WARSHIP AT BREAKWATER

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 244, 17 November 1930, Page 8

WARSHIP AT BREAKWATER

THOUSANDS VISIT DUNEDIN. LARGE CROWDS FROM COUNTRY. BAND CONCERT YESTERDAY. Thonsands of residents of Napier and Hastings and the surrounding district visited the H.M.S. Dunedin, herthed at Glasgow "VVharf, yesterday afternoon, when she was again open for public inspection. Besides those who walked to the Breakwater there were many motoring parties, whose cars extended from the point of the Bluff to beyond the E goodshed in Breakwater road. The eontrol of the traffie was in the Iiands of the Napier City Council's traffie inspector, Mr A. M. Oliver, who was assisted hy memhers of his own staff, police constables, and offieials of the Napier Harbour Board. It was found necessary towards the micldle of the afternoon to prevent visitors from boarding the vessel, as she had become packed to eapacity. The fact that the warship lay so securely at the Breakwater throughout the day while a choppy sea prevailed, was the subject of comment from manv visitors, narticularly those who had come from Hastings and the country districts. Many had not previously had the opportunitv of seeing a vessel of any size berthed at Glasgow Wliarf and the interest taken in tlie warsliip' s visit was therefore considerably greater than it would have been had she anchored in the roadstead. The vessel was seen at her hest and, if anything, the foam-flecked surface of the sea added to the attractiveness of lier sleelc grey hull, topped with clean deck fittings of white, and gleaming hrass. The visitors found much to interest them on the vessel and many stayed aboard for • several hours, heing able to inspect closely the guns and other mechanical equipment. Their enjoyment of the afteroon was increased l>y the presentation of a concert of selected musical iiumbers by the Napier Citizens' Band. It was singularlv foi'tunate that the Dunedin berthed at the Breakwater, for the choppiness of the sea in the Bav would have made it impossible to convey visitors out into the roadstead with any degree of safety. Commodore Geoffrey Blake' s action in throwing the vessel open for public inspection was greatly appreciated, and the many visitors who accepted the invitation to see the ship received every courtesy from the officers and men on duty.