EIGHT DAYS OUT

Wairarapa Age, 23 April 1927, Page 5

EIGHT DAYS OUT

NO SIGN OF MISSING YOUTHS 1: L PIGEONS TO CABBY NEWS. i PARTIES REACH LIKELY COUNTRY. Information relayed back to Masterton yesterday from the parties who are searching for Boy Deiderich and Desmond Scanlon, who are eight days out on the Tarama Range between Levin and Masterton, indicates that the searchers are now actively beating the country in which it is hoped that the missing youths will be found. Mr. R. J. Barton, who returned from the Mitre Ridge last evening, stated r that Messrs. Brockett, Thomson, Slater, | Beals and Welch, comprising the iigh country party, made a successful crc-ss-of the flooded Waingawa at Mitre Flats at daybreak yesterday and by mid-day were on the summit. They Were to camp last night below the bush line on the western side of Mitre. This party is now in a position to explore .the creeks and gullies where it is thought the men will be found. They will push on to Mount Dundas to-day, and if not back at Mitre Flats by midday on Monday, they intend to make Eketahuna via Mount Ruapai. weather on the range and ridges has been wet, cold and windy, but below the bushline, good shelter can be obtained in a warmer atmosphere, so if any accident has Overtaken the party it is almost certain that they will be found in country of this nature. Two additional parties have commenced the search. One, at the suggestion of Mr. F. W. Vosseler, is ■couring the headwaters of the Ruamaimnga or. the northern extremity of Blue Ridge. The other is exploring the gullies at the headwaters of the Waiagawa. which is below the Mitre. A party in charge cf Mr. G. Selby will leave town at 6 o’clock this morning to pack 'f#od from Blake’s Hut to the Mitre eamp. It was decided last night to despatch • party for the summit of the Mitre ,(5154 feet) where a number of pigeons lofts of Messrs. Preston and will he located. In the event *>f any trace being found of the trampers, a bird will be liberated with the message, which will be passed on freyn the owner of the loft to the police. Mr. D. F. Hujin will be in charge of this icamp, which will also be used as a food depot for the high country party. This will obviate the loss of time in coming down for food off the range to the main tamp at the Mitre Flats and also the xisk of the river rising nnd cutting the party off from their snpplementarv sunplies.

Mr. Barton, who has had long experience iu the ranges, was hopeful last evening that something would be found to-day as the parties are organised 'a such a manner that there is no overlapping of territory, while thev are rd] concentrating on the basin between the and the west eoast, where ex-*perien-ed trampers consider the men will found. The eamps are described as being in ffrst-class order, the feeding of the men good and the health of the parties excellent. As no newspapers are being published »u Monday (Anzac Dav) it has been arranged to post up official news from the searchers on "The Age” building. SEARCH PARTY FUND.

The following donations to the peairh Party Fund are acknowledged Previously acknowledged . . £ 5. d. 6 6 0 Miss Morrison 1 0 0 Miss K. Morrison 1 0 0 Mr. (X A. Bunnv 1 0 0 Mr. L. S. Nicol 10 0 Mr. Drummond 10 0 Mr. A. J. Cooper 10 0 Anonymous 10 0 Anonvmous .. 10 0 Mr. and Mrs. S. Fletcher .. 6 0 P. A. W 5 0 —— ——__