Disaster in a Bush camp

Horowhenua Chronicle, 7 August 1916, Page 2

Disaster in a Bush camp

-UJliiiili JL'lUS£U.\i3 JvXJ..Li!<L>. V'ii .•saiiinl.iy allernoun me coroner lor mis iiialiiet, ALr \T. o. -Nation, held au inquest at the .Uanauau ilotei on the bodies of Jidward Fitzgeraid Bates, aged 15, Jane Bates, his wile, ugedi 11, and the youngest eon, ageu limo years, who met their death on Thursday last at their camp in the -Uaiiakau Gorge, through a huge rata tree falling over the camp ill the forenoon while a gale was blowing. li,'aily in the week there had been a great deal ox rain and the earth was.soft. The gale raged through the bush on 'Jhursday and the party had resolved to , si lift camp that (lay, but suddenly the lull close by *lid down bringing the rata uud smaller trees with is. Just by the side of the camp it heeled over and tin' tangled roots fell squarely on the uniortunate trio as thoy sat by their lire. An older son, Percy, had gone with a bush man, who lived in a lent close by, to buildi a new camp, and this journey fc«vod them from being involved in the. disaster. It was wTtli very great difficulty that the three bodies were brought into iManakau. The country is wild and rough, and the party, after carrying them a quarter of a mile, had to use a pack horse for the next four miles, until an express was available. The bodies presented a pitiful i>pectacie as they lay dead for r!ie inspection of the coroner, crushed and bruised, with each neck broken. 'J.lie lad Percy, who gave evidence, has au older brother, but he had not been lound on Saturday. A sister came lound fioni the other side oi the ranges to .share his grief. Following is the evidence taken at the inquest.— Percy Cecil Bates oaid lie was a stepson ol Kdward Fitzgerald Batcc, whoso uite was liLs mother. lie was ovei Jij years ol age and since -May he liau been working at the -Manawut.il Uorge helping in a bushlelling contract. On lhiusday morning he left his parents to go with Walter Bath to build a new camp, about half a mile away. stepfather had sprained his ankle and remained with his wife and witne.v>' younger brother. About 11.30 lie and Until returned and they noticed that a big rata tree, which stood on t:ie hillside close to their camp, had disappeared. They came quickly to the camp audi found that the tree had come down in a landslide, and just at the camp turned over, its roots ■resting upon the tent and bringing wit'i it a great quantity of earth. 'They called, but there was no response. One dog came out ol the wreckage unhurt. Witness and Bath went off to Dave Liston's camp, a mile away, ami, told him what- had happened. The family had lived in Petone for eight years, and came from there to the. gorge to fall bush. Walter Hath, a bushinan, said he lived with the Uatets family and was working lor 1 kites on wages on a bushlelling contract. <Jn Thursday morning he aud Percy Hates went about D.30 to build a- new camp, and left Bates, senior, hie wife and] younger boy. sitting by the lire. The intended shifting to the new camp that afternoon. At midday they returned for dinner and w ere surprised to find the rata tree on the hill gone, and when they ran to the camp they found; it buried under I the. rata and smaller trees, and several tons of earth and rock. There was no sign of the Bates's and he started out lor assistance, and sent for lAlr Mird, the ovejrseer of tiie contract. Next morning they worked at the rubbish and extricated Bates's bodjy. ihen they found Mrs Bates lying on her side with one arm round her son, as if to protect him. The wind the previous night was boisterous and Mn, Bates was in fear, so much so that she took the boy into her bed. After the bodies were unearthed a pack-horse was procured, and the bodies were brought towards Manukau. I'he country was very rugged and the journey strenuous. Witness said death must have ueen instantaneous. He slept in a tent about six yards away from Bates, and this tent also was destroyed. Davidi Listen, a bush man, corroborated the evidence of the two previous witnesses. He went over to Bates's cump and cut away some blanket a.ndi calicoes and found the upper part of liate s body. Ihe camp was completely covered. The next morning (Friday) sixteen men congregated and u oiked to recover the bodies, winch they did that day. He had known Bates for about tweive rnontliss and Mrs Bates three months. It was because they believed their camp unsafo that they decided to shift. ' 1 ederick Bird said he was overseer of a bush contract for the WaiopehuLevin Land Company, whose headquarters were at Featherson. He resided on the North Manakau road and visited the camps every week to see how the work was going on. Bates had a contract for the company in very rough country. When he (witnessj heard of the fatality he, with some of his neighbours, started for the spot with tools.

The camp was ■completely covered with the rata anu eartu, only tiie cinmuey ut'iug obeerrauic. He came across the body ot -bates, doad. lie tiien weni/ in searen 01 l'ercy JJates, tho elder bon, andi got from hini tho munes of tiie relatives, then sent word to them, the police and the company. Ou I'riua.y he organized a body of men and after the bodies were recovered they were brought to Alanakau. William Groggan, police constable, 3ai<Ji he went Lo Otaii on Wednesday as relieving officer during Constable •SatherlevVs absence. (On Thursday afternoon ho aoceived ia telephone message that a serioue accident had ocourrod at the camp of the Bates family, situate in the Manakau Gorge. i'he next, morning he went as far as ho could with horse and trap, then tramped it over a rough piece of country to the camp. He found a number of m,M clearing away, the debris and tiie three bodies wore found lying face downwards. On examination it was found that the necks of all were broken, oi>o Bates'e back. One arm of bis wife was also broken, and her skull smashed, and the bodies were much bruised. There was no doubt that depth in each case was instaa-.; moons. Tin* men assisting carried the bodi n about quarter a mile—a. toilsome jVniriio.i—then got a pack horse for four tnilen. From thence the bodies wero brought to Manakau in an express, where (be police stripped andi washed them. Tho coroner returned the following verdict: "That flip deceased Edward Fitznrprnld Batoß, Jane Bates (his wife), nml PHwiml-Fitzgemld Bates (his son) met their death accidentally through n trpp falling arrow their enmp at tho .Manaka.ii Gorge on Thursday, August •3rd, 1316."