FUNERAL OF THE VICTIMS

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1931, Page 9

FUNERAL OF THE VICTIMS

EARTHQUAKE’S AFTERMATH

52 PLACED IN COMMON GRAVE.

TRAGIC SCENE AT CEMETERY. -

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Napier, Feb. 4. There were distressing scenes in the Park Island Cemetery this afternoon when the combined funeral of identified and unidentified victims of the earthquake was held. The huge pit which was to serve as a grave could not be dug owing to the hardness of the ground. Consequently a party of men worked with explosives to prepare the last resting place of many of those who had perished. Shortly after 3 o’clock the funeral left the courthouse, Marine Parade. There were no hearses followed by mourners. Instead, rough wooden coffins, some with names chalked on their tops, were loaded on to lorries and transported to the cemetery. A number of private burials were carried out ut the express wish of relatives, but into.tlie huge common grave-52 coffins were lowered and placed in orderly rows.

The number of mourners was not large owing to the fact that many people had left the town. Others were busy on relief work in the most seriously damaged areas. A small crowd of mourners stood with clergymen of all' denominations around the edge of the grave. A few women broke down and wept, but for the most part the mourners still wore the dazed, hopeless expression which has been noticed so frequently since the disaster.

The burial service was conducted by ministers of the several denominations. The Minister of Public Works, the Hou. W. B. Taverner', and Commodore Geoffrey Blake represented the Government and tho Navy respectively. The 'burial of the dead has not by any means been completed. Even while the combined funeral was being held to-day more bodies were being recovered from tho ruins in the main business block and elsewhere.

These were taken to the mortuary to be identified if possible and later- were placed in rough wooden coffins which are being constructed literally by the score. The official list of those buried in the common grave is;— Airs. Haynes. Mr. Smith. . .'■ John Davidson. Mr. Plank. Mr. Bonno>Mrs. L. T. Bisson Mr. Kyle. Miss Bennett. —.. Basher (schoolboy). John Stevens. Airs. P. Lennihan. Airs. Burrow#, Thomas Meek. Derreck Freedman. Mrs. C. H. Biekerstaff. Airs. Blackburne. Elsie Keys. Air. Stead. ■Rose Leverett. Mr. McArthur, Mr. Rhodes. Air. Askwell. - Mrs. 11. Voyce, Airs. Ellison, Aex. Watson. L. Goldsmith. Airs. '• Skelton. R. Colin Heath. Alartha Etheridge. Mias AlcKie. Air. J. McCarthy. Mr. P. J. Pearson. Air. Edward Hansen. Air. John Dwyer. Air. Edward Colton. Mr. Arthur Wilson. Air. J. H. Watson. Air. Michael Cudflcly. Mr. Charjes Skinner. Mrs. James Saunders. Mr. Andrew Watson. Air. Daniel Stewart. Mr. J. Rae. Mr. G. Brown. Private burials arc:—• F. Al. Boyd. AlisS Brown. Nurse E. Williams. Nurse Insull. Air. Mitchell. ' Ten bodies are unidentified.