ALPINE DISASTER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1080, 27 March 1913, Page 3

ALPINE DISASTER.

DOST ON MOUNT RUAPEHU

TaihapE, Tuesday

An alpine party’ bad a terrible experience on Mount Ruapehu. One of the party left Ohakune on Saturday afternoon, and spent the night in the mountain hut in company with other members of the party, who had met there. The ascent to the summit commenced on Sunday morning, but one of the party named Bingham, aged 21, became exhausted and could go no further. Miss Marcella Coates (an experienced alpine climber) and Messrs Watson, S. Hubert, Willoughby and Mclntyre left with the object of taking Bingham back to the hut. When me main party returned, it was found that they had not reached the hut. Anxiety being felt for their safety, a search party was dispatched, but found no trace of the missing six. Mclntyre and Willoughby subsequently found their way along Sulphur creek and came out safely at Pokoka, stating that they left their companions, who intended to go through the bush to the hut. The weather was bitterly cold, and a snow-storm hampered the search party on Monday, no trace of the missing party being found till to-day, when Waters and S. Hubert came out at Waimarino, about 17 miles north of Ohakune. They were badly knocked about, and suffered severely from hunger, fatigue and exposure. They left Miss Coates and Biugham yesterday afternoon, the former deciding to stay with Biugham, who is a friend of hers. Miss Coates was found later under the Makatoke Viaduct, having wandered nearly 40 miles, walking and crawling by turns. She was found about twenty miles away from Ohakune, aud is in a bad state, suffering from shock, hunger, exposure aud bad wounds ou the legs, feet and hands.

She is in a delirious condition, and states that she saw Bingham go over a waterfall yesterday afternoon, about 3 o’clock, and later saw his hat and coat in the stream.

She remembered nothing more, and can give no lucid account of her experiences. Her story is not fully credited, and search parties are still looking for Bingham; but there is little hope for him. All the search parties had returned at 7 o’clock this evening, but another was sent out to look for the missing man. The condition of Waters and S. Hubert is not serious, but Miss Coates is in a very bad way. Wanganui, March 25,

Mr W. N. Bingham, who is one of the missing party that had such unenviable experiences on Mount Ruapehu, was for twelve months in the employ of Mr A. Doig, a local chemist. He passed his final examination recently. Bingham’s mother is a widow, residing at Dannevirke. Later. Miss Coates is improving and is well on the road to recovery, but it will be some time before she will be able to get about again owing to the injuries to her feel and legs, which are very badly swollen.

All hopes of finding Bingham alive have been abandoned. One search party returned from the mountain this evening, but they report no trace of him. The party searching along the stream where Miss Coates says she last saw Bingham has not yet returned.