The Avalanche in the Kyeburn Ranges.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6145, 18 August 1891, Page 2

The Avalanche in the Kyeburn Ranges.

*- . • It is reported that a movement is on foot to erect a suitable monument in the Kyeburn cemetery in commemoration of tho victims of the recent casualty at Kyeburn. The Mount Ida Chronicle says with reference to the avaianche which caused the death of A. P. Beer, Robert Blancharcl, and Jas. Meiklo, that it descended with out the slightest; warning, and tho remaining members of tho party were horrified to see their three companions who were leading swept oufc of sight in a momonfc. Two others of the partyMessrs T. Blanchard and 0. Archer— very narrownly escaped a similar fate, being drawn back just in time by Mr H. Smith. Nearly the whole side of the mountain appeared to move, and the avalancho swepfc with terrible velocity into the gully, a distance of aboufc 4Coyds, then along the bod of the creek, over two waterfalls, the latter being a precipitous cliff of about fifty feet in depth, and finally bocame wedged in between the two banks of the creek. The rest of the party wero almost stupefied- for. a time, bufc quickly recovering themselves, they hastily made thoir way down to the creek, bufc failed to find sny trace whatever of their ill-fated comrades, with the exceptidn of a cap belonging to James Meikle. Regarding the recovery of the body of Thomas Moikle, our contemporary reports thab tho search party when they were about a mile and a half on the Tokorahi side of the rango, espied a number of dogs down a gully, and, hurrying down, they found the body of the poor little follow, partly protected by a rock. He was lying on' his back with his cap over his face, and had evidently passed away iu his sleep. Three or four dogs - were with him, and one was only removed with difficulty. The other dogs at once soamperBd away, following the party afc a distance of aboub half a mile, bub this one remained close to fche body of his young master, and acted in such a way as feo make it apparent that he fully understood what had happened.