NO RESULT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20334, 5 September 1931, Page 15

NO RESULT.

SEARCH FOR MISSING CLIMBER. I | BELIEVED DROWNED. I PARTIES STILL SCOURING 1 BUSH. i (PBK3S ASSOCIATION TKLEGBAM.) i THE CHATEAU, September 4. , AU efforts to find Warwick Stanton to-day failed. i Over 50 expert bushmen were out and they scoured thoroughly i the country in the Makatote Gorge > above the forks where Addis said 1 he left Stanton. The theory that Stanton recovered 1 after Addis left him and attempted to find his way out, but got into the 1 swiftly running stream and in his ; weak condition was washed off his feet and drowned is strongly favoured by the searchers. Stanton's father believes that his son recovered after a spell and when the weather cleared the following day and the sun broke through the clouds for the first time in three days, he realised he was travelling in the wrong direction and decided to get back into higher ground and see if be could pick up his bearings. The searchers agree that this is possible and parties have been working up the Makatote to the higher ground. So far none of the searchers is definite that he found the exact spot where Addis left Stanton. Still Hopeful. Mr T. ,A. Blyth, who ias climbed Ruapehu US times, and was a member of the party which found the bodies of the victims of each of the three previous tragedies on the mountain, has by no means given up hope of Stanton still being alive, "At Passchendaele during the war I saw a German brought in alive after being out in the mud of no man's land in mid-winter with a broken thigh, for six days," he said. Mr Blyth believes that Stanton is within three miles of where the girls were found. He is leading a party in to this pla.ee to-morrow. Several small camps will be established so that the searchers can remain in the bush for two nights, and the bush within this radius will be thoroughly scoured. There are about thirty men out in the bush tonight. The rumour broadcast last night that Warwick Stanton had been found is not confirmed. It appears that a passing motorist saw searchers carrying a man out of the bush at Petersen's Mill, and he concluded hastily that Stanton had been found alive. He pushed on to Erua and told the postmaster there that Stanton bad been brought out alive, with the result that this story vnas passed on to the postmaster at Taumarunui. Actually the man carried out was a searcher with an injured knee: RESCUE PARTIES. * ' ■ . ■ BEST TIME FOR GOING OUT. DIVERGENT VIEWS. # (press association teubgbam.) THE CPATEAU, September 4.. A defence of his action in leading a search party out at 10 p.m. on Saturday to look for the lost climbers was made t'o-djiy by Mr B. Syme, vice-presi-dent of the Ruapehu Ski Club, ind one of the most experienced mountain climbers in New Zealand. He totally disagreed with the rule laid down by Mr Cobbe, nlanager of the Chateau, that|no one must leav& until 8 o'clock on punday morning. "It comes as a great surprise to me to find at a time when everybody at the Chateau is helping with the search, a statement is made reflecting on the work of some of the helpers," said Mr Syme. "I consider Mr Cobbe's statement in some respects inaccurate, and I welcome the opportunity to express my views in justice to the _Ski Club. Mr Cpbbe's remarks regarding the control of climbing narties will mqpt with general'appro and similar views have been expre, by all mountain clubs operating at Chateau. Best Time to Search. "It is unlikely that any prominent experienced climber will disagree with those views, but regarding Mr Cobbe's criticism of my action in arranging for a search party to leave the .Chateau at 10 p.m. on Saturday I must emphasise my view 1 that the proper time for a searßh to commence in, winter is one hour (after dark, when a small party of picked "Inen should be sent out. My reasons are:— "(1) It is necessary to supply quickly warmth and medical attention to people out on the snow because if they are injured the effects of shock are intensified by cold. -/) "(2) The longer you wait the more time you give people to wander off the Tight track. ' * <.'(3) If it is liable to snow there is a danger of the Jkacks being obliterated if you wait all night before you set out. This, as a matter of fact, had a bearing on the operations of Saturday night. - "Hearing that the management had decided that no one must go out until 3 a.m., I consulted Mr J. Blyth, of Ohaliune ,and Mr Duncan Macpherson, of Palmerston North, both experienced climbers, who agreed that a search party should be sent out at 10 o'clock at ; the latest. Peeling that my hands had thus been strengthened, I set out. My party that night covered the very section of tho mountain on which • these people were lost, and there is not the slightest doubt that had I been able to take a larger party out we would have found them and brought them in. When my party returned to the Salt ial Hut at daybreak, we defintiely established the fact that the climbers were still high up on the mountain because we had not discovered any tracks coming down. Snow had not started to fall heavily, and our own footprints formed a broad track both ways across the mountain for the lost climbers to follow. Snow commenced to fall heavily about one hour before daylight. These faets show that while our party did not: actually locate those lost, the search was not entirely fruitless, as it; was upon the information we brought' back to the Chateau on Sunday morning that tho complete search organisation was based.

Not Exhausted. "I would like to refute the statement that the members of my party were exhausted, and that next dsy when every experienced man was needed, their services were not available," said Mr Syme. "Having bepn up all night after a strenuous day's racing in the sports, they were naturally tried, but after a few hours' rest all except myself were able and did go opt again on all subsequent occasion# on which their services were required. It is ridiculous to suggest that our action weakened the remainder'of the search. In case there were still numbers'of experienced members of the club whose services were being held in reserve at the Chateau.. "I agree," said Mr Syme, "that there should be someone at the Chateau with power to forbid ascents by unskilled people, and Issue orders in connexion with, the dispatch of - search parties, but it is absolutely essential that that parson should have the confidence of experienced mountaineers, and I cannot say too definitely that the policy of forbidding search partita to go out until early morning should be changed in future.' Excellent Organisation. "Perhaps I should add, while I am entirely at variance with Mr Cobbe in relation to the events of Saturdaynight, that I acknowledge fully the systematic search plans put in train x by him in co-operation withmembers of the various clubs. Having myself being prevented by sickness from participating in the work after the first night, I would like to express the opinion that the organisation as mapped and carried out by Mr W. 8. Senate, secretary of vthe Buapehu Ski Club, Mr Cobbe and all those others who did tireless work, reflects the greatest credit on them and on the band of willing volunteers who came forward in such genesis numbers." Statement by Club. The following statement was handed - to the Press to-night by the secretary ■?.. of the Ruapehu Ski Club in reply .to the remarks of Mr Cobbe, manager of the • . Chateau, published through the Press Association yesterday: —• "The committee of the Ruapehu Ski Club carefully considered what it" considers to be the ill-timed criticism by him Of the first search, party- organised * 'and led by members of our club on - . Saturday night; The committee (and ex- , perienced alpinists at present here) are ,->J strongly and definitely of opinion that this action was the correct one to take, and subsequent events have sh<%n that had it not been for the fact that ' the . ' missing party were fi'oeed to- bivouac that night at 7000 feet, the partly would - •' have been rescued the first night. Mr ,J Cobbe's statement .on this Prompt and efficient action of ours left club " depleted, of its capable and experienced leaders when they were most remured - & is refuted by subsequent results, Early- : on Sunday morning farther search parties were organised, and, acting on , in- Sformation derived from our previous > / night's efforts, dispatched to all tssea- ?i tial points, thus forming wish the co-\ operation of the Main Trunk townships a cordon round the mountain and re- 5 suited in the first party being found early on Sunday afternoon. ..We Are more than surprised that Mr Cobbe - - t F should endeavour to' belittle our activi- " ties in this manner, especially in view ' of his reliance on, and the use of out ( v assistance throughout the search activi- ".\- f ties." - ' * . * /wt'fg SEARCHERS' , EFFORTS. PARENTS OF CUMBERS GIVE ' THANKS. < ;' (PSZSS ASSOCIATION TOJSQBAII.) THE CHATEAU, September 4. ( The following statement ha# been t handed to the Press: — * "We, the undersigned parents: of members of the party who were lost on - > Mt. Ruapehu, desire to place on record our appreciation of the efforts of all those who in any way assisted in organ- . igjpg and carrying out the search. "Only those tfho have been at the Cha- - teau during this difficult time can ap- . j preciate the devotion with which each helper threw himself into the task, the encfegy with whic% he prosecuted it.' ' \. - The magnificent response to the call for volunteers, first from the guests and officials at the Chateau, and then from' the expert bushmen from the* surrounding coutnryside, enabled the project to '• tie carried out, and made possible the saving of so many young lives. f Included among the helpers were devoted bands of Women, some of whom actually searched, whilst others undertook the equally important domestic duties, of attendin'g to the needs of the searchers and the "-rescued. It would be invidious to attempt individual mcntion. To one and all we owe a debt of gratitude for which no words seem adequate. It has proved once more the essential unity which*lies beneath the surface of human nature. To everyone who helped in any way vro tender our heartfelt thanks, which wo feel will be subscribed to in equal measure by thoao parents who have already left the Chateau. ■ ST. E. ADPIS. P. C. BBOCKETT. W. H. GRAHAM. D. S. D. HARRIS. G. N. MORRIS, . ; D. RENNEB. GRACE E. SPOONER. J. STANTON. H. J. WATKINS>"