CHURCH WALL CRASHES

Hawera Star, Volume L, 11 September 1930, Page 7

CHURCH WALL CRASHES

ABRUPT END TO SERVICE

ELIJAH AND THE THUNDER

The congregation at the Wesleyan Church, Headington, Oxford, lmd just started the singing of the second hymn at the morning service on Sunday, July 20, when there was a. loud crack, and the wall behind the pulpit collapsed. The preacher, Mr E. J. Smith, ot' Blaydon, the organist, and the choir scrembled to safetv in the nick of time.

The service was brought to an end after the preacher had offered a prayer of thankfulness for the escape of the congregation. It is believed that the fall was caused by excavations close to the wall.

Mr A. Harris, one of the secretaries, said that the church, which lias accommodation for about 200 people, is being replaced by a new building. He added I that on the Sunday morning when he entered the chapel, he noticed a crack in the wall but did not think anything about it.

“We suddenly heard a crack,” Mr Harris said. “The preacher, the organist and a mixed choir all hurried away from that end of the church, and the wall came in with a crash. Eor a time it was impossible to see anything, but, when the dust cleared away we saw the ruined pulpit and organ and brickwork lying all over the choir scats. “There was very little excitement, and the congregation, most of whom were women, showed remarkable coolness under an ordeal which was certainly not pleasant.” By a curious coincidence, the lesson for the day was the story of Elijah and the thunder in the mountains.