AUSTRALIAN BUSH EPIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19643, 23 May 1927, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN BUSH EPIC.

PROSPECTOR'S ENDURANCE. AN INJURED MAN'S AGONY. (fkom our own correspondent. ] SYDNEY, Mar 13. The Australian hush boasts of many an epic of indomitable hurniin pluck, endurance, and heroism, but on© that ranks with the best of these feaii come.« from Cairns, in the far north of Queensland. One midday, while Louis Frcigmere, a prospector, was horse-hunting among the precipitous ridges of Mount Holmes, with another man, Edward Pierson, his hor«e missed its footing among the boulders. Frcigmere was throv-n heavily, fracturing his pelvis. Pierson, a middleaged tin mirier, sought the help of Darby MeNarnaia, a young man who was working a tin claim nearby. McNamar* set off on a long, rough ride of 30 miles, to the nearest centre of settlement, Mount Molloy, for assistance, and arrived there late in the night. A rescue party left at. 5.30 o'clock the ne?t morning in a motorcar. The track was atrocious. Twenty five miles of the 30 were covered, and then it was found impossible to take the another yard further. The party tramped (he remaining five miles, and at la't the camp where Freigmere was bmg ia agony was reached. A roueh hub stretcher was made and Freigmere w.«s ! placed on it. Where practicable two men carried the stretcher and the other four men of the party rested but '•« places the way was so rough a .'id > rf "~ rips to us that all six men had to give a hand They wound round rocky gorj;**, along narrow ledgM, and up and down cliff-like mountain sides. The f«v<to.g was treacherous, arid it was owty by the exercise of the greatest tare and »ln-o*t superhuman strength that the;!- hurt;-a was earned through the first "sr The next stage in the burr-pin.' <*r must have been an ordeal of p»-'v • ■' Fretgmere, who bore up wonderful - -' The Mount Moltoy first aid po*t, <+ ■<* reached at 3 o'clock in the alter R/v-n the Hay following the a"r:des!( i'.'-* aid was rendered by a nurse, ar.d •' •* recommended that the pas lent /b«uUJ ' taken to Mareeba, where he U»<i, and where lived a!*i» {be iieuwt eir+'or. A further journey of 2St miles 'bus n»-i to he undertaken. This trip .*-»s pleted aboot 6 o'clock, 30 hours }:*ve> z passed tmce Fresgmere rr-et *,th ' * accident. He was in agony the whole time. When at last an. X ray examire* lion was made, and the doctor had th- "• oaghly examined the injured man, r * said that Freigmere would not have r*--n able to walk again if'it had not been !■" the strenuous and untel.fisb eff 'i'i f! UiS ,'fescue party.