EVEREST EXPEDITION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16787, 17 July 1922, Page 7

EVEREST EXPEDITION.

GRAPHIC TALE OF TRAGEDY. SEVEN PORTERS SWEPT AWAY. •‘MOUNTAIN A TERRIBLE ENEMY." By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright “ The Times ” Service. LONDON. July 15. Genera! Bruce, leader of the Mount Everest expedition, in a despatch from Rongbuk Glacier base camp, gives a graphic story of the terrible experience ending in a tragedy by which seven porters lost their lives. It was decided that a final attempt on Everest should be made on June 7 as a monsoon was approaching and little time was left. Strutt, Londstaffe, and Morshead had been obliged to return to Darjeeling. Mr Norton am! General Bruce himself were forced for reasons of health to go to a lower altitude. However, six Englishmen were available and these were organised so as to evacuate the camps in conjunction with the climb. Mr Mallory, Dr Somervell and Captain Finch, with Wakefield, Crawford and Norris as assistants, left the - main base camp in threatening weather. It snowed for thirty-six hours and they were compelled to return to the base camp on June 7, being confident that the slopes leading to North Col were in a trustworthy condition. It was decided to evacuate Col and have a further try at the mountain. Mallory, Somervell and Crawford joined to assist in th*» step-cutting and path-making to North Col, hoping to relieve the others for greater exertions later. They were followed hv fourteen coolies roped together and laden with food and oxygen plant which was intended for use iti the later stages! The lower slopes of North Col were '-firm, hut half way up the snow began' to slide. Those on the leading rope load slipped, and Mallory, Somervell, Crawford and one porter were carried down. After sliding a hundred and fifty feet by the greatest luck the slide was chocVked and all extricated unharmed. Looking round for the rest of the caravan they saw men oil the snow below. They climbed down and found the second rope. The porters had stopped on the edge of an ice cljff sixty feet deep with a great crevasse at the foot. The other two rope loads had been swept over the sliff into the crevasse. They were able to rescue three men, but the remainder were buried in the deep with an avalanche of snow on top of them all. The hands worked for hours, but were obliged to relinquish their efforts after recovering all but one. The six who were recovered were all dead. General Bruce adds: ‘‘ln this tragic manner ends the first attempt to conquer the greatest mountain in the world. From the experience gained this year there is no reason to believe that a future effort will fail. Th ? weather has broken. Where we once walked on dry ice are now torrents of water. We were lucky in completing the evacuation of the camps as we did. Mount Everest is a terrible enemy, and the chances against those attacking are of the greatest. The mountain visits the smallest error of judgment with terrible punishment.”