LOST IN BLIZZARD

Rotorua Morning Post, 31 August 1931, Page 3

LOST IN BLIZZARD

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY FEARED AT RUAPEHU.

' FOURTEEN TRAMPERS LOST IN ' . STORM ON MOUNTAIN. SEARCHERS RETURN WITHOUT NEWS.

One of the most terrible alp ine tragedies in New Zealand's history is feared at Tongariro National Park, where a party of 14 students of Auckland University College, who left the Chateau at 6 o'clock on Saturday morning to make an a^cent of Mt. Ruapehu", are lost in a blizzard which broke over the mountain. The weather was bitterly cold, and little hope is held out for the survival of the party, unless it succeeded in reaching the shelter of the bush below the snowline before the storm brok'e. There are six women in the party a nd all are well known members of the University College. Late last night over 100 searchers were engaged in a desperate effort to locate the missing trampers. a

The Missing. The members of the missing party are : — Graham Bell, engineering lecturer, Auckland University, Auckland. Bruce- Spooner, aged 20, Pukenui Road, Epsom. Warwick Stanton, aged 19, son of Mr. J. Stanton, solicitor, Auckland. Gordon S. Harris, St. Helier's Bay, Auckland. Stewart MacDiarmsd, aged 17, son of Mr. C. L. McDIarmid, solicitor, Hamilton. Alan Fiynp, aged 19, Epsom, son of Captain J. Flynn, of the Union S.S. Co. Harold Addis, master at Nelson College. Jack Graham, aged 24, Auckland. Miss Esme Brockett, aged 17, daughter of Mr. F. C. Brockett, Deparfment of Agriculture, Masterton. Moya Watkins, aged 18. Gwyxmeth Watkins, aged 19, sister of Moya. Julia Rennie, aged 18, daughter of Mr. D. Rennie, Helensville. Miss Fitzie Norris, aged 18, daughter of Mr. G. N. Norrs, of Whangarei. Miss Eva Ellett, aged 23, of Helensville. Consternation reigns at the Chateau where the news of the possible disaster came as a terrible aftermath to a week of gaiety when visitors from all over New Zealand were present for the skiing and snow sports. No Qfficial Guide. ' The party had no official guide, but vas led by Mr. Graham JBell, a lecturer at the University College, who lad previous experience on the mountain. Food for only one day was carried as the party did not expect to take longer than this in making the trip Condit'ions were not threatening In rny . way when the party left the Chateau and it was not anticipated .hat they would experience trouble. ilthough, as a result of an accident ;o a student earlier in the week, the. need of caution was known and had been emphasised. All members of the party were well ■■iquipped with clothing, ropes, and ce-axes, while they also had a comr ,ass and a aneioid barometer. The najor'ty had had considerable. trampng experience. Serious Aspect. Tbe ascent of Ruapehu althiugh an irduour, trip is one which should not aoi maily oecupy longer than a day. A very serious aspect of the position is that if the party had reached the bush, the journey back to the Chateau .would not occupy longer than :hree hours down a fairly easy grade. The fact that they had not returned it a late hour last night appears to ndieate that they had not reached the fheiter of the bush slopes when the blizzard overwhelmed them. Ruapehu is notorious for its sudden jhanges and although there. was no Indication of disaster ahead when the irampers left the Chateau early on Saturday morning, a blizzard, terrific in its incensity swe.pt over the .mountain towards evening. On the exposed slopes above the bush line, trampers, however we.ll equipped

would have little chance of survival unless they had succeeded in reaching some rock configuration which would break the force of the storm. A Shout Heard. The only clue so far discovered which appears to furnish any indication of the whereabouts of the missing paity, came to searchers who were breakfasting in Saltman hut early this morning. A man's shout was distinctly heard out of the storm but an intensive search failed to reveal its origin. Late last evening, over 100 men. were eombing the mountain while stretehers, hot water bags, first aid equipment and supplies of food, had been sent to various points where they would be quickly available if the party was discovered. When the party had not returned by evening, anxietyy accentuated ' by the change in the weather conditio'ns, was f elt at the Chateau. Search parties were hastily organised and equipment was prepared for the emergncy. The members of the party were. all young people and Mr. Bell -was the only really experiencd trampe.r among ,hem. He had led a number of similar University tramping parties and .s stated to have had experience- of the mountain on several occasions. Aeroplane Search? Interviewed by the "Post," Captain Hewitt of the Falcon Airways who is at present in Rotorua with his Gypsy Moth plane stated that he considered an aeroplane search for the missing people would be quite feasible in the Tongariro country. This would of course, depend largely on the weather conditions, but Captain. He.witt stated that he Wtould be available at any time if his services were required. He stated that a plane could easily operate from Taumarunui where „here is a good landing* ground. The machine'could re-fuel at Taumarunui and fly for three or four hours at a stretch; a good survey of the country could be made, and Captain Hewitt considored that this survey would give the pilot an excellent chance of loc1 ating any persons on tne mountain. Aeroplanes have been nsed with considerable success in this class of search and it has been proved that persons and objects can be located from the air when it would take weeks of searching from the ground. A notable instance is the locating of the Nobile party which was lost when trying to reach the North Pole and was located bjv a Russian- flyer in a t solo plane. Planes were also used extensively in recent Australian searches. Upon learning of the d'"saster the "Post" immediate-ly put an urgent telephone call through to the Chateau authorities and apprised them of the fact that Captain Hewitt's plane is available. If no trace. of the party is discovered by.this morning, an aeroplane search may be made. Worst Feared. (The Chateau, received midnight). A telephone message from the Chateau states that most of the search party had returned with no news of the lost alpinists. The worst is now feared. The weather is bad and snow is still falling.