'd deal of hard work I will be requ'red to comple'e them. | Beginning at the wharf tw o lines o f [tall Venetian mists, painted in th« ; Duke's colors, line the main pier, and temporary nroll's hsve been vry .simply constructed by moving two jbjdraulic cranes oppose one another, ■ and suitably draping them. At the J entrance, and along Jervous Quay, ii a -mass of stands construe'el by the R?Jception Cimmittes. Thews will aecomo lato some thousands of Bp e ato s

Broad Qtny is lined in paral e d tows s with stout mists, all white with gilt crowns on the top from which ai*a stretched lines of p-nnants, and there is the first arch, a tribute of the citizens. It is Roman in design, and the prevailing colours are red. white, anjj bln». Medallions are inserttd in the w*]]*, and buutng floats from nume p ous staffs. At the top just beyond is a i woollen arch inscribed " See Warmth of Our Welcome," being a reference to the piles of red, whi'e and blue blankets which surround i*-s pi<-r>. Turning into Cuba-street, the vista of white masts cont'nues, and beyond that, another tna6s of seating round the fite where the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Town Hall will take place in the afternoon. Upper Ouba-street, at present, presenes the gayest Fcene in ths ci'v. Greenery is profmedly used alorg th* si'ies and overhead, with parti-rolou'ed poles peeping out from fernery, a r d springs of bright-coloured penan's in ; the air above, there being 2,500 ynrd< of rope feetoonfd with evergreens for this seotion. At the top of the st'eet is the arches eipcted by the sub 'rb'n , boroughs nnd Marlborough, itg pr:n"ipal feature being the wheat sheaves t with which it is thatched from top to bottom, so thfit the result is rather

etv'king. In Inges're, Upper Willi", and Manners streets therd aw no Venetian masts, but te'esiraph and electric light. pol'B have fceen piin f ,ed white. Wh»t decoation there is has mostly done privately, exc r pt that Upper Willis-street is lined with nikau palms, and the Chinese have erertfd sn arch in Manners street. At Low r j Willis-street Venetian masts app ar s again, and run aloug to the end of tho route, This throughfaie, like Cubastreet, is a mass of greenery, whole palms and trae feing having been : brought in bodily, and fl't off by plenty cf bunting. At the foot is the Consul's arch, stone coloured aid rather plnn. At the top wave ten flig3 representing tho ten Consuls, and the a>m* cf each count y hane on the wal's, Venetian masts along Li mb'on Q'ifly have wre-'tha of evergreens and sirokls suspsnded from each. A f .

Panama-street the Dairy A«sociiti->n ha* erected ai aroh in blu°, purple, and red with ends of butter bixe«, each boating a sep«r.ite brand, liui' g the centre of the s'ructure. At the turn in the Quay the lofty : Westpo'-fc atch comes into view,, thin : beine the most imposing of all these trophies, standing 50 feet high, and particularly massive in appearand. Over .£SOO has been expended on it. Tho prevailing co'our is white, wi h an ornamented cornice and transparency " West,port's Greeting " The pint's and buttresses are panelled n i'li call, and solid b'ocks of th« same mint nil, en' h a cubic yard in size, s'and on the pedestals, while smaller giMed bltcks represent the gold yield. Under the coal trophies are irsiriptions "The csal that saved tho C-illiope," a proud reminder of the day that thn English min-of-war, with tho help of Wev port c-a', bade defiance ti the Apia tornado. Just beyond this arch is another group of stands which will seat, two or time

p?eple. The "VWtport Hnr- ; bout' Board have oik, the nrxfc is for vetet anf, one for old age pensioners, and stretching alo'-g the front if , the Government landings is the G >- 1 vorument stind. There, too, is the Governmont arch, a msssive edifi o ! representing the entrance to a Sco'ch Boronial Castle. It is coloured to imitate stone with thrre c isolated turrets, and en the piers a' e four large and excellent likemssts <f 1 the King, Queen, and the Duke and Duchess. Protected by glass on the top is a large crown, and a few memori«l shields are hung on the piers. In • Charlotte street is a Maoii arch leading; to the Parliament Uuildiiigs. This is ; the imitation of a Maori patuku, or 1 storehouse, nvsed well above th"»Btr<et, covered with greenery, and thatched in Maori style. The last arch is a , small floral structure ovt-r the entrance ■ to Government House. The approaches along Charlotte and Sydney ' streets are liberally festooned wi'h bunting, and the whole presents; u bright and animated sight. The Venetian [masts here all bear shields of correct

armorial design, aid in til the Govern* moot had purchased, or bad made, 500 fljgs, everyone of which is national or mercantile. The maia portion of the decorations has been put up by the Reception Committee and the Government. Cutn and Willie streets, in addition, owe a good deal to the money subscribed by their mideuts for special adornment. A geod d< al of decoration m the way of drapery aed bunting hag also been done privately, and, fives Ono wea'her, the general effect will be extremely goad. JJeeides the streets mentioned, some decorations has been effected along the routrs to bo followed by the Royal party on their way* to subsidiary functions. The work of roping off the s reets it now going on. There is a heavy programme for tomorrow. The public reception takes plac<» iB the morning, followed by a visit of thi Consuls to Government House, luncheon to veteran* and returned c»ntingeute, Friendly Societies parade, and hying tin foundation stone of the Town Hall at 3.15 [> ■ , after which is diuner and a reception at Government House, and Anally illumination of the city and n arships.

THB OPHIR AT WELLINGTON. Wellington, June 17. The Ophir attended by the Juno and bt. George entered the harbour at six o'clock to night, and dropped anchor ia the stream. The weather is still very unsettled, aid prospects for to-morrow are by no means good.

HONOURS FOR MINISTKBB. W ELLINGTON, Jun* 17, A Court of Investiture will prebibly be hold to-morrow by the Duke of Cornwall, when it is undtr«Urd the Hons. J. G. Ward and John McKenzie will be made K.C.M G's. and the Hons. W. 0. Walker and Cadmao, and 001. Gudgi op, C.M.G. Mr. Cad man will, of coutse, be absent. Gisborne, June 17. Further advice as to telegraphing to the Ophir is awaited with interest. At 11.30 the galvanometer hero worked, ibdicaHng, it is believed, it was in touch with the Ophir, the whereabout* of which was not then known. No int lligible rour.di were reo rded, but in the hope that tne Ophir's instrument* weu'd rec( iv>, V[r Kemp sent a mesS'ge from tie Major, also the Preu Association late c»bl a to the morning joimals. At 2 a.m. the town was ilium na'ed with what is be'ieved to lixvu been fhshlights froTi vmmls. CußioTcuurCH, June 17. Cade's from the West Coast comfortably housed at th<i Normal school to-d»y. In the ).fterncon tbey wire put through drill by liaj<r R'chards, who will cornmuid the Canterbury Bittalion. Both offioers a d boys a-e loud in ths praise of tho courte-y and cocsidcritien received fr.im the teachers at the Nor mil eohool and th) Elucat'on Boird officials,