A Clue Picked Up

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6645, 4 September 1931, Page 7

A Clue Picked Up

WHERE THE TRACKS SEPARATED. KING COUNTRY’S MAGNIFICENT EFFORT. Per Press Association. THE CHATEAU, Last Night. Remarkable scenes were witnessed at Petersen’s Mill, a few chains below the Makatote railway viaduct, in the early hours of this morning when several hundred men assembled and went into the bush to join in the search for Stanton. , „< At 3.45 a.m. the Auckland express stopped just south of the viaduct and dropped 167 men from Taumarunui. Shortly afterwards a goods train arrived bringing men from Ohakune and , Eaetihi. Cars, about one hundred of them, brought .further men. It was a wonderful example of the spirit and sympathy of the King Country people and their, desire to assist to the utmost. The base camp was established at tho Forks, eight miles up the gorge, and food was carried up there. Largo fires w T ere lit and benzine tins of hot tea were available throughout the day for the searchers as they arrived wet, cold and weary. With such large numbers of men operating in little-known bush it was impossible to prevent overlapping. Cases of parties working over one another’s tracks did occur, but the bush from the viaduct up to the Forks was scoured thoroughly. Above the Forks parties of experienced bushmen chiefly operated. Those organising the search have decided that these parties of local bushmen have more chance of finidng Stanton than

anyone. Accordingly tlie volunteers who were out to-day have been allowed to return to their homes to-night and only bushmen will be out searching to-morrow. Many of these bushmen have been out practically since •Sunday and even their iron strength is giving out. One party led by Mr. Berry, of Horbpito, which came out of the bush to-night, brought a clue with it. These men were some of 80 searchers who went into the Maliuia Valley this mc-ming. They followed the Mahuia stream up until they reached the spot where Graham, Harris and the girls were found. They picked up Addis and Stanton’s tracks from there and traced them down the tributary of the Makatote until they came to a steep bluff which jutted out into the stream. They could not pass around it and had to go above the waterfalls, and when they picked up the trails again On the other side there was only one set of footafternoon and as the party had to get but of the bush to-night no further search was possible. The party will travel into this bluff again to-morrow morning to investigate fully. Nineteen men are remaining in the Makatote gorge to-night.