Rapid Progress In Clearing Of Debris

Chronicle (Levin), 22 November 1947, Page 5

Rapid Progress In Clearing Of Debris

» 1 Press Association )

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CHRISTCHURCH, NOV. 21. The (le-dth poli- iu the fire at B.aliantyne's may now be put at 4U The 'police have recoyeVed 40 bodies from the prprniaes autj ona vietim, Mrs. Vibiet Hay Cocly, ciied in h'ospital. Today the names of six persons previopsly reported. missifig hut not choched by the pplice were elassified a§ dehnitely missing'. In ail 41 persons have been reported missing but that tatai incliides a Miss Kerr. The police haye founc] persons of that napae at Riversdale and Cheviot both alive and vvell and officers conducting the investigations have asked that the person who first reported Miss Kerr as missing, tp cqmmunieate with them. The remoyal of the spoil from tne interior of Ballantyre's and tjm searching of the debris for bodies and personal effeets, ended shqrtly hpfQi'P darkness this evening. The pumping of the vvatel from the hasements was cpmpleted soon after l p.m. and most of the 162 workers on the scepe spent the rest ot the day removing and seareh|ng the debris in that part of the premises. More personal effeets aud fyuman remains were found and removed by .the police. Takfng part in the searching operafions today were 120 Army personnel, City Council einployees, 1'5 men from the Public )Vorks Departmeuf an.* seven poljee officers. A large Army mobije crane was agaiu used for movmg the heavy gij'ders and timber and for removing a povver pole from outside the main entrance, on whieh the insulators had disintegrated. The work progressed rapidly throughout the day but a careful watch had to be maintained fpr falling masonry. Nq casualties amqng the workers were reported and the cit>' engineer, Air. E. Homers, said that members of the Army works eompany had done a wonderful job in maintalniug the safety of the premises while the men were at work. Operations had te be suspended on occasions while parts of the ruins were, ma'le safe. Large quantities of carpets and upholstery inaterials damaged by fire aua water, were removed by insurance adjustors and inaterials which might have a bearing on the cause of the fire were removed by the police. A rolled gola Elgin wrist watch was found in the ruins. lt was in good conditio'n and it is thought to be easiiy identiliable, Aniong the Army workers today ..were men normally employed as clerks, mechanics, cooks and drivers and tfypy came from Burnham, from distriet heaclquarters, from Area 10 headquarters and the Poulsen Htreet camp. Alajors and captains, indistinguishabje frqm the ranks in their overalls, took part lr digging and searclqng. .-Early tomorrow morning, the con tractor, A(r. C. H. Luney, will use power winches and an army c-rane to pull down the top storey wall of the building fronting Colombo Htreet. Alr. Luney said today that it would probably take four weeks .to demolish and clear the above ground wreckage. The demolition of the foundations, if found uecessarv, would be done later. The Halvation Army again providecj refreshments for^tke workers, a service' it has given since tjie operations began. There was agaiu a large number ot spectators watching the operations during the day. Oasualty Variations. The following variations in tlie easualty list were mad'e by the poliee today. Previously reported missing but not checked by the police now elassified a* definitely missing: — Aliss Nellie Elenora Alarie Christensen, aged 20, 114 St. James Avenue, Alr. Gerald' Hampson, aged 25, 35 Saies Road. " ' Aliss Marie Elizabeth Hampson, aged 22, 35 Saies Road. Aliss Heleij. Ballantvne Hamilton, aged. 26, 24 Ayr.Street, " Aliss Rosalind Hayman, aged 20, 23 Alayfield Avenue. Alr. William John Hudson, aged 48, 197 Clyde Road.