LOST ON EGMONT

Taranaki Daily News, 3 February 1923, Page 5

LOST ON EGMONT

TRACKS-OF MISSING MAN. FOLLOWED TO BELL’S FALLS. BIG SEARCH TO-DAY. Though the man lost on Mount Kgmont —the Rev. Willliam Murray, of Normanby—has not been found, his track* were yesterday traced to Boll’s Falls, where they were lost. The spot, at which he camped on Wednesday night was found, and hero the searchers picked up th? heel of a boot, on which Mr 'Murray’s initials and the date were marked. With these clues the searchers returned to their bases last night, to renew the search at daybreak_ this morning. Mr Murphy left Dawson’s Falls with Constable Anderson on Wednesday at 11 o’clock, skirted the main peak and dropped into the Okahii Gorge. They found tracks leading down tne Gorge tracks connected with Bell’s Falls. They found a camp on Stony River. The sign posts were down and Murray evidently missed the track to Tahurangi and turned up the left branch of the Stony River, a most impassable route at the head. The searcher* lost the tracks in driving rain at 'the foot of the turtle. There wa* a very bad storm, and the party had great rtifficulty in returning over the summit 'to Dawson Falls. Six parties were searching the moun.tain side from different ppiqts yesterday. Reports received from Dawson’s Falls and North Egmont houses last night show that .the. most successful searchers were Messrs Upson and Lovell, who were operating from the North Egmont house. Their, first ciue was the discovery of the place, where the missing man had Wednesday night, and it was here tljat the heel of the boot Was found, :it being marked: “W.M., Jan. 31.” The man’s tracks were quite distinct here, and the search, ers wore able to fedtow them to Bell’s Falls, where the footprints were lost. This new* was conveyed to the searchers from Dawson’s Falls, and' at nightfall it was decided to work in this locality to-day. fin the meantime, a party from Rohotu. under Constable Ryan, the Stony River towards Bell’s Falls, and thqv reported tlur discovery of footprint*- on the side of the river. To-day three parties will search. One. under Mr Murphy, will proceed to Boll’s Falls and work down the Stony River; and the third party will junction with the opier two. ,A plan Jia's been agreed on. by which it. is hoped to cover the neighbourhood where the last track*, of Mr Murray wore found. . Air Murray is sixty years of ago, and is a married man, with his wife and an invalid (laughter Jiving at Normanby, and a son living at Manakau. He i* a medium-sifeed man, of sMlwart build, and is known for his determined temperament.