PARTY PROM MARUIA

Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1929, Page 6

PARTY PROM MARUIA

A party of throe, a mail, a youth and a boy of twelve, got through to here from the top of the Maruia district last night, after '.being ten hours on the road. They were H. M’Loariian, J. Jlloeksage and Stanley leacock. They were able to follow the road for a mile or two, and then met a big slip. Having cut a track lotthree chains over the top ot it, the\ followed the road tor another two miles, but had to take to the hush, as the road' is under water through the dam in the Maruia -River, the dam going for about four miles up from Peacock’s bridge. They describe the slip as enormous, 'they are the first in get through. They left the remainder of the residents of Maiuiu in a bush hut, as the older peopie in the party were in need of rest. Pushing on, the trio left the road and came through a bush track known as Doughboj. Here mud had been pushed up lroni a subterranean souice and the air was strongly impregnated with sulphur. The party walked fourteen miles in the day and covered very rough country. BOY’S COOLNESS. -The boy Peacock stood the journey splendidly, refusing to give in to fatigue. This hoy was riding r. horse, being on his way to milk a 1 ‘ighbour’s cows, when Monday’s sin k came. He had gone' hall a mil. when in front of him the road slippo into the river. He tried to return, hut the whole hillside behind him had como down. Leaving Hie horse, ho took to the hush, and came out near O’Brien’s place, which is now under water, whistling the latest jazz. song. People who saw the incident say that the lad was as calm as if he had just come out of school. Yesterday the horse was still in the same spot, and residents were unable to get to it, as the piece of road on which it stands is completely isolated.