SHINING SPIRE TO BE DULL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 26 January 1942, Page 4

SHINING SPIRE TO BE DULL

PLANS FOR PAINTING MODIFED ORDERS FROM DEFENCE AUTHORITIES Auckland, Jan. 25. Plans to repaint the tall spire of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Khyber Pass, a shining aluminium colour, have been hurriedly modified as the result of orders by the Auckland Defence authorities, on the grounds that the action of the sun on a coat of this shade, which had already been completed, transformed the spire into a beacon which could be seen from a considerable distance out at sea. The church management was instructed to dull over the whole of the spire’s surface. A steeplejack who has been employed on the task of painting the spire had finished putting a red priming coat, and an aluminium undersurface on to the structure when the orders were given. He spent Saturday dulling the seaward side of the spire with a paint mixture that is a flat grey in colour, the shine of the aluminium. which was also going to be used for the final coat, being taken out of the paint. The topmost point of the spire is about 125 ft above ground level, and. with the added elevation of Khyber Pass, the distance from which the spire could be seen at sea was placed as high as 60 miles. —P.A.