MILFOHD TRACK MYSTERY

Hokitika Guardian, 9 February 1920, Page 3

MILFOHD TRACK MYSTERY

NO TRACE OF MISS REID. THE TURNER SEARCH. DIFFICULT AND ARDUOUS WORK. (Dunedin Star). With the return of Mr S. Turner’s purty from the search for Miss Reid who disappeared on the overland track to Milford on January 13,, all hope of present 'Solution of the mystery shrouding her fate must be abandoned. Mr Turner, Guide Cowling, and party including Constables Dunford (South Dunedin) and Hamilton (Centrial Station) have .'explored, the difficult terrain most exhaustively, the two expert' climbers even searching negotiable ledges of the precipices on. both sides of the pass.' No cine was I

found and it must be left to time and chance to solve the enigma, or to add it to the long list of unex-, pounded alpine tragedies. Two .points are cleared by Mr Turner’s narrative, which lias now reached the Superintendent of Police. His report dissipates any suggestion that the

first scare-ties were either dilatory or perfunctory, and explodes also an idea that had some currency—that the un. fortnnalte lady acted in a head-strong fashion, . and literally ran upon her fate. Mr Turner writes: The search for Miss Reid has been very thorough, and was very promptly undertaken. Within 20 minutes of the time she was missed two men went out after her with a. lantern, and continued their quest in the teeth of 'a -snowstorm. On the following day nine men searched every possible places several times over. Tin’s search went on for days, and wa,s’ only 'abandoned when it became apparent that all hope of finding Miss Reid alive was futile* •- Again, as to Miss Reid being, alone, lie writes: • On careful investigation, I find it is certain that Miss Reid acted quite reasonably at’ the time she went to cross the pass, and her two lady companions turned back. She naturally went on, and was not ,in any way headstrong. But where she got to will ever ibe a mystery, for the country is so vast that it makes search unsatisfactory, if not futile, beond the precipices and the country immediately in the vicinity of the track.

The origin of this last search by a picked band of men may lie briefly recalled. Mr S. Turner, who is a resident of Wellington, and one of the mostnoted of New Zealand alpine climbers voluntarily undertook to head an expedition* and was given the assistance of Guide Cowling of the Mount Cook Hermitage (who likewise undertook the duty as a labor of sympathy for the relatives), the Dunedin constables mentioned (who Mr Turner testifies, proved splendid men in every way), Constable Henderson of Lumsden (another able and trained man, and Mr J. M’Go. van, of Te Anau. 'At the outset the party made a search of the precipices. While Guide Cowling led the rest of the men along the bottom, Mr Turner climbed up the face to the very summit and then traversed right and left along tlie face, searching every ledge where a falling body might -be caught. Later three of the party investigated( <rtho upper lodges while the leader climbed down the face again nearly to the bush line, and worked his way across to the foot of Hip precipices of Mount Balloon, nvhie.h 'Constable Henderson thought should be searched. Mr Turner spent four hours on the. face of each of these .precipices, whose sheerness and depth are to be seen from the Pompoiona hut, and in the meantime the other members scoured the pass. Their final rendezvous on this side of the pass was

the big tarn at the top. All the other tarns had been raked, but this i s 30ft deep and under some suspicion of being tlie authentic scene of the tragedy, more especially as there had been snow on the pass and probably ice on the tarn at the time of Miss Reid’s disappearance. “Wo had no way of dragging it,” Mr Turner records, “but by swimming out to filie dfcepest part, and diving several times from different ledges I was able nearly to touch the bottom and to settle once for all that much-suspected place.” Finally the party went down to the Quinton hut, and while Cowling and Turner climbed the ledges under the face of the hare precipices the other three men made a bold atempt to traverse the difficult country under the precipices, which is thick with boulders of all sizes ,nnd covered with high ferns and scrub which make it- an almost impossible terrain for accurate search. “There is only one place on the precipitous face of the Quinton

side which was not climbed,” says Mr Turner. ‘1 would like to be in as good climbing condition as possible before attempting that, and have decided to do' this on my return from Mount Tutoko, (tlie ascent of which he deferred to participate in this search). It is now only reasonable to abandon all hope of finding Miss Reid, for the best organised search ever undertaken, in my know- j ledge, has failed, and it must remain a mystery.” * SOME IMMEDIATE NECESSITIES. Mr Turner advises that it is important the telegraph wire he found down should be restored, and that the Tourist Department should erect a hut on the top of M’Kinnon’s Pass, so that tourists caught in a bad storm may find shelter for the night if unable to get on. He expresses surprise that more fatalities have not occurred crossing the pass, and recommends travellers to watch wai ily for falling stones. He also censures the practice indulged! in by some of attempting to show off their prowess by rushing away from their companions. With regard to Miss Reid, lie reiterates that her two companions turned back, sufficiently accounting for her proceed, ing alone'; but be records that on the 27th January he saw a frail-looking lady crossing alone. Mr Turner suggests that, now tlie war is over, better accommodation should be provided for tourists all along the route and that more substantial signposts and a few railings on the pass should he erected. ITo also expresses the hope that tlie services of the guides and helpers who prosecuted the hist search for eight days in bad snow-storm weather will bo suitably recognised.