THE MISSING TRAMPERS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3632, 30 April 1927, Page 4

THE MISSING TRAMPERS

A STORY OF ENDURANCE. ✓ The safe return of the two young men, Roy Diedrieh and Desmond Scanlon reported briefly in our last issue, was welcome news throughout this province. Beyond appearing a little wan and tired, they seemed to he remarkably well and strong. The prolonged absence .of the two men, how they rationed out their food, the dispatching of search parties, and the extreme hardships they have undergone in going through flooded rivers and bush, the accident to one of the searchers, all go to the making of a story of intense interest. THEY RELATE THEIR EXPERIENCES. Interviewed on their return they said that last Thursday fortnight they slept for the night on a truck at the Levin railway siding. They set out on their long tramp the following morning, but before doing so spent some time gathering mush-' rooms, which formed their Good Friday’s breakfast. The Ohau River was followed up for a good distance, the night being spent about halfway up Adkin’s track on Deception Ridge. “Good Friday and Saturday,” they said, “were both beautifully line days. On Saturday we set out in continuance of our journey about 5 a.m., and found ourselves at Avalanche Clearing about an hour latex-, although then we did not realise where we were. We remained the day at the Clearing and camped there that night. FOUND TRACK BY FLUKE. “By more or less of a fluke,” and with the aid of 'an electric torch and the bright moonlight,” they said, “we found the track at an early hour on Sunday morning, and going up this got to the top of Mount Dundas at 11 o’clock.” Although it was still fine on Sunday afternoon a biting wind was blowing and out to the west they could see threatening black rainbearing clouds banking up and that a storm was approaching. “We headed immediately,” they went on to say, “straight south for the Pinnacles —three_miles south of Mount Dundas, but about 2 p.m. were overtaken by mist. We then went down Waingawa River on the western side, but found it impassable and too risky to go down. Returning to the main ridge we hopped over to the windward side of the Pinnacles and sought protection under a small knoll, while a misty rain then commenced to fall.” A WET, STORMY NIGHT. They slept under the knoll on Sunday night —a wet, stormy night —and also camped there on Easter Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The latter day rain poured in torrents and they decided to shift their camp slightly forward to avoid the mud, caused by the continual rain. Instead of this, however, the weather gave prospects of improving, despite the mist, and they started for Dundas. ON THE WRONG RIDGE. “Apparently,” they said, “we got on to the wrong ridge, and as soon as we discovered this made our camp under a boulder on the edge .of the ridge. Here we camped on Thursday night, Friday, and Saturday. On Sunday there was*a slight break in the weather, and we made another start, but the improvement was not for long, and we had to camp the Sunday night under the boulder, where Monday was .also spent. Tuesday morning we made a further attempt to start off again, but were thrust back by lhe weather. Later in the day it cleared a little to the west, however, and we saw the upper sources of the Mangahao, although we did not realise it was Mangahao at the time, for had we done so we could have been out by following it down. We walked down the ridge, however, and struck the Mangahao River just past Girdlestone’s old track, and made our way back to Avalanche Clearing.” PROVISIONS LEFT BY SEARCHERS. At the clearing they found muchneeded provisions, for which, they said, they were exceedingly thankful. They also found a note from the Mangahao search party stating that the party had searched north and south of the clearing and had gone to the bjishline, bxxt were unable to ascend Dundas on account of mist. The note was in a cigarette tin tied to a stick with a red coloured tape and gave directions where they would find provisions buried. They camped at the clearing Tuesday night, a very, very cold one indeed. On Wednesday they got on to the track on the top of the Tararuas and were much helped by a recently blazed trail, apparently blazed by search parties. They also followed footprints, presumably those of searchers, and came on to the trail that went back to the Ohau Forks. Here they found further provisions and a note stating that Messrs Fife, Smith and Hines with party had returned at noon on the previous Monday and that they had seen no signs of tho missing trampers. The note also added that Messrs Mclntosh, Butcher and Hart would follow that day. “We camped on Wednesday night at the Forks, they said, “and followed the Ohau River down this morning, arriving in Levin about 2 p.m.” When just below the Pipe Bridge, i nearing Levin, they met' a Mr. Gimblell, who drove them in his cart as far as Mr. J. Varnham’s residence. Both lads stated that they could not speak too highly of the

hospitality extended to them by both Mr land All's VaVnhan* at)'whose house they arrived about 3 o'clock. Mrs. Varnham had gone to great trouble and pains to prepare for them what Diedrieh described as a “great meal,” while tho bathroom, with an ample supply of hot water, had been placed at their disposal. NOT LOST AT ALL. “The weather,” they said, “after the first two days out was had, till Tuesday of this week, when it cleared considerably. We knew our bearings throughout, but were afraid to move in case we should get lost. Rationing was commenced on Easter Monday, and this conservation of our food supplies carried us over till Anzac Day, although the last couple of days all we had to eat was an onion. We had ten raw potatoes left, but our matches were wet and we could not do anything with them.” They were getting anxious on Anzac Day, and realised that the position was serious, and that they would have to shift on Tuesday whatever happened. The muchneeded and very welcome supplies first found at Avalanche Clearing, carried them through, and, in fact, they reburied a portion of-the provisions in case they were needed by search' parties. “The notes,” said the lads, “bucked us up wonderfully, and neither of us feel any ill effects of our fortnight in the open. Our blankets were saturated, and we were wet through from Easter Sunday until we obtained a change yesterday. -Anzac Day was a bad day, heavy snow falling in the ranges. At times we had to drink water from holes in the ground made by the hoof of deer. litquently we could not see a yard ahead of us on account of the driving sleet and mist, but we both feef as fit as fiddles, and arc going to play football to-morrow.