MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 30 May 1927, Page 5

MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY

DROWNED IN A STREAM.

ACCIDENT, ON MT. RUAPEHU.

SURVIVOR'S EXPERIENCES.

(by TELEGRAPH - PEESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, May 29.

Information has been received that Mr Horace Arthur Holl, of Auckland, nad ueen drowned while on an expedition to Mount Ruapehu, the river and streams being flooded as the result of heavy rain. Mr Holl was the principal of Holl’s Coaching College, Auckland, and was married. He leaves a wife and two children -residing at Devonport. Mr Holl left the city on Wednesday evening in company with Mr J. A. Bartrum, lecturer in geology at Auckland University. The sad story was wired to a relative of Mr'Holl’s by Mr Bartrum, but so far no details are obtainable. Mr. Holl was- drowned while attempting to ford the Mangaturuturu stream on Mt. Ruapehu on Friday afternoon. Ln company with Mr. J. O. Bartram, lecturer in geology at Auckland University College, he left Pokaka, near Cataract, about midday in a heavy downpour of -rain. The track runs close to the stream, which had to- be crossed about twenty times -before they reached their cam-p. About 4 p.m. they were crossing a ford, converted by the rain into a. raging torrent. Holl was leading a pack horse a short distance ahead of Bartram and was carrying a very heavy ruck sack strapped on his back. When a short distance -from the bank he lost his footing, was swept for down the stream. Bartram rushed down the track, but Hdl-1 had disappeared hundreds of yards away. Bartram -recovered; the pack horse. _lt was then dark and -mining heavily. Mr. Bartram had .to spend the night in the open, with the protection of a canvas sleeping bag. Mr. Bartram returned' to POkaka on Saturday afternoon. A search- party oh Sunday morning found Mr. Holl’-s' body in the creek about a mile -below the ford, and after a strenuous tramp in the rain and- hail, reached Pokaka about 4 p.m.