What was in the time capsule in christchurch

It was a Scottish contractor, Sean Haggarty, who revealed the discovery of the time capsules. Passed to him by a crane driver who had found them, he handed them on to Mayor Parker. Remember: Rescuers from the different agencies that looked for survivors gathered in front of Christchurch Cathedral to mark a two-minute silence.

The world arrived in Christchurch a week ago to unite in helping with rescue work. Today they were united in mourning. He had seen Mr Parker wandering near the search and rescue headquarters, in the city's art gallery, and told him: 'You might want to have these.

When Mr Parker was told they were time capsules, said Mr Haggarty, 'his face lit up like he'd won the lottery'. Museum director Anthony Wright told of another intriguing report indicating that a third capsule had been found in the base of the cross that came off Christchurch Cathedral, the cornerstone of which was laid in As for the two capsules found under Godley's statue, Mr Wright said paper could be seen in the half-smashed glass bottle and the first task would be to preserve it.

Maori tribal leader, Maurice Gray, blesses stones taken from the ruins of Canterbury television, Pyne Gould Corporation and the cathedral. Emotional: A young boy looks on thoughtfully as the nation observes the silence. He added that people would 'love to know' the full contents of both capsules - and what was in the third reported to have been found under the Cathedral cross.

Meanwhile earlier today, rescue crews switched off their pneumatic drills as two minutes of silence was observed across New Zealand. Church bells tolled throughout the country at Thousands of people across the city paused and bowed their heads as diggers and bulldozers working to free the bodies of people still trapped in the rubble stopped their work. Auckland: A large crowd gathered and bowed their heads in unison with the rest of the country.

Family and friends remember a victim of the earthquake, close to the point where he died. Flags flew at half-mast across the country and prime minister John Key asked the nation's 4.

At one of Christchurch's busiest junctions, traffic halted in the shadow of the Knox Church and the historic Carlton Hotel, both ruined in the quake. It's my home and it hurts so much to see it in this way,' said Mike Cochrane, fighting back tears as he sat under a tree on the central traffic island. At the headquarters of the rescue effort, bustling in the past week with the vivid urgency of its mission, work paused for the first time. Mr Key, who grew up in Christchurch, joined the ceremony there, clutching the hand of his wife Bronagh, who was born in the city.

A mourner sings New Zealand's national anthem, while another pays his respects. Share this story Copied to clipboard. Popular news. New lifetime registration discs for dogs Community matters 5 Nov Fewer homeless on streets of central Christchurch City life 8 Nov Inside the bottle was a handwritten note in English that museum experts planned to unravel and read.

Canterbury Museum director Anthony Wright said it was a wonderful discovery amid all the sad news of the earthquake. He said he had no idea the items were all there. They were discovered by a crane worker who was on top of the three metre-high plinth to see if the statue could be erected again - if only in a temporary way.

Mayor Parker said he believed that inside the time capsule were documents outlining the vision of the city. Death toll Police told the media conference that the death toll from the Christchurch earthquake was likely to be about Superintendent Dave Cliff told reporters the death toll remained at , after more bodies were found overnight.

Three of the recovered bodies had been found in the PGC building. But Mr Cliff said the number of dead was expected to rise.

He said a figure of around was "solidifying" but could still change. Police would officially release the names of at least three more victims later today, he said.

Mr Cliff warned that it was not going to be possible in all cases for the bodies of dead - some of which had received horrific injuries - to be returned to families. Mayor Bob Parker called the timing of the find "inspirational". The items were uncovered almost exactly a week after the 6. The bodies of people have been recovered, but it is feared that the death toll could eventually reach The bronze statue had toppled off its stone plinth outside the cathedral, and a crane operator's discovery of the two objects inside the plinth caused immediate excitement, said reports.

Two words were visible on the rolled-up parchment inside the glass bottle - "by" and "erected" - but it will only be opened and examined in detail by experts in a humidity-controlled environment. The contents of the metal cylinder remain a complete mystery. Godley led the colonial settlement that founded Christchurch in There were several times when the objects could have been placed inside the plinth - when Godley's statue was erected in , moved in , or returned to its original site in , reported The Press.