MISSING LADS

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1929, Page 3

MISSING LADS

CHRTSTCHI R ( 'T-T SEARCHEPS

RETURN

NO TRACE

CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 24

Tin* four members of the Canlerburv Mountaineering and Tnimning Club Messrs f. Tucker, D. Dodds, G. Deb ’dgo and B. Wvn Trwin, who assisted in the search for the youths Park and Mornoth. returned to Christchurch on Tuesday night.

"From the time we left the goodtrain at the Bealov siding till our nr rival at Kokntabi on Monday af(pr noon," said Mr M vn Trwin, in an in terviow, “we travelled over si studies without meeting other searcher or finding any trace of (he missin lads. This route taken was in an eo rd a nee with tlie desires of those or ganising the search from Lake Cole ridge, and led un flic Wnimakariri tthe Carrington Tint, where we stayed the night. E’u-lv next morning w crossed wit It difficulty the fioode' White River and ascended the gorgof the TaipeiU to Herman's Pass, 450 ''ept high, the avalanche ice in tin valley necessitatin'’- step-cutting. TN THICK FOG. “Tn thick foe wo trn'-erred the slope above one of the sources of the Tn : ooiti River to the snowfiolds loadin' up to Whitehorn’s Pass, 61 (X) feet Descending to the Cronin Valley, Ip glissading, we scrambled along tin riverbed to the gorge, where Messr Heinz and Ellery bad camped at Christ mas. obviously tlie last versons t r traverse this route. Half-way dowi the Cronin we noticed some suspicious objects, but on closer inspection they proved to be curious shaped roe’-s.

“Tlie difficulty of access to this valley by a very imperfect deer track through the scrub alongside tlie gnrse renders it improbable that the lads would have turned un here from the Wilberforce. At the Bivouac Rock, at the foot of Browning’s Pass, we found tlie names and traces of tlie searchers from Glenthorne. From there on tbp track and surroundings led been «o <vo]| searched that we decided to make all haste to Kokn.tahi.

PROBABLE SCENE OF TRAGEDY. "There is no doubt that, had the lads reached the summit of the Browning Pass in a fog sik-Ii as wo experienced thev could ensile have lost the line of the cairns and wandered on the slopes to the wo«t. but it is mmo Umn likelv. as is the general opinion of the West Coast soarclmrs. that the lads never reached even the Pyramids Hut. and that the TTarman River, a large tributary of tlie Arahura. was the scone of the tragedy. “This river, running swiftly in a steep gorge, is forded with comparative safety by jumping from boulder to'boulder when low, but in fb - od. a« oil Sunday morning, when we crossed it. the water sweeps over all the recks ana is up to one's waist in the safest parts. If the lads reached here with heavy packs at the end of a- vet- dnt . after struggling through the scrub that overcrows the track, it is not improbable that they overbalanced and were swept down the raging torrent. “Ycsto’-dny an attempt was to be made to drag the deep pools below tlie ford down to the junction with the Arahura. Just below the Harman is another dangerous snot where a waterfall plunges across the track. Searchers have followed this stream down to the Arahura River without result. “Tn heavy rain we tramped over the Styx Saddle to tlie new but at Grassy Elat, where it is believed the lads rested for a day. Next day wo proceeded down the track to Kokalahi and learned that tlie West Coast searchers had just preceded us. “No hope is now entertained of finding the lads alive.” Mr Wvn Irwin and his companions found that, the West Coast people were united almost as one man in their willingness to do anything possible to further ihe search. They spoke appreciatively of Messrs Cropp. Morel. Ecodesfiold and Constable Drummond as deserving of special praise in the search. They themselves were received at the Red Lion Hotel as the guests of the proprietor (Mr Mclntosh), wdto would also have paid their fares back to Canterbury if it had been necessary. They found That the proverbial hospitality of the West Coast was not at all over-rated.