Mt. Cook Tragedy.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1914, Page 5

Mt. Cook Tragedy.

THE AWFUL AVALANCHE. 1 i SWEEPS THREE MEN TO DEATH. [Per Press Association.] Christchurch, February 24. ■ The Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Minister in charge of Tourist and Health ‘Resorts, this afternoon received an jurgent telegram from the Hermitage, prom Mr B. M. Wilson, general mana!ger of the Tourist Department, now jon ins way from the Hermitage to the West Coast, via Copeland Pass, as fol- | lows;— j “Regret to inform you that 1 fear a serious accident has occurred on Mount Cook. An English climber, Mr jA. L. King, with Guides Thompson |and Richmond,left on Friday afternoon to climb Mount Cook from the Tasman side. They were seen on the summit at noon on Thursday by Messrs Turner and Denniston, who were at the Haast bivouac, and who were up jon the glacier dome at 4 p.m. looking jror them. Their steps down again j were picked up that evening hy those climbing from the Hooker side of Mount Cook, Mr Friend, with Guides Conrad, Kaye and Brass. This party followed the track until it was obliterated by a huge avalanche which came off an overhanging icewall on Linda Glacier, between Silverhorn and Tiechelman Peaks. “The glacier is very broken here, and il the party were caught they would 1)0 swept into the crevasse and never seen again. Trevor’s party reached the bivouac at about 2.30 a.m., where Messrs Turner and Denniston. were proposing to start, and on finding no trace of King and his guides, they became alarmed, and reported on arrival at the Hermitage. “Chief Guide Graham was with us at Hooker Hut last night, going to Copeland, when two guides came from the Hermitage with the news that Thompson’s party had not returned. Graham immediately returned to the Hermitage in dreadful weather and left at daylight with four guides and Conrad and Kane to search for the party, but neither he nor Kane hold out any hope of finding the missing men.”

lt is expected it will be two days before the search party returns. The Hou. R. Heaton Rhodes has cabled to the Alpine Club, asking them to communicate with Mr King’s people.

King was a well-known member of the English Alpine Club. Thomson was a West Coaster, and for some rears Graham’s first lieutenant. Richmond belonged to Willowbridge, and vas also an experienced guide.