THE HUTT EXPLOSION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 85, 1 April 1914, Page 8

THE HUTT EXPLOSION.

FUNERALS OF THE VICTIMS. [j?KE PKSBB ASSOCIATION. | Wellington, March 31. Six of the victims of Sunday’s fire tragedy at Upper Hutt were buried to-day, and the occasion brought out a very large number of local residents and people from Wellington desirous of paying a last tribute of respect to the mep who died while working for the good of their neighbors. Four,— James Comeskey (postmaster), Constable Denis Mahoney, Wm. Flynn (railway guard), and Michael Too hoy—were interred at the Upper Hutt with the full rites of the Catholic Church, conducted by Archbishop Redwood, the Very Rev. Dean Rognault, Rev. Father Daly (parish priest), and others of '■.he clergy. There was a, large muster of the police, under „ Superintendent Ellison and Inspector Hendry; as well as a contingent of railwaynicn and the Hibernian Society, with a big gathering of the general public, also. Among those present were the Hons. H. D. Bell, A. L. Herdman, and W.. Fraser, Mr T. M. Wilford, M.P. for. Hutt, Mr T. P. Luke, Mayor of Wellington, Mr It. Fletcher, chairman of the Wellington Harbor Board, and other representatives of public bodies. V In the course of. the service, Father Daly paid a tribute to the character of the men and the manner in which they had lost their lives, working for the good of others. Though they knew the risks they ran, he. said, there was no shrinking back. Father Daly also ’•eferred to the other .three deceased, Vivian, Taylor and Felling, saying be had known all of them as young men of great promise. At the graveside, the Archbishop the- relatives ind friends of the dead that they ■vould have the sympathy of their ■ountrymen -generally. These men had met their death while doing yie work of neighborly charity, honorvble and useful careers being thus cut short. Their actions had been an cximple to all.

In the afternoon, John Wesley Viv:au was interred at Taita, the Rev. J. McCaw (Presbyterian) conducting- the service in the presence of a large fathering of mourners. The last sad' 3vent of the day was enacted at Wallaceyille, where George Taylor, as a member of the Railway Battalion of New Zealand Engineers, was accorded a military, funeral, the Rev. Usher (Presbyterian) officiating at the grave■ide.