RELIEF MEASURES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20965, 31 August 1931, Page 10

RELIEF MEASURES.

THOROUGH ORGANISATION. MANY PARTIES SET OUT. STRENUOUS NATURE OF WORK. CHATEAU GUESTS MOBILISED. [BY TELEGRAPH. SPECIAL REPORTER.] THE CHATEAU, Sunday. When (lie first parties of searchers returned tin's morning with no news, the serious character of the situation led to the organising of relief measures on a larger scale. Mr. W. S. Rennie, secretary of the Ruapehu Ski Club, and Mr. R. Cobbo, manager of tho Chateau, saw to despatch of nine fresh parties.

Mr. J. Tattersfield led ono party to the Waihohonu Hut and explored the leading ridges on the north side of the mountain.

A party under Mr. Macpherson, conservator of forests at Palmerston North, scoured tho bush country around liauhungatahi Mountain.

News that the party was out on the hills was communicated by telephone to Ohakune, Karioi, Horopito and Waikune, and parties of expert bushmen and prison warders, organised respectively by Mr. T. A. Blyth, of Ohakune, and Mr. Bailey, forest ranger at Karioi, Mr. W. R. Cowern, of Horopito, and Mr. McGrath, superintendent of the Waikune prison farm, explored the southern sides of the mountain.

A flying squad of fast ski runners was despatched to the Whalcapapa Glacier. They will roam the glacier regions and will remain to-night at the Salt Hut. The ski party comprises Mr. I. C. Horton, and Mr. R. D. Horton, of Auckland, and Mr. T. Exley, Mr. J. Wells, and Mr. H. Anderson, of Wellington, members of the Tararua Tramping Club. Women do Splendid Work.

Splendid work was done by the women members of and Alpine Club staying at the Chateau. They volunteered to help the men who were searching and sleeping in relays by carrying stretchers, food, clothing and first-aid equipment to the glacier and the Salt Hut for use in case of emergency. Five girls carrying heavy packs left the Chateau this afternoon.

Mr. Blyth left for the Ohakune Hut at 1 p.m. to-day with three other men. He anticipated that on reaching the hut he would have time for two hours' search before night set in. Parents of the missing men and girls were advised this afternoon and many are expected to arrive by to-morrow morning's express. Mr. Cobbe lias issued instructions to the guests at the Chateau that none will be permitted to leave the hotel until the snowstorm abates, without his permission or that of the directors.

Practically every man in the house is engaged in search work, but as it is extremely exhausting only half the number of men are available at one time in order to allow the other half to snatch a few hours' rest. Tremendous Tension at the Chateau.

The most strenuous tasks are given to men with mountaineering experience and those physically fit, as it is feared that while the mountain remains shrouded with mist and sleet, inexperienced pathfinders may lose their way and add to the anxiety of tho others. Doctors and nurses have arrived from King Country towns. Tremendous tension prevails _ at the Chateau, and many of the alpine clubs' officials have been up all night. _ Mr. Cobbe rose from a sick bed to assist Mr. Rennie and the committee with the organisation of the search, and everyone is feeling the strain most severely. The alpine sports have been abandoned and social amusements at tho Chateau are at a standstill.

MOUNTAIN TRAGEDIES. BLIZZARD ON MOUNT COOK. TOLL OF RUAPEHU SMALL. The worst previous Alpine disaster in New Zealand's history occurred on Mount Cook on January 19, 1930, when five lives were lost. Four women and a guido wero caught in a blizzard between the Malte Brun and Ball Huts on the Tasman Glazier and perished from exposure. The victims were: Miss Doris H. Brown, of Rangiora; Miss* Mary Montheath and Miss Helena Keane, of Ghristchurch; Miss D. Smith, of Epsom, Auckland; and Act-ing-Guide Teddy Blomfield, of Dunedin. Another member of the party, Guide C. Hilgendorf, had remained at the Malta Brun Hut to clear up after the party left. Meanwhile, a thunderstorm and blizzard of great intensity swept down on the party when they were about three or four miles down the glazier. Evidently they did not livo long in the fearful conditions, for when Guide Hilgendorf arrived ho found the bodies in the snow at De La Beche corner, huddled together on the exposed face of the glacier. Prior to that only one fatal accident had occurred in the Hermitage region of the Southern Alps. That was the tragic disaster in which three experienced mountaineers, Mr. S. L. King, of the English Alpine Club, and Guides "Darby" Thompson and "Jock" Richmond, were overwhelmed by an avalanche on February 22, 1914. There have been singularly few fatalities on Ruapehu. In 1913 Mr. W. Dingham lost his life in the Manganui-a-te-ao Stream. While he was descending the mountain he slipped, and, striking his head on a rock, was hurled into a pool. He was dead when he was picked up. In 1915 Mr. E. Pockel died from exposure on the mountain. In May, 1927, Mr. H. A. lioll, principal of the University Coaching College, Auckland, was drowned in attempting to ford the Mangaturuturu or Sulphur Stream at a particularly dangerous part, about miles from the Main Trunk railway. Fatal accidents have been frequent on Mount Egmont, the most-climbed uiountain in New Zealand. Since 1891 1 hero have been 11 accidents involving the loss of 15 lives. Six persons have perished on the upper slopes of Egmont as a result of an uncorrected slip or a false step on the hard ice by one njember of the parties concerned. The worst of those tragedies, which occurred on May 12, 1927, came as a sad ending to the first-term vacation of three masters and a pupil of the Wanganui Collegiate School. The party slipped on the ice at 7000 ft., and two masters, Messrs. F. Latham and N. Baines, were killed. Remarkable heroism was shown by Mr. Arthur 11. Ambury, of New Plymouth, who was killed on Mount Egmont, together with Mr. W. E. Gourlay, on Juno 3, 1918. Mr. Gourlay lost his foothold on the ice immediately above Mr. Ambury. Seeing Mr. Gourlay sliding down on him from above, Mr. Ambury braced himself by driving his alpenstock into the frozen snow and taking a purchase with his feet. The impact broke the alpenstock and the two men slid over 600 ft. beforo boing hurled over two precipices in succession to the west of Humphries Castle. The_ first accident on the ice on Egmont of which record can be found occurred on April 10,. 1898, when two men from Hawera, Messrs. G. R. Beaumont and J. T. McGoocb, lost their lives. It was supposed that Mr. Beaumont had slipped on the ice during the descent, being severely injured on the head, and that Mr. MoGooch, whose body was not injured, had gone to his aid, both men being frozen to death,.