The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-22
THE GREAT BANQUET.
One Thousand Guests Are Addressed
BY the Emperor.

one Thousand Guests Are Addressed
By the Emperor.
Holtenau, June 21.-The great ban
quet which practically wound up the
ceremonies OF opening the Baltic
North Sea canal, took place this eve
ming in the much discussed scructure
representing the old German warship
Nibe. About 1000 guests participated
in the entertainment, including the
diplomatic representatives of various
nations. The banquet haH was fac
sinile of a huge vessel of ancient con-
stTuction, as was in vogue in the
seventeenth century. The three masts
each 100 feet high, were taken from
the hulls Of the Niobe and Gefion, the
earliest two vessels of the infant Ger
man navy of 1850 The bowsprit
formed part of the Moltke. another old
vessel. With two topmasts added, the
total height of the masts was 327 feet
The whole structure was 413 feet long
and 1872 wide. The banquet hall
measured 334 by 81 feet. One hundred
and fifty arc lights furnished the illu-
animation.
During the whole OF the festivities
the naval orchestra Of the Second
German naval division furnished the
music. The French admiral, Menard.
Russian admiral, Skrydloff, sat on his
left.
The Emperor's welcome.
At the conclusion of the banquet the
emperor said: 1T is with. delight and
pride that L look around this brilliant
festal gathering, and in the name of
MY high allies bid you all heartily
welcome.
I'VE express our heartfelt thanks
for the good feeling shown towards us
on the completion of the work which
was planned in peace and in peace
achieved and today opened to general
traffic. 1t was not in our day that
the idea of the uniting the North sea
to the Baltic by canal was first
mooted. Far back in the middle ages,
we find propositions and plans TO carry
out this undertaking, and in the last
century the Elder canal was built,
bearing glorious testimony to the pro-
ductige power of that age.
But this was only intended for
small vessels and did not suffice for
present needs. 1t was reserved for the
newly created German empire to COM
plete the great task. My ever-lamen-
ted grandfather, William the Great, it
was who, rightly perceiving the i'm
portance of the canal for the advance
1neat Of the national prosperity and
the strengthening of our defensive
power, was indefatigible in giving his
assistance TO promoting the plans for
building a thoroughly serviceable wa
terWay and removing the manifold
difficulties in the way Of its compile
ton. With pleasure and full conf
dence, the federal governments and
the reichstag followed the imperial
initiative and vigorously applied eight
years to the work, which, as ir ad-
vanced toward completion, constantly
excited public interest in a greater de-
gree. Everything that the mechanical
science, in its highest development,
was able TO create; everything that
zeal and pleasure could do; everything |
that Solicitude for the workmen en-
gagged in the construction, in accord !
ance with the humane social policy of |
our empire, could demand was given |
to this work. The fatheriand, there |
fore, may rejoice with me and my high !
allies over a successful work accom- |
plished.
We have not, however. labored for |
our own home in this alone. In con- |
forrnity with the great civilization of /
the Ger man people, we open to the |
peaceful intercourse of the nations
one with another, the locks of this |
canala and it will be source of joyful /
satisfaction to US if its constant util-
izatictl shall bear witness that the in
fentionls by which we have been
guided have not alone been under
stood. but have also proved fruitful in
advancing the welfare of the people.
The participation in cur fetes of |