FINDING THE BODIES.

NZ Truth, Issue 459, 4 April 1914, Page 5

FINDING THE BODIES.

Tho terrific crash of tbo explosion, as may well be imagined, completely dazod and stupefied all thoso m the Immodlato vicinity at tho time, but by tho timo the population of the valley, rudely disturbed from their slumbera, had realised that a dreadful calamity had occurred In their midst and had made a rush towards the scene of tho disaster, volunteors, many of whom boro traces of the explosion, were busily engaged m the search for tho dead and Injured. The doomed building had collapsed. Tho walls were no more, and . the verandah lay a tangled wreck on , tho pavement. To pllo honor on hor- j Vj*or, the smoking rulmi burst into flame, j \tttt for a time it seemed as If the Injured onoH underneath, who could b« heard groaning, woro to bo incinerated. But luckily tho hoso was at length connected to tho main, and though not working In good order, there was a dutnclcmt head of water left to nubduo the flame*. Two extremely close calls w«r« tho escapes of Signalmen WolterH and Allan Andernon. They were both lnni<lo the shop at tho tlmo of the explosion. Andenwn had Just been handed a bundle by the unfortunate Taylor, when tho floor abovo seemed to cavo In, and tho HOAR OV THE DETONATION nounded In lil« ears. Tho cxphwkni drove Signalman Charlox Woltcra aguinnt Anderson wllh sufllclent forco to push them both right through tho , door and so to comparative safety. Tho hurnlng debrta from tho colling wa* fulling all around them, but they eventually raade the mreet. Wolicr* ttudtalned several mvere burns on hi* arms and knees, while Anderson wan lucky enough to wienpo with a few •light abradon*. Ju«t «* they gained th« frcah air thoy *aw McGoverti staggering about tho toad covcrod with hlood. Thoy propped,, McGovem op agaiiurt UM^firepln&lD^a moment, an*-

Postmaster .(From an old photograph).

afterwards handed him over to another helper. Despite the dreadful ordeal they had just survived, these two men wasted no time In getting amongst the burping chaos, m search of the maimed •find dying, whose cries and groans were heartrending. Near the verandah they saw a bundle lying which bore some resemblance to a human form, The head was missing, but a railway fare book, m an inside pocket, established the identity— it was George Taylor, WoKers, clespUe his burnt arm, carried the ghastly remains of Taylor over to a sheet of iron and reverently laid him there. Anderson by this time, assisted by another helper, had come across Costello, who was lying helpless with a badly injured leg and side, and he was quickly removed on an improvised stretcher. ■ Then James Comeskey, the local postmaster, was found TRAPPED BENEATH THE TIMBER^ m Edwards's ofnee. He was still alive, and it appears he was engaged m the laudable act of trying to save Government property — he was trying to detach the telephone from the wall. A

32 years of ago. Was to have been married m three months' time. Photo from old Kia-ora Football Club trroup.

heavy window sash was crushing him, on top of which was a portion of the partition of the shop. Signalman Wolters ran forward and tried to release I the imprisoned man, but the task was i beyond him. The heat was suffocating [and the wreckage too firmly jammed. I The hose was then quickly played on | the spot for some time, and then a jband of rescuers ran forward and the j unfortunate postmaster was at length [released. He was carried to the adja- ; cent billiard saloon, which served as a I temporary hospital, where. he received 'first aid attention. prior to his removal |to the special train for the hospital, which he was fated never to reach, for he died before the train left. I The body of John Vivian, the storeman at Benge and Pratt's was next found. The explosion had caught him near the' shop door, and externally he did not appoar to be badly injured. He did not rally, however, and passed away before the special, train left.

Constable Dennis Mahoney, who, universally beloved, had, like the brave man he was, been the moving spirit m the salvage work, and at the end had himself fallen. The anxious searchers had long been looking m vain as they turned over the twisted debris and Stirred the blackened .pools of water which lay on the ground. Then, m the dim grey light of dawn, hiG pet retriever dog, which was the gallant constable's inseparable companion, ventured out amongst tho smoking ruins. The dumb creature seemed to know that somewhere 'neath the mass of tangled iron lay the body of its loved master. Soon tho actions of the dog told the searchers that there was no need for them to search further. Going to the spot where the DOG STOOD WHINING PITEOUSLY under a heap of jagged iron a poor burnt body was found. Nothing but the charred trunk wus there, but the

The gutted building on the left is part of Hazlewood's Store. On the opposite side of the picture the Provincial Hotel can be seen while below the hotel is the brick oven near which the acetylene gas generator was stationed.

Michael Toohey, who boarded at the adjoining hotel, met his death while playing a hose on to the roof of the burning building from the hotel verundah. On the verandah with him was Mr. Crabtree, the proprietor of the hotel, and the latter had a miraculous escape — being apparently blown right oft to the ground. Toohey was not so fortunate. Walter Gales, the hotel porter, discovered him lying on the verandah m a pool of blood. His. skull had been fractured and his neck and back torn by broken glass. He was frightfully cut about by the debris and PRESENTED A GHASTLY SIGHT. He lingered long enough to reach the Wellington hospital, where he died about 3 o'clock next morning. About this time all that was left of the body of William Flynn, the railway guard, was unearthed. Tho remains were found under the jumble of the collapsed verandah and were fearfully mutilated. The limbs were blown away. The lost scene m the sad drama was tho pathetic finding of the remains ot

dead constable's handcuffs by it.s side ouly too plainly rendered the ideutillcation needed.