Dreadnought Day

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 14, 17 June 1913, Page 4

Dreadnought Day

VISIT'TO WANGANUI. A BOISTEROUS BAY. Per Pres.» Association, Wanganui, Last Night. The Battleship-Cruiser, H.M.S. New Zealand, spent to-day in the roadstead. Great interest was manifested. The points of vantage at Castlccliff were crowded with spectators. The official party boarded the warship on arrival, presenting addresses from both Pukeha* and Maoris, also gifts of'game. The

last-named included five deer, two Kwans, thirty-two brace of pigeon, a hare, and twenty lambs. About three thousand school children came from all parts of the distriot specially to visit the warship, but though about one thousand were taken off in the Tutanekai, the lumpy sea prevented the children boarding the New Zealand. The public also could not get aboard, as the sea increased as the day progressed and caused very.many.cases of sea-sick-ness. The tenders in use were of the most buoyant type, being, tossed about at will, while spray drenched the passengers. "About'two thousand of the public circled the* New Zealand. At about 3.30 p.m., as the sea had much increased, the Dr.eadnought sailed north, t but subsequently returned to within about ten miles of Wnngamii, and gave a splendid searchlight display. She then sailed for New Plymouth.

While the school children were disembarking from the Tutanekei to-day, a boy named Rodney Burnett, aged eight years, got his left hand jambed between the vessel and the wharf, with the result that his finger had to be .amputated. . Among the favoured ones to board the New Zealand were the Collegiate School boys, and after a short inspection all returned except one lad, named Bloomfield, who was carried, on to New Plymouth.

THE NEW PLYMOUTH VISIT. .Ml the arrangements in connection with the visit of the Dreadnought are well advanced, and it, only requires good weather to make the affair a great success. The trains will disembark at the Freezing Works. The school children will go straight down Pioneer road on to the beach, and thence to the wharf, whilst the general public will use a track that has been specially made directly behind the Freezing Works. The different schools are to be kept together by their .teachers, especially on disembarkation and marched to * the wharf.

The first boatload of school children will leave the wharf at 8.15. The Tutanekai and Haupiri will be exclusively engaged, in carrying school children. The "I'aviuni, Rarawa, Rimu,' Taihniy and the Moa will be available for the public, as. well as a local launch or two and Mr. Rattcnbnry's (Waitara) three large launches. The larger vessels will not tender the warship. Only children seven years and over, and who are in standard 2 or over, will be allowed to travel to the warship in charge of the school committees. Children under seven years, will have to be accompanied by their parents; The country school children, to the number of about 160, arrived last night, and were billeted among the local school children. They represented Opunake, Rahotn, Warea,'Te Kiri, Tarata, Pukoho ""'. Messenger, and other districts. The Tututawa, Auroa, and i" her schools that originally intended staying over, decided at the last moment to make the trip in the one day, con-M-ijiiently there were more applications for billeting than could be satisfied last evening, whereat some of the local child; ren, who had been anxiously looking forward to entertaining the little strangers; were sorely disappointed. Quite twice the number could easily have been put up.

Last evening most of the visitors were present at the pictures and Winter Show. Mr. F. P. Corkill, late chairman of. the Central' School Committee, entertained thirty-two scholars of the Opunakc School at the pictures. , As previously announced, buns and hot tea will be given the children at the Breakwater.

It is expected the battleship will give a searchlight display before leaving New Plymouth this evening. Tf so. it should be a very interesting exhibition. The searchlights are carried on the forward and the after superstructures, which rear their heights above the forecastle deck. They are fed by cables from dynamos which provide tlie lavish lighting of the whole ship and work the telephones, the wireless plant, the range recorders, and a thousand and one other tilings. ':■ . ■ The big guns of the New Zealand arc for crippling ships of her own class. The secondary armament of sixteen 4.7 guns is to sink torpedo boats and torpedoboat destroyers, which do their deeds in darkness. The sixteen searchlights are to make that darkness light as day. They are the night eyes of (he ship, to search the waste of' waters for miles, lest a stealthy enemy creep up unseen, and then to keep that enemv in the glare while the 4.7's do their work. Each of the searchlights is of 32,000 candle power. They produce a most extraordinary effect on the sea and the country in the vicinity. At 2000 yards each individual searchlight lights 'up a space of 100 yards wide, and the rays are visible against the sky 30 miles away. The most remarkable feature of the display is the ease with which the beams are manipulated, the intense floods of light, and the weird and beautiful effects produced bv the wheeling and interweaving of the sixteen powerful beams. No one should miss'seeing the display. It is evicted that the s.s. Moa, !)3 tons, which arrives in port this morning, will be available for tendering the warship to-day. The s.s. Tainui, from Waitara, will also be plying, as well as Mr.' Rattenbnrys' three" launches, one of which will carry about 150 passengers at a time.

The public arcasked to bring the right change with them for the tickets.

Should the weather be wet, the school children and as many adults as possible will be accommodated in the Freezing Works, the company having placed several large rooms at the disposal of the commit tee for that purpose. Efforts will also be made to get as manv back to town as the transit facilities will permit.

THE SHIP'S COMPLEMENT. LTST OF THE OFFICERS. MEN OF DISTINCTION. The following is «. full list of the officers ami petty officers of the New land:--Captain Lionel Halsev. . Commander Henrv Edgar Grace. Lieutenants: E. R. doncs (navigating). R. T. Down (gunnerv), A. A. LovettCameron, 0. W. Walker-.lones, R. C. Garcia, D. R. N. North, A. D. Royle and -T. S. Rovill (torpedo), Cvril Gore (R.N.R.). Sub-lieutenants: P. L. Rarcroft and Prince George of Battenberg. Engineer Commander: T. IT. Turner. Engineer Lieutenants: .1. D Grieve E McTT. Phillips and F. IT. Hall. Captain Royal Marine Artillery: Harold Blount. Chaplain:' Rev. W. E. G. Jackson. Fleet surgeon: 0. H. Rock.

Staff Surgeon.- J. R. A. Clark-Hall. '• Staff paymaster: V. P. E. Hanham. Assistant paymasters: D. R. Thurston and A. C. A. Jiinion. Midshipmen: (i. T. Scott, T. A. Robertson, J. C. Anneslcv. 0. J. Svmon, A. 1.. Poland, C. H. Miller', K. (J. Coore, C. A. Bowlby, C. B. Graham-Watson, P.*B. V. Heard, A. ('. IF. Barlow, 11. ]], Anderson, C, G. Vyner, Earl of Carlisle, A. G. Cun' ard, Lord Burghersh. Gunners: J. H. Mack, J. C. Willis and V. S. Robinson. Boatswains: 8. <!. ]#<,» am \ TV, j Reynolds. Signal boatswain: A. Lewis. Royal Marine gunner: A. K. Klliott. Carpenter: Uobt. Isitt. Artilicer engineers: J. Loniand, R. H. Weir and P. R. Brooker. The full ship's complement is 789, of whom Lieutenants Garcia and Boyle and Midshipmen Heard, Anderson and Symonda, besides about 30 of the crew, are New Zealanders.

The following particulars of the careers of some of the principal officers of the New Zealand will be of interest:—

CArTAIN LIONEL 'HALSEY. The distinction of being the youngest officer of his rank in the British Navv belongs to Captain Lionel Halsey, who commands the New Zealand on her present world's tour. He was born in 1872. and is thus in his 42nd year—in other words, in the prime of life. Captain Halsey commanded the Good Hope when that vessel took Mr. Chamberlain out to South Africa nearly ten' years ago. During the Boer war he was a lieutenant on H.M.S. Powerful ; and went up to Ladysmith'with the naval brigade under Captain (now Admiral Sir) Hed worth Meux, formerly Lambton, and was prominent in the defence of that town. Captain Halsey's name is remembered in South Africa a? that of the young officer who was in charge of the 4.7 gun in the Princess Victoria battery of the Code Hill redoubt during the siege of Ladysmith. Later in the war he became executive officer to Sir Hedworth MeUx. He was also generally.in charge of the naval guns, which alone were jible to range the Boer "Long Toms," 96.pounders,, and which did such effective service towards, the saving of Ladysmith. By way of reward he was promoted to the rank of commander in January, 1901, and became a captain in June, 1905. In the same month Captain Halsey commanded the Powerful as flag-captain to Vice-Admiral Sir Wilmot Fawkes, Com-mander-in-Chief on the Australian station, and returned Home with that officer in 1908.

COMMANDER H. E. GRACE. Commander Henrv Edgar Grace, chief executive officer of the New Zealand, is a son of the famous crjeketer, Dr. W. Q. Grace.' ■• He was bom in 1876, and i» therefore in his 38th year. He commenced his career as midshipman in theVictoria, Sir Geo. Tryor.'s flagship in tho Mediterranean in January, 1802. Pro' motion to sub-lieutenancy came threw years later,, and to seniority in 1896. Commander Grace joined the Excellent fit September, 1808, to qualify in gunnery d j ut i? s " He was a J unior Btaff officer at Sheerness Gunnery School in 1900 and 1901, when he joined Sir Compton Domvile s flagship Bulwark, in the Mediterranean, for special gunnery duties. Later Commander Grace was first and gtinnerv lieutenant, both with the Atlantic and Home fleets, until in 1900 be was advanced to his present rank. .Since then lie has done service in the Home Fleet with the Cressy, was on the stafT of tin* Inspector of Target Practice (Rear-Ad-miral Hamilton) in the Inflexible (First Cruiser Squadron) in 1908 and 1909, ano* from September, 1910, to Septomer, 1912, was an assistant to the Director of Naval Ordinance.

.PRLVCE fIEORfIE OF BATTENBERG. Prince George of Battcnbcrg. who is u sub-lieutenant on the battleship, is the son and heir of Vice-Admiral Prince Loins of Battcnbcrg. First Sea Lord his mother being a daughter of the Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse, second daughter of Queen Victoria. The Prince is in the hue of succession to the British throne through his grandmother. He is now in his 22nd year. The, Prince is described as a pelasant-looking youth fair-coinplexioncd. with distinctly Guelph features remindful of the late King. His Highness is a great favorite aboard. EARL OF CARLISLE. The Earl of Carlisle. George Joselvn Lfcstrange Howard (11th Earl), midshipman aboard the battleship, onlv succeeded to the title last year. He is 18 venrs of age, having been horn in 1805. ' LORD BURGHERSH. Lord Burghcrsh (Vere Anthony Francis .St. Claire Fane), midshipman, is the e dest son of the Earl of Westmoreland, lie is 20 years of age.