MOURNING HOST

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18924, 28 January 1936, Page 5

MOURNING HOST

Westminster Pilgrimage ENDLESS HUMAN CURRENT Striking Tribute To Loved Monarch UNPRECEDENTED LONDON SCENE Over Half Million Pass King's Bier

(Elec. Tot. Copyright —United Press Assn.) (Received January 28, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, January 27.

London litis never witnessed anything equalling Sunday's tremendous human current, relentlessly setting in towards I h<> [Tall of Ruins, where in all the loneliness of kingship lie 1 he remains of King George.

The visitors at 11 p.m. had numbered 224,116 and after midnight exceeded 250,000. By 3 a.m. 300,466 mourners had entered the Mall since Sunday morning, and thousands were still queued up. The great queue ended at 3.40 a.m., by which lime 306,685 mourners had entered the Hall, making the total 568,385 since the lying-in-state began. The doors were closed immediately the last queue passed in. although people were still arriving: They complained that they had been lold the hall would be open until 6 a.m., but. when refused admittance, immediately queued up to await the re-opening.

The London Transport Board, realising that 300,000 people might be stranded on the Embankment, lacking means of getting home, hastily met and arranged bus and _ tube underground services, which, without precedent, continued all night. The night tram services were also doubled. All the last trains to the suburbs even as far as Brighton were packed.

Ambulance workers treated 550 cases during the night. Thousands were still waiting when day dawned cold and wet, after which the queues again began to lengthen. The doors this morning were opened at 7 o'clock instead of 8 o'clock as previously.

Seventy thousand mourners had passed through the hall by 1 p.m.* Despite the rain few dropped out of the queues. Westminster Abbey was packed for the special services of intercession and prayer for God's protection of the Umpire and Divine blessing on Edward VIII.