TWO BITTER NIGHTS ON RUAPEHU.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1707, 26 March 1913, Page 7

TWO BITTER NIGHTS ON RUAPEHU.

MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS' PERILS. HUNGER AND.EXPOSURE., A WOMAN'S SENSATIONAL ' STORY. (By Telegraph.—Presa Association.) Auckland, Marcli 20. A party of six were lost 011 Mount Run* palm on Saturday. Two of them, Messrs, M'Jntyro and Willoughby, got to a near township on Sunday, having followed, tho. sulphur streams and milesi of. track. There are .110 tidings of the other four, who are Miss Coclie,.Messrs, Schubert arid Waters (of Auckland), and Bingham (of Olinkune). • Thero was n fresh fall of snow on Sunday night, and tho weather was bitterly cold. ' Scurch parties were out yesterday anfl ; last'.night, ami the search is being coiy tinned to-day. Later. Great relief was felt when . it was known that the Auckland mcmlwrs of tha party lost oh Riiapehu 'were safe.' Miss Coche, a well-known resident, left Auckland on' Thursday, villi tho intention of Climbing the mountain. ' . Messrs. L. Valcrs and Schubert' are residents of Devmiport. They went to Ohnkune 011 ■ Friday to spend a • holiday,' and also intended to climb the mountain,

THE LATEST. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE, A MAN DISAPPEARS OVER A. AVATEK- ■ 1 .;'xvtx. . Taihapc/ March 25. An alpine parly had n terrible expert once on Mount liuapehn., One party left Ohakune on Saturday afternoon, alul spent the night at tho mountain hut in company with',,another party which' they met 'thorp': - The ascent ,to the summit: commenced on Sunday morning, but ono of tho party named Bingham, aged •21,. became ex-hausted,-und could'go 'no further. Miss Marcella Coatcs (H Coolie), ail expert enced alpiuc climber, and 'Messrs. AA'aters, S. Hubert, AVilloughby, and M'lutyro left willi tho object of taking Bingham back: to Iho hut. AVheh tho main party returned it waa found that they had never reached tho hut, and anxiety was felt for their safety, • A search* parly was dispatched. Mint found no trace of tho missing six, Messrs. M'l'ntyro and AVilloughby sub* ssquently found their way along Sulphur Creek, and enmo out safely at Pokolca, slating f lint ,they, left their companions, who intended ,to, go through tho: bush td the hut. . Tlio weather iyas bitterly cold,, and a snow storm hampered tho search party on, Monday, no trace of tlio missing party boing ' found till to-ilaj ; , -when 1 .Messrs. Waters and S. Hubert came out at AVaimarino, about seventeen miles north of Ohalcune! '' , ',

They were badly knocked about, and suffered severely from hunger, fatigue, and exposure. . ' /i'hey loft Miss Coales and, Mr. Bingham yesterday afternoon, tho fornvcr deciding to bl'ay -with Mr. Bingham, who, is u friend, of hers. Miss Coatcs was found later 'under the Makatoo A r iaduct, Having wandered nearly forty miles, walking, and crawling by turns. Slio was found about, twenty miles away from 01iakun<v and is,in ji ,bad | j>tato, suffering, frpm, shock,'hunger,"ixposure,. and bad ivouilds ,on the legs, feet, and hands. Slio is in a delirious stato, and states that alio saw '■Mr. Bingham go'over a waterfall yester- : (lay aflerii'oon, about tlireo o'clock; aud later saw his hat mid coat in .tho'strca-uij, Sh6 remembered, nothing more, arid',can', give no of her experiences. Her story is not fully- credited; ahd search • parties are still looking- for, Mr. Bingham, but tliero is 'little hope for him. All tho spared parties had returned at seven, o'clock in the evening, but'anotherwas sent out to look for the misfing man, Tho condition of Messrs.-Waters find S. IRibcrt is not serious, but; Jliss Coatc? is in a vety bail ivay. , '.- <-.••- i Wanganuij> March 251 ■ Mr. AW N. Bingham, ( who,is ono of thd party that had imohviablc experiences on Mount Kuapohu, was for twelve months' in tho employ of A. Doig, a local chcni- i ist. ,llc passed'liis final exai'niiiiition' re-' cently. Mr. Bhiglihin's mother* i9;awidow, residing -at Daniievirko.