WEST COAST MOURNS PASSING OF MR. O'BRIEN

Chronicle (Levin), 2 October 1947, Page 5

WEST COAST MOURNS PASSING OF MR. O'BRIEN

GBKY.UOI'TJI. Oct. 1. T'nprceedonted scenos of pnldic gnet were uitnessed on the \Ve>l t'oast todav when the lemains of the late llon. J. O'Urion arrived for internient totnorlow inoniing. At Lyiteltoa the cotlin was renioved Hoia ihe Rangatira in the piesenre oi toi ollicia! party of i>4 and a large liody of workers liefore 1 ransforence to the .-'pocial oxpress wliirli rea'diecl Greyinoatli nearlv an liour late tliis afteriiouii. On ihe ('liristchnrcli railway svnlion where a h.ief stop was made, a inige liuinher of frionds oi' the fonner Mtnister gal liennl with L:i!>onr i'artv represental i ves to pay tril.nte and after • M;ra was rearhed stops were inade at TMiinerons West Goast railway stal ion.-i wliere crowils vnrying froni a hiindfui in ihe smaller p!a-es to upwards of (>00 at Wallsend. Jiled pat . the fnnera! coat !i and convoved personal syinpatfiy to M rs. ( ) 'Hrien. One of the largesl erowds w'liicJ.' gathered at tiie Greymouth railway stati'in for a (piarler of a centiiry, stood in deep sileiice as the traiti drew in. -fi party of Aralmra .Maoris greeted tiie late .Minister witii a hinient lel by Mr 'i'irikateiie, wliile Mr. Fraser and Miiiislers stood by prior t«i the reinovai ut tiie caskt't lo a hearse. The bearers were ihe Mayor of Oreynioutli, -Mr. Kitehingham, anTl irieinbers of the Greyinoiilh Ho rough Oouncil of whieh -Mr. O'Hrieu was a former liiember. The ollieial party did not proeeed to St. PatriekM rlnuvli to whieh the reniains wero eoin eyed privately with ears earrying the bearers. The body was received at the ehureh by Monsignor Long and elergv and is lying in statc all night with a vigil kept by inembers of the Oreynioutli Labonr I'arty ot w hieh .Mr. O "Hrien was a foundation ineinber. Greymouth is e.rowded with visitors tonight and liotel aeeomniodation is so taxed that a large nnmber of the official visitors is reinaining in the sleeping ears of ihe speeial train at the railway staton. Tomorrow's final eeremones will be liroadeast by YA, 2YA and 3ZR commencing at 10 a.m. More than 75 oftieial ears will eonvey Oabinet -Ministers, legislators, members of politieal partios and leading industrialists and it is expeeted the proeession wiii be the largesl in Oreymonth's history. Kolenm ITigh Mass will l>e sung bv Monsignor Long, the preaeher being .Monsignor J. A. Kennedv, Christchurch. ImmediateIv ai'ter the service at tiie graveside, the Ministers and visitors will leavc by speeial train i'or Lyttelton.