CHRISTCHURCH MOURNS 41 VICTIMS OF FIRE

Northern Advocate, 24 November 1947, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH MOURNS 41 VICTIMS OF FIRE

CHRISTCHURCH, Mon. (P.A.).—Christchurch yesterday afternoon mourned the 41 victims of the tragic fire which destroyed the acre block of J. Ballantyne and Co., Ltd, drapers, last Tuesday. One thousand people filled the Cathedral in the heart ot the city, and thousands outside joined in a civic service.

i “They and their staff were so much 1 our friends that to many of us this ! disaster comes home as a personal : grief. , NOT ALONE i “At our head today in our family mourning are our Mayor and City Fathers, called, alas, to enter their new term of office under this heavy shad- , ow. ; "The presence of a representative ot i the Governor General, of the Prime Minister, Ministers of State and members of Parliament and the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom re- , minds us that we are not alone in our , sorrow, but that the hearts of our feli low countrymen all over New Zealand and beyond its shores are moved by that sorrow. 1 “We deeply appreciate their preI sence, and all messages of sympathy have brought home to us the fact that ! we are not alone as we face one of the ! darkest hours in the life of the city j of Christchurch.” AT THE CEMETERY I The tragedy of the fire , was again I brought home to those who attended J the funeral at the graveside in the , Ruru lawn cemetery. •

All along the three-mile route of the j funeral procession to Ruru lawn cemetery many thousands of people stood, j and people in homes all over New Zealand listened to a radio broadcast. \ It was perhaps the greatest crowd 1 ever assembled in Christchurch. The only comparable numbers were on a very different occasion—the city's! victory celebrations. i IN THE CATHEDRAL In the centre of the great Christchurch Cathedral stood a catafalque symbolising any one of those who had died in the fire. i It was draped in a simple white pall with a golden cross and was banked with flowers. In front was placed a wreath from the citizens of Christchurch, and on either side it was illuminated by tall white candles. On the right stood Lieutenant D. ! Loram. representative of the Governor ! General (Sir Bernard Freyberg, V.C.), • and behind him the Prime Minister | (Mr Fraser), members of the Cabinet ; and of Parliament, with 50 representa- j tives of Government departments. 1

I Some of the mourners for whom the ' s strain proved too great were led away. e The huge semi-circular common h grave was strewn with ilowers. }’ Hundreds gathered at the cemetery L " hours before the cortege arrived. Stae tion wagons bearing 41 unnamed coffins drove in the gates, the superintendent of police (Mr H. Scott), marching n slowly at the head. ;e The band played a funeral march as l- the pall-bearers next-of-kin and members of the staff of Ballantynes—

On the left were the Mayor (Mr E H. Andrews) and the Mayoress, Mrs .Hardy Cookson with members of the City Council. Sir Patrick Duff, High Commissioner for the United Kingdom was also present. Nearly 500 next-of-kin filled the space behind. On the other side were about 300 members ol the staff of Ballantynes. Some of the crowd which stood ir the square before the civic service wept quietly, but most stood in silence.

brought the coffins to the graveside. It was a heart-rending moment for the relatives as the coffins were lowered slowly into the grave. After the burial services, many people remained at the cemetery to inspect the grave and the flowers.

They watched 14 station wagons pro- | vided by the armed forces bring 41 coffins into the centre of the square, where they stood during the service. Ater the service the clergy and national leaders filed out of the west door to join the funeral procession, while the Cathedral bel\s were rung in a half muffled peal. MANY FLORAL TRIBUTES There were 13 large lorries laden with wreaths. Flowers had been sent from all parts of New Zealand, and all yesterday morning old and young went to the King Edward Barracks to leave their flowers. The Ministers of the Churches who took part in the civic service issued, a message to the bereaved. “We realise that in the ordinary way many of you would have preferred to have had a quiet simple service in your own church, taking your loved ones to your own place of worship for the last rites," it said, “but since in these tragic circumstances this has been impossible we have placed within the i Cathedral a form of coffin symbolising —like the grave of the Unknown Warrior—any one of those who have died. “This catafalque is draped in a beautiful white pall enriched with a big golden cross, and it stands in a bower j of flowers, gifts from the community of J Christchurch, symbolising the love and j sympathy the people of this city have for you in your hour of sorrow. “Around it are tall lighted candles symbolising the light that is from Him Who is the Light of the World. May He bring you comfort and consolation.”

ARCHBISHOP’S ADDRESS “It is as members of a family that we sorrow for them and sorrow for those who are nearest and dearest to them,’’ said the Primate (Archbishop West-Watson) speaking in the Cathedral. “All churches will today be gathering around their common resting place as we pay our last tribute to those who so lately were linked with us here as members of our city family, and who, as members of God’s family in Christ, we commend to a heavenly Father’s gracious keeping.

“In this family life of our lovely city the firm of Ballantyne’s is like an elder brother, who for over 70 years has lived among us. honoured and respected, watching the younger membership grow to maturity and setting them the standard or all that is best in civil and commercial life.