TOLL OF N.Z. ALPS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11549, 28 January 1932, Page 6

TOLL OF N.Z. ALPS

PREVIOUS ACC! DENTS

The worst alpine disaster in New Zealand’s history occurred on Mount Cook on 1.9t1i January, 1930, when five lives were lost. Four women and a guide were caught in a blizzard between the Malle Brun and Ball Huts on the Tasman Glacier and per Ished from exposure. The victims were: Mis s Doris H. Brown, of Ranrriora ; Miss Mary Monteath and M.is» Helena Keane, of Christchurch : Miss D. Smith, of Epsrm. Auckland ; and .Acting-Guide Teddv Blomfield, «l Dunedin. Another member of Die party, Guide C. Hilgendo'f, l ad remained at the Malte Brim Hut to clear up after the party left. Meanwhile a thunderstorm and blizzard of great intensity swept clown on the party when they were about three or four miles down the glacier. Evidently they did n.<t- live long in the fearful conditions, for when Guide Hilgcndorf arrived he found the bodies in the snow at De la Rechc corner, huddled together on the exposes! face of the glacier. Prior to that only cue fatal accident had occurred tit the Hermitage region of the Southern Alps. That was the tragic disaster in whim three experienced mountaineers. Mr S. L. King, of the English Alpine Club, and Guides “Darby” Thompson and ‘Mock” Richmond. were overwhelmed by an avalanche during a descent of Mount Cook on 22nd Feb ruarv, 1914.

There have been singularly few fatalities on Ruapehu. In 1913 Mr. \V. Dingham lost his life in the M«n-ganui-a-to-ao Stream. While lie was doseending the mountain he slipped, and striking his head on a rook, was hurled into a pool. He was dead when he was picked up. In 1915 -Mr E. Pocket died from exposure on Hie mountain, in May, Mr. H. A. 1 1011, principal of the University Coaching College, Auckland. was drowned in attempting to ford the Mangaturuturu or Sulphur Stream at a particularly dangerous part, about five and a-ha'.f miles from the Main Trunk railway.

In August 'last year u parly of fourteen Auckland University College studenfs under the leadership of Mr. (;. Hell, lecturer in engineering at llie college, was caught in a b'izzard while descending the mountain. Six of the party, Messrs. G. Bell. H. S. Macdiarmid and A. Flynn, and -Misses M. Watkins, D. Watkins and KFilet, were led hack to the Chateau after wandering for two days and nights on the mountainside. Six of the remainder of the party, who had gone on ahead, were lost for foiu days, being discovered by a search party on Ist September, in an exhausted condition. The other two, Messrs. H. Addis and W. Stanton, attempted to make a dash for help towards the Main Trunk railway. Stanton became fatigued and Addis left him on the bank of the Makatoetoe River. Addis was found by searchers in a distressed condition and, although he described the locality where he had left his companion, hundreds of searchers were unable to find the spot. Stanton perished below the snowline. His body was not found till 20th September, by a party from the Lands and Survey Department. Over 300 men were engaged in the search, ivhich was hampered by the density cf the undergrowth ntad frequent falls of snow.

Fatal accidents have been frequent on Mount Fgmont, the most-climbed mountain in New Zealand. Since 1801 there have been eleven accidents involving the loss of fifteen lives. Six persons, have perished on the upper slopes of Fgmont as a result of an unoorrected. slip or a false step on tho hard ice by one member of the parties concerned. The worst of those tragedies, which occurred on 12th Mnv, 1927, came as n sad endino- to the firstterm vacation of three masters, and a nnpil of the Wanganui Collegiate School The party slipped on the ice at 7Dooft.. and two masters, Messrs. F. Latham and N. Baines, were killed.