WAIMANGU CATASTROPHE.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 985, 3 September 1903, Page 3

WAIMANGU CATASTROPHE.

THE INQUEST. VERDICT OF ACCIDENTALLY KILLED. Tho inquest regarding tho distressing fatality at Waimangu, which resulted in tho deaths of Kathleen Nieholls, Ruby Nieholls, David McNaughton and Joseph Warbrick, was held on Monday. The Cuurthouso was crowded during the hearing of tho evidence. THE GUIDE’S STATEMENT.

Alfred Warbrick stated that he was chief Government guide and assistant inspector of works, and was on duty as guide at Waimangu on August 30, when au enormous eruption of Waimangu geyser took place. He found the geyser iu notion on arrival tliere. The cauldron

looked very active, and they bad not been there more than twenty minutes when tho geyser played a shot betweon 400 ft and 500 n. In conversation with eovoral of thoso ha was with, bo gave them to understand that they wore in dangerous places, and remarked that if anything happened ho would lose his position. Ho turned to his party and asked them to make n move, telling them aho that if tho geyser played its big shot they could seo it from the accommodation house. Tho Misses Nich-

olls asked him to remain a few minutes longer. He stayed a-quarter of an hour, and then started for the accommodation house. Just as they reached tho top of the climb from tho bridge, tho Misses Nieholls, and he bolieved Mr King and Mr McNaughton, branched off, goiDg over to where his brother was. Mrs Nieholls was with him at the timo. Ho told her to call hor daughters back, thinking she would have inoro power with them than he had. Tho girls looked round and smiled at their mother, and passed somo remarks that he did not catch. A 200 FEET SHOT.

Just at this timo tho geyser played a shot about 200 ft. Ho then turned round to Mrs Nieholls and skid, “ We’d better go on ; it might encourage them to follow us.” They reached a spot overlooking the geyser, near the near shelter houso. Mrs Nicbolis and witness walked to the edge overlooking the geyser. His brother and the young ladies wore standing on the brink, six in all. That was tho last time he saw thoso that wore killed, as tho geyser started to play immediately, and the steam hid them from view. He turned round and caught Mrs Nieholls by tho hand, and ran away with her, as tho material was beginning to fall. In tho attempt to escape Mrs Nicbolis foil, and he stooped down and picked hor up in his arms, and rushed her away to a place of safoty. THOUSANDS OF TONS FALLING. At this time thoro appeared to bo thousands of tons of stuff falling all around. Mrs Nieholls called out for hor girls. He told her to stay thore, and leave the girls _ to him. Ho immediately ran down ovor tho cliff, and saw thoy wore missing. WASHED AWAY.

He then had au idoa that they must have been washed away in tho boiling river. Ho ran down the banks of the river as bost bo eould to seo if ho could intercept them. At this time the river was running at a terrific pace. After going down a little over a quarter of a mile he found the two coats that had been worn by tho young ladies. Thoy had boen torn off their backs. THE BODIES FOUND.

About 250yd3 further down ho found hi brothor, uud got him out of the hot wate as bost he could. At this time his assis' tant, Hugh McPherson, arrived, and' with his holp, he lifted the body on to a little baok, and then wont in search of the young ladieß. He found Miss Kathleen Nieholls about 200yds further down the river, jammed botween the stones, and about 250yds further on he found Miss Ruby Nieholls. Their clothes were all torn into shreds. Ho went for help, and, to his suprise, saw a number of gentlemen in the valley, Mr Bidwell, and others. They were standing round the remains of Mr McNaughton. By this time a number of willing helpers on tho scene. Stretchers were procured, and all the bodies were conveyed up to the accommodation house.

A WARNING. In reply to Constable Bern, witness said his brother, and all the others were quite dead when found. He had warned all the deceased, but had no power to prevent anyone going into dangerous places if they disobeyed his warning. There was no barrior or protection to prevent people going so close to the geyser. Notices were stuck up ou the paths warning tourists. There had been one serious accident on a previous occasion. Bcforo the boards woro put up a man had his leg broken. Thoro would havo been no accident on the prosent occasion had notice been taken of his warning.

BOILING WATER, MUD, AND STONES. Tho eruption consisted of boiling water) mud, and stones. Some of the stones would weigh two, three, or four hundredweight. The track was about 45yds from the geyser, in a direst line. DEATH INSTANTANEOUS. Dr Wohlmann said he had viewed the bodies in the morgue. The probable cause of death was suffocation from hot water or hot stream, or both, combined with shock. Death would no instantaneous under such conditions. A TOURIST’S EVIDENCE. Frederick Nebo King stated that ho was a tourist viewing the sights round tho district. Just prior to the eruption ho was standing at the spot murked on the map produced. One slight shot took place, and before that subsided anothor came. Each of tho young ladies had cameras, and wanted to got snapshots. At tho time of the second shot he was walking away to join a friend, and was looking backwards. Ho was in company with another gentleman named Donnelly. Just then a cloud of steam came between them and tho other party, and that was the last ho saw of them alive. Ho and his friend had to run for thoir lives. He thought tho young ladies and the,two gentlemon wore caught in tho eruption and were swept down into tho boiling water in tho stream. He heard Guido Warbriek warn the visitors not to go into dangerous places. He did so several times, at soveral places.

A SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE John Donnelly stated that he was at t T aimangu at the limo of tho accident, [e was standing almost on the extreme dno of the place marked on the plan near be bridge. When he noticed the big shot o backed away. Somoone called out to un. They all turned almost together, exept one young lady with a rod ]aeke. Sho'secmecl anxious to taka a shot wit lsr camera. As he started to run ho hoard r terrific roar. Tho roar was occasioned by ,ho second shot of tho goysor. Everything sccame dark then, and ho could no sec iny of tho party. Ho only saw tho others in tho act of turning before it became dora. The time that elapsed was only about ® second. The material seemed to fall an over them. He believed tho two ladies and tho two gentlemen were caught in the eruption. In running away ho fell, and when he got up there was only Mr King prosent. Tho othor four woro missing. There was nothing to stop tho other two men from running away, unless thoy remained behind to rescue tho ladies. When a party of 10 or 12 of them loft the track, including tho deceased, Guido Warbriek warned them. Had notice of the warning been taken tho accident would not have j happened, and no lives would havo been lost. FURTHER EVIDENCE. Ernest Constant gave evidence as to the discovery of tho body of Mr McNaughton. Thero were no signs of lifo.

Thomas Thomas said he identified one of tho bodies as that of David McNaugh ton.

Robert Elliott said there was a very heavy eruption on August 30. He saw one gentleman and two ladies running. Thero was nothing falling at tho time. They wero running along the siding. The second shot burst up in two columns. One went in a slanting direction towards the ladiei and gentleman and the other went up perpendicularly. Tho party were obscured by the steam. Whon the last shot wen) up thero was a shower of stones, Which wore shot much higher than the

water. Ho turned and went back to tho bridge. The water was just starting to rush down. After tho water had subsided he followed tho stream down, and, with Mr Warbrick, found three bodies. Constable Born also gave evidence. He said the bodies had the appearance of having been scalded. THE VERDICT.

The Court adjourned at twenty minutes to seven until eight o’clock. The whole of tho evidence was taken prior to the adjournment. On the Court reopening it was announced tha k tho jury were about to consider their verdict, and the Court was cleared of all spectators. At a quarter to nine the jury had arrived at tho following verdict:— “ That the said Kathleen Nieholls, Ruby Nieholls, David McNaughton, aDd Joseph Warbrick, on August 30, 1903, at the Waimangu geyser, were accidentally suffocated and killed by boiling water, or steam, or both steam and water, combined with shock, from an eruption of tho geyser, and so the jurors aforesaid do say that tho said Kathleen Nieholls, Ruby Nieholls, David McNaughton, and Joseph Warbrick, in the manner and by tbe means aforesaid, accidentally, and by misfortune, came to their death, and not otherwise, and wo further find that no blamo is attachable to the Government guide, Alfred Warbrick, who repeatedly warned tho parties aforesaid, and others, not to approach too near to tho geyser, and pointed out the spots he considered dangerous.” MRS NIOHOLLS. Mrs Nieholls, mother of the two girls who lost their lives, is still confined to bed, suffering great mental agony.