LOST ON MT. RUAPEHU.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 66, 26 March 1913, Page 5

LOST ON MT. RUAPEHU.

YOUNG MAN MISSING.

PARTY’S TRYING EXPERIENCE

(Per Press Association.) Taihape, March 25

An alpine party had a terrible experience on Mount Ruapehu. One party left Ohakune on Saturday afuciiioou, and spent the night in the mountain hut in company with another party which they met there.

The ascent to the summit was commenced on Sunday morning; but one of the party named Bingham, aged 21, became exhausted, and could go no further. Miss Marcella Coates, an experienced alpine climber, and Messrs Waters, S. Hubert, Willoughby and Mclntyre, left with the object of taking Bingham back to tire hut. When the main party returned it was found that they had never readied the hut, and anxiety was reit for their safety. A search party was despatched, but found no trace of the missing six. Mclntyre and Willoughby found their way along Sulphur Creek, and came out safely at Pokoka, stating that they had left their companions who intended to go through the bush to the hut.

The weather was bitterly cold, and a snowstorm hampered the search party on Monday, no trace of the missing party being found till to-day, when Waters and S. Hubert came out at Waimarino, about seventeen miles north of Ohakune. They were badly knocked about, and suffered severely from hunder, fatigue and exposure. They left Miss Coates and Bingham yesterday afternoon, the former deciding to stay with Bingham, who is a friend of hers.

LADY CLIMBER HAS A BAD TIME

Miss Coats was found later under the Makatote viaduct, having wandered nearly forty miles, walking and crawling by turns. She was found about twenty miles from Ohakune, and is in a bad state, suffering from shock, hunger and exposure, and bad wounds on her legs, feet and hands. She is in a delirious condition, and states that she saw Bingham go over a waterfall yesterday afternoon about 3 o’clock, and later saw his hat and coat in the stream. She remembered notiiing more, and can give no lucid account of her experiences. Her story is not fully credited, and search parties are still looking for Bingham, but there is little hope for him. \\ All the search parties had returned at 7 o’clock this evening, but another was sent out. to look fort the missing man. ' a;.. I; i; ? ’A , j? i , The ’condition ;Of Waters and H. Hubert ismot Jmt Miss Coates is in a very bad vWy;| !,ii <

THE'MISSING MAN

„ T UJi X ,1 f X I Wanganui, March 20.

W. N. Bingham, who is one of the missing party that had unenviable experiences on Mt. Ruapehu, was’ for twelve months in the Employ of. ADoing (a local chemist). Recently he passed his final examination. Bingham’s mother is a widow resid’ng at Dannevirke.