It took around six hours to liberate the steel time capsule. The box was eventually opened a week later on Feb 14, after resting in a dry box environment at a controlled humidity level.
“In the process of (extraction), we found that the way the box has been installed in the wall is that they build up the wall, put the box in the position, and then put the mortar and bricks around the box,” said Mr Wong Chung Wan, technical director of material specialist Maek Consulting, which retrieved the capsule.
“It’s not like some other time (capsules where) they actually created a void first, then put the box into the hole. So there’s a hole inside but in this case it’s filled with mortar. So that (makes it) a lot more difficult to extract.”
The church building, which served as a refuge to some 300 people during the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945, was gazetted a national monument in 1989. The building is currently closed for restoration works.
The unearthed items will be among historical documents which will be on display in the heritage gallery once the church building completes its renovation in 2025 and reopens for its centennial.