ALPINE TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 21 January 1930, Page 6

ALPINE TRAGEDY

FOUR GIRLS AND GUIDE LOSE LIVES. BODIES FOUND ON TASMAN GLACIER

LOST AT AIT. COOK. on the glacier. [By Telegraph, Per Press Association.! TI MARE, Tan. 20. A tragedy is reported from Alt. Cook Hermitage. A party of mountaineers ' has been lost on 'a glacier. Details are meagre as yet. The names of the dead are: MISS HELEN KEANE, aged 24, 239 Selwyn Sereeit, Christchurch. brown, daughter of the late Air Herbert - ... anyl Airs, Browm, Alonfit •”* ' ’ Thomas .R/angiorh, \\f ■ V'. ; AIISS. -AIARA T , 7 AIONTEAT’H, ,a gp d 20, daughter or Air J. Alonteath, | Poynder Avenue,. Eendalton. _ . r -'ilJSS''ii, SAUTJT/dfLAuckiandi-' A:: : f GyiM a E. .XFeddyT. ;J '* aged 20, a Duhedm student, who - ■- spends his vacations acting as a guide at Alount Cook.. Reports from the Alount Cook Alotor .Company state that the party of five ! left the Alalte Bran Hut yesterday morning at about 10 o’clock in good weather! to make the journey to tne [Hermitage. Guide Hilgendorf, who is la student at College House, ChristIphurch, and a well-known climber, reipiaihed in the hut to clear up after■ [the party left. ! y . ■ About three or .four, miles, dpwn the glacier, the thunderstorm., and the [blizzard swooped down on them, fear- ! sortie in their intensity. -Evidently-the party did not live long ,in ;the-fearful j'conditions, for when. Guide. Hilgendorf .came down following them, he found their bodies in the’ .snow at do la Bache [Corner. They were all dead when he i reaphed them, huddled together on the exposed., face of-the 'glacier. ' - It was Guide Hilgendorf's second attempt- to catch up ou the party, for he had barely left the hut when the blizzard came down, and lie was driven back to take shelter. As soon as the worst of the storm "• \vfts- ; ’ o ver' Hilgeridorf 5 set vout : again After the -bodies he.pushed, on ftfith all, speed, To -the Ball 'Hrtt/' wlnch;is'2o rtiiles from the Hermitage,. .for. ‘help. "

Giving further details, a Association jnessagp from Timaru'says.’:

: When he reached the Ball Hutt Hilgendorf w-as “all in,” hut was able ljeivs" bf -Hibytragedy,.}' Hq !:%as cortyeyed ito-'the Mere mitage, and a rescue party was dispatched from there to the Ball Hut, hut ft wal Pot-possible l -to recover the bodies last evening, on account of the terrible weather.

' This morning there was practically no improvement in the weather. The tragedy has caused widespread regret, and it was the one topic of conversation in Timaru to-day.

To-day the whole of Mount Cook staff and 30 unemployed men working on tne Ball ITutt Board are out searching for the bodies. The blizzard must have lasted a short time only, for when Guide Hilgendorf left the hut conditions were excellent. Had the party got off the' track at all, probably the bodies would never have been found.

The storm was the worst that has eve.r been experienced at Mount Cook, and the fatality is the worst since 19.14. when Mr Sidney King, of the --English Alpine Club, and Guides jftielimond and Thompson, were overwhelmed by an. avalanche. The weather is still very had at Mount Cbok, with heavy rain and wind. It was line in the morning yesterday, but at about midday the nor’-west storm struck the district, .with = thunder and lightning and a blizzard, .

There was a severe electrical disturbance and wind storm over the whole of the Southern Alps yesterday, and at Arthur’s'Pass; six inches of rain fell in six hours. People but near the Waimakariri yesterday could see forked lightning flickering in the mountains.

Miss Keane was spending the last day of her fortnight’s holiday at the Hermitage. She was employed on the staff of Mr W. Williamson, the wellknown Christchurch builder and contractor.- She is a daughter of Mrs I. Keane. ;

... Miss Brown was a. niece of Mr Guy Mannerjng, one of the best-known of New Zealand alpinists. Her . uncle played a. big part in the development ;of the .Mount Cook area, and his preliminary. work enabled the peak to he climbed. Miss Brown’s body will be brought hack .to Rnngiora for burial. -

- Miss Monteath was a well-known amteur,. pianist in Christchurch, and was a member of the iEolian Club. LATER,

The latest news from the Hermitage,’, received at 11.30 o’clock' tonight is to the effect that an effort was made during the day to recover bodies, hut the weather made it im- ' possible ’to teach the scene of the tragedy. L it is'understood that a relief party ..wijl be organised to-morrow morning. "The weather in the district is still bad, and violent storms are raging. The tragedy occurred as the- -party were' making their way down the centre of tile glacier. The most diffirc)ilt part of the journey had already fUpen' traversed.

Guide Hilgendorf advances the theory that the party was-struck by lightning. ‘' ■ ’ ; Considerable difficulty is being experienced by motorists in endeavouring to reach the Hermitage from Timaru, as heavy rain has made some partys of the route almost impassable many cars being held up in mountain regions. “