MISSING TRAMPERS

Evening Star, Issue 20999, 13 January 1932, Page 12

MISSING TRAMPERS

* TWO MEN REPORTED DEAD SAID TO BE CANTERBURY TEACHERS [Per United Press Association.! GREYMOUTH, January 13. Three men, believed to be Canterbury teachers, whose names are given as Smith, Robins, and Loney, left Hokitika on January 5 or 6 on a tramping tour to_ the Carrington hut at Waimakariri. No news of them came to hand until to-day, when the Greymouth police received a message from the Bealey stating that the men are believed to be seventeen miles in the back country. Smith and Robins are reported to be dead, and the other man is said to be wandering about. A search party left this morning headed by Constable Robb, of Otira. FURTHER PARTICULARS [Per United Press Association.] HOKITIKA, January 13. It has been reported to the Greymouth police that Robins, married and understood to be a teacher, of Christchurch, and that Smith, of 3 Chancellor street, Shirley, a teacher at the Opawa School,' are dead. With Loney, of 35 Hill road, Heathcote Valley, they left Hokitika on the morning of January 5 to tramp over the Browning and White Horn Passes into the Bealey. Apparently some disaster overtook the party seventeen miles up the Bealey River. Loney 'is apparently safe. Harold Smith, one of those reported dead, is a son of the late school inspector (Mr Harry Smith, formerly of Greymouth). Some years ago he was a teachei at the Hokitika State School. A brother of Loney’s is a teacher at Koiteraugi. CHRISTCHURCH, January 13. A message received from the Bealey states that one of the campers named Smith is dead and that another named J. Robins wandered from the camp and is missing. There is little hope that lie will be found alive.

The third member of the party (Loney) is safe. A search party left the Bealey this morning with pack horses and food. The three men are believed to be Canterbury school teachers, but the news to hand is meagre.