MISS MACK FOUND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1719, 9 January 1920, Page 5

MISS MACK FOUND.

PARTY IN EXHAUSTED STATE,

• (Pbb Pbess Association.) MASTERTON, Jan. 3. Miss Louise Mack (war correspondent and journalist), Mr A. R. Knox a.id Miss Knox, of Otaki Falls, who have bt-u missing on the Tararua ranges for severa 1 di-ys, were found by a rescue s-itity frcin Greytown tin's morning on Mount Alpha. The members of the party were in an exhausted condition.

„. WELLINGTON, Jan. 9. A telegram from Greytown stales that Miss L. Mack and her party arrived at Greytown last night. The ladies are slightly fatigued, but are otherwise well and are leaving by motor for Otaki to-day. A THRILLING EXPEPJENCB.. STRUG OLE THROUGH FOGS AND RUIN. ' FOR THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS.. A feeling of relief was experienced in Mastcrton and other parts of .the Wairarapa yesterday (says the Wairarapa Age) when it became known that the missing party of tourists had been found on Mt. Alpha. The party, consisting of Miss Louise Mack, Mr A. It. Knox, and Miss Knox, of the Otaki Forks, left on Friday for a climbing expedition over tin; Tararua Ranges. Miss Mack and Mr Knox climbed Table Top, together with -a number of other ladios_ and men. on Friday last, it being their intention to go right through to Woodside. Fop was encountered on the hills, however, and all returned. Miss Mack stayed f.or the night at the hut en the ridge (about an hour's walk beyond the Forks), Air Knox returning home. On Sunday morning Mr Knox and his two daughters went to the hut, and Miss Mack, Miss Knox, and Mr Knox started off up the track, intending to go right across the mountains. Mr Knox's other daughter returned homo. As no report had been received concerning the party on Tuesday, anxiety was expressed for their safety, and,"on the initiative of Mr Hector Nicholson, of Otaki, search parties went out on either side. The Greytown searchers, consisting of Constahlo Mcintosh and Mr A. L. Webster, were despatched on Wednesday for Mt. Alpha, via the Tauherenikau Valley. They rested in the Valley on Wednesday night, and started at 4 o'clock yesterday morning for the Mt. Alpha hut. They arrived there at 8 o'clock, and were intensely relieved to discover that the missing party was at the hut, in comparatively good health considering the bitter experience through which they had passed It appears that after leaving Table Top on Sunday, the party encountered fogs and rain. Undaunted by this fact, they struggled on. For three days and nights they wandered helplessly in the open, sleeping in whatever shelter they could find. Their food became exhausted, and thoy were in an almost hopeless plight when thoy reached the Mt. Alpha hut at six o'clock on Wednesday evening. Here they found a tin of "Glaxb," which they greedily devoured, the rest of the provisions in the hut having been fiaken by previous parties. The arrival of the Greytown rescuers on Thursday morning naturally brought to them great relief. Miss Louise Mack, who is an elderly lady, suffered a good deal from her privations, and was in an exhausted condition when she reached the hut. She was also suffering from mountain sickness. Mr Knox and his daughter had gone through the experience with little ill effects. Constable Mcintosh and Mr Webster gave their horses to the ladies, and tho party (the mon walking) slowly wended its way yosterday down to the Wairarapa Valley, reaching Greytown about nine o'clock in tho evening.