FORCED DOWN BY STORM.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 17 June 1924, Page 7

FORCED DOWN BY STORM.

Failure of Everest Expedition. STORY OF THRILLING adventure. By Cable —Press Association —Copyrigm.. LONDON, June 15. Advices from the Everest Expedition dated May 35, snow iliai the advance again has been temporarily defeated, at ter ascending to Camp r out, north of the Col. me expedition is now recuperating at the ease camp and Camp Tivu" beiorc making a iresu attempt. Only for superhuman efforts some members of the party and a number of porters would nave lost their lives. Conditions at Camp Four, at a height of 23,000 feet, were found to be most dangerous. It was decided to evacuate it. While Mr Maard was shepherding the porters down a treacherous descent, four lost their nerve and returned to camp. Their only iood was a sack of meal. Others reached Camp Three. Snow was falling heavily, and the cold was extreme, with fifty degrees of frost. It was realised that unless the marooned porters wer3 quickly rescued their doom would be sealed. The next morning, Messrs Mallory, Norton and Somervell started on the" dangerous ascent and managed, after tremendous efforts, to reach the porters and bring them safely to Camp Three, at an altitude of 21,000 feet. They were terribly exhausted and almost frozen. Snow fell continuously for 26 hours with 56 degrees of frost, the lowest temperature experienced on any Everest expedition. Sleep was impossible, not only due to the extreme cold, but to prolonged fits of coughing. There was no sign of improvement, but many indications of the monsoon breaking. Consequently, on May 24, the main party retreated to the base camp, a smaller party remaining, at Camp Two.