Historic HB: Masonic Hotel barmen perish in quake
14 May, 2021 06:00 PM
4 minutes to read
Sailors look for bodies in the ruins of Napier's Masonic Hotel in February 1931 . Photo / Supplied
Sailors look for bodies in the ruins of Napier's Masonic Hotel in February 1931 . Photo / Supplied
Hawkes Bay Today
By: Michael Fowler
One of Napier's most prominent buildings to succumb to the February 3, 1931, Hawke's Bay earthquake was the Masonic Hotel.
The photo shows sailors doing body recoveries at the Masonic Hotel.
One of the employees of the hotel, a barman, David Evans, died trying to escape the building.
A family story is told that his sister-in-law Gert Begley went with his son, Noel, about three days after the earthquake to try and find him. Sailors helped and located his body under the rubble.