THE PETRIFIED MAN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3005, 2 March 1926, Page 2

THE PETRIFIED MAN.

Considerable interest .has now been aroused locally (says the Wanganui Herald), over the prospect of bringing out the man fashioned in stone and local residents Avho Avere inclined to ridicule the idea are now carefully approaching neAVspaper men Avith a view to gleaning where the perified man is located and asking a number of Avhat they considor to be discreet questions. “Herald” reporters have been taken into the confidence of a syndicate and all the information available for the public at the present time is that one of the syndicate left to-day to make the preli-. miliary arrangements and the party who will undertake the work of bringing the petrified man to the coast, will set out towards the middle of next Aveek. The result of their enterprise Avill be awaited with interest.

The job cannot be undertaken lightly and one of the main factors towards the success or othinvise of the expedition will be an adequate supply of food, sufficient to last tAvo months, Avhich will have to be packed over rough eo mtrv. There is one redeeming feature about the Joca'ity that there are no deep ravines or rivers to cross with the block of limestone, Avhieb Avill weigh at least four tons.

The man who will lead the expedition stated to a reporter to-day that when he first*’ made the discovery he had a mate with him. They entered the mouth of the cave and in the shadows noticed the h\jman form and both simultaneously exclaimed that there was some person sitting there. In that isolated part they did not expect to see anyone. They called out and there was no answer and at first they came to the conclusion that the rna i was asleep. Closer investigation showed that he had been there for generations, and when tapped with a pocket knife the limestone chinked like Hint. The cave is of the ordinary limestone formation and there were numerous stalactites and stalgamites.