TRAMPERS' HARDSHIPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19625, 2 May 1927, Page 10

TRAMPERS' HARDSHIPS.

OUT ON THE TARARUAS. MR. D. H. HILL'S BROKEN LEG. CONVEYANCE FROM RANGES. A LONG, TRYING JOURNEY. The hardships and difficulties involved in scouring such wild country as is to be found in the Tararuas, in the bitterest of weather, is made evident by the story of the recent search for the two missing trampers made by members of the Tararua Tramping Club. The accident which befe! one of tho party, in which he fractured a leg, added to their difficulties, and the conveyance of the injured man from the inhospitable mountain country .<> the friendlier plains below was a herculean task. Mr. Dudley H. Hill, the member of the club who had the misfortune to break his leg last Tuesday during the search for Diedrich and Scanlon, was taken <nto Greytown last Friday, and placed in the local hospital. The stirring story of how the injured man was con/eyed over the ranges through exceedingly difficult country, has been told to the Dominion by Mr. F. \V. Vosseler, president, chief guide of the club. It is difficult fully to realise the tremendous hardships this body of searchers has undergone in crossing swollen rivers, bush and mountain country, uith the mist scarcely ever off the hills, almost continuous rain, aud snow on the higher levels. It has been bitterly cold, and the searching winds from the south made the conditions very severe. They had to leave beaten tracks to search bush and hillside, rivers and holes, sleeping in most exposed positions, at times having to wade up to waist-deep in icj> cold wateis. Mr Hill's Misfortune. The rescue party when it returned to Wellington last Friday evening was weary and worn, for most of the party had been out on the mountains for a week, and the.strain was beginning to tell on them, tho accident to Mr. Hill having greatly increased their difficulties Ihe party comprised Alessrs. F. W. Vosseler; A. N. Smith, L. Cross, A. Goliad, G. Mace, H. Douglas, C. Frost, S. MeNaught, B. Tregear and Tregear, jun., and W. H. Wilson. Mr. Hill, the injured man, is a surveyor, of the firm of Messrs Truebridge and Hill. The accident happened about mid-day on Tuesday, on the return journey from searching a portion of the upper waters of the Waiohine-iti. It was a mishap which might have happened to any single member of the party and was net due to carelessness, but rather due to the difficult nature of the country and the fact that the party was fatigued and numbed, for there had been snow and ram. During the return journey, every member of the party had fallen many times, and it was Mr. Hill's misfortune that his last fall should have been in a place where there was neither foothold nor handhold to aid him' to recover himself. The bringing out ol Mr. HM was a particularly difficult matter, as the accident happened so far away from any habitation!. Having rendered first aid they had to camp for the night in a most exposed position, staying there for 28 hours until the party arrived irom Carterton and assisted to carry Mr. Hill out. Th| Tararua trampers have nothing but the highest praise for the great help rendered their comrade by the local residents. J Haw Help was Procured. Shortly after the accident happened Mr Smith, secretary of the club, with a fellow member, set out for Carterton with the utmost speed, travelling the last five hours with the aid of electric torches, reaching Carterton at 10.30 p.m. thoroughly exhausted. The brunt of matters fell upon the Savers family, ar.d the evidence of their humanity is shown by the fact that Mrs. Say era and her younger son milked about 50* cows night and morning to enable her husband and elder son to assist in the relief work. In addition Mrs. Sayers entertained the whole of the searchers, and sent ample supplies of fresh provisions to those already out on the hills. The first to reach the injured searcher were Messrs. Les Fairbrother, Roy Bramler, R. Bassett, Wal Smith and Mr. Sayers and his son. The trampers speak most highly of the services rendered by Dr. Tweed, who proceeded with rT speed to meet the party conveying the injured man, who was borne on an improvised stretcher made from branches of trees. A halt was made at the second camp, where Dr. Tweed made the patient comfortable Tremendous Difficulties. Some idea of the difficulty of travelling in bringing Mr. Hill out of the mountains mav be gained from the fact that he was carried for 19 hours. 'lhe accident happened at mid-day on Tuesday, and he reached Greytown hospital yesterday afternoon. In" places he had to be lowered down cliffs by ropes, and in addition to having to be carried across three rivers and over a peak to a height of 2683 ft.—nearly three times as high as Rangitoto—detours from the direct route involving miles of travelling had to be made. The party were met at the end of the road by the Masterton ambulance, and the rest was easy. This was the best day the party had. for a spell of bright snnshine enabled them to dry their clothes to a'certain extent. It was snowing hard on the ranges near Greytown last Friday morning and afternoon, hut Mr. Vosseler said he thought all search parties would be off thes hills before night. Over .50 members of the Tararna Tramping Club were out. and with others the total was over 100. probably the largest search party which has ever been engaged at one time in New Zealand.