CAMP MENACED BY FLOOD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 106, 14 February 1949, Page 2

CAMP MENACED BY FLOOD

Scientific Expedition to Fiordland PERIOD OF INTENSE ANXIETY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 13. Early morning flooding at Caswell Sound yesterday menaced the advance camp of the New ZealandAmerican combined fiordland expedition, according to messages received from the expedition by Awarua radio. The messages, in their brevity, tell of experiences that have caused the expedition a prolonged period of intense anxiety in the unexplored wild, and mountainous area in which the members are operating. At one stage there was a call for help if nothing was heard by noon to-day, and, with the radio transmitter la-shed to a tree and the operator standing knee deep in water, the expedition" was keeping in touch with the outside world through Awarua’s radio. The messages received yesterday said: — “3.16 a.m.—-River here in flood. May have to<-abandon camp. River flush with banks now. Message from Colonel Howard states: <‘lf you do not hear from us by noon to-morrow, get In touch with the servicing ship Alert and have them send somebody up here.” “7.10 a.m. —Ship Alert at Caswell Sound, and if you get in touch with them tell them w r e are O.K. at present.” “10.41 a.m.—Things getting O.K. here now. River is dropping and rain has stopped. Camp is still flooded and have transmitter lashed to a tree operating knee deep in water. Alert has ‘4B’ set on beach, and one of the chaps may keep watch on 7580 kilocycles on the hour so will try and make contact with him. Don’t worry about Alert meantime. Thanks. Message ends.” The expedition has two camps, one at Caswell Sound and the other at Stillwater, which is fairly handy to Caswell Sound. The rain had stopped and the sun was shining was the brief text of a message received in Wellington early this morning from the expedition’s base camp on the Stillwater River. The message, which was relayed by Radio Awarua, was' released together with earlier information by the Prime Minister’s Department. Two messages were received last evening, one at 5 o’clock and the other soon after 7 o’clock. Water Receding The first message confirmed that all 23 members of the advance party were safe. It stated that the water was receding from the camp, though the river was still high and it was raining intermittently with further flooding possible. No immediate danger was then envisaged. Contact had been established between those at Stillwat recamp and those at Caswell Sound. There was little damage as far as could be ascertained to stores and equipment at Stillwater Camp and no damage of such a nature at either Lake Marchant or Caswell Sound Camp. The flooding had come as the result of unusually heavy rain. Up to three feet of water flowed through the Stillwater Camp, but luckily the water took several hours to rise. This allowed the camp party to take the necessary action. Three men had to spend several hours in trees. A radio station was established in a tree and direct communication was thus maintained with Radio Awarua. The message mentioned as a possibility that the base camp would be moved to George Sound. This would entail of trip of 16 days and would mean postponing for several days the scheduled arrival of scientists for the expedition. The scientists were advised not to make any alterations in their plans until receiving official advice. Move Impracticable The next message which u r as received soon after 7 o’clock yesterday spoke of the impossibility at the moinent for members of the base camp to cross the upper Stillwater River and make for Te Anau overland to establish telephone communication with Wellington. It had been suggested that the camp manager, Mr J. V. R. McKane, might attempt this journey, which would mean climbing over mountainous country, across the Hem*y Saddle to Lake Thomson and then by further difficult terrain to Te Anau. As this journey was considered impracticable, the camp was instructed by radio from Wellington not to attempt it, and it was left to Mr McKane arid Colonel Howard to decide on the future location of the base camp. If the camp were moved to George Sounds it would entail a long and arduous trip, transporting the camp, its equipment and stores first by small boat down the flooded Stillwater River, then across Lake Marchant and overland to the head of Caswell Souid. The last leg would be made by sea in the former naval launch Alert to the ' head of George Sound. As the crow flies the total distance from Stillwater Camp to George Sound is seven miles, but there is a vast difference between air distance and ground distance in the wild flordlands country, where the advanced party have been undergoing prolonged and unenviable anxiety. Constitution of Party j] eß i c l eP Colonel Howard and Mr McKane, the advance party comprises fotu- officers of the Internal Affairs Department, four from the Lands and Survey Department, a radio operator and 12 others, including an Army Medical Corps n.c.o. capable of rendering qualified first aid. A message received at 9 o’clock tonight stated: “The Stillwater River is down to normal flood level, but rain continues. The camp manager, who lias been at the Caswell depot, made his way to-day to the Stillwater base camp to confer with Colonel Howard. He found that the damage to the camp had been extensive. Mr McKane and Colonel Howard now intend to take a small boat down the river, cross Lake Marchant and trek overland to Caswell Sound, whence they will be taken by the launch Alert to Milford. They will motor through the Homer Tunnel to Te Anau and proceed to Christchurch to confer with Dr. Falla and Dr. Olaus Murie, the American scientific leader of the expedition as to the j future action to be taken.” Heavy rainstorms swept the Otago back country during the week-end. The Milford track is impassable and parties of trampers had _ to wade through flooded creeks waist-deep to make progress. The main highway to Wanaka was blocked by flooding.