Our Letter Box.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7836, 31 May 1905, Page 2

Our Letter Box.

(We are hot responsible for opinions expressed by .correspondents.) MOUNTAIN ACCIDENTS'. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Whilst giving your correspondent, , 0:w.W.," every credit for his a»xiely"to minimise the risk of mountain climbing, I would point out how unworkable his ideas would he. In the lirst place the suggestion about the. flair. When the weather conditions are riv u ural>lc and a flag could he svn, so could the house from any-vh.-:e above Humphries Caslle, and the house being tie larger of the two woiJ 1 he far and away the better guide. Unfortunately it is the dense clouds that come over the mountain that cause the principal . risk, for when these come over it is sometimes .Impossible to so-' anything twenty puces away. This being so, neither flag nor house would be of any use as a gukle. As to the gunliring, anyone who knows how this would echo and re-echo in the gorges would at once know that such- a sysftem would be mote confusing than over, and no one c.iuld tell in the fog which way the so nd was coining. <)l course if it' was clear and you could see smoke, then for " the reasons already stated the iiring would not be wanted. The only feasible plan that presents itself to me is one that would cost money, but would I think be effectual both as a guide to the right track in line weather and home again if a fog should Come on. The plan. I allude to is as follows: W r hen the ridge opposite the Castle is passed, s'turt placing iron rods in the rock or gravel, as the ease liTfty be, say, at intervals of 50 or 100 feet and strain ordinary plain galvanised wire from post to post. This plan may not be practicable, but personally I do not see any great difficulty in the way of carrying it out.excerit the cost. The caretaker always warns anyone against going up when there is the slightest risk, and in the sad case recently he was very emphatic in warning Mr King against going, asking him to wait for suitable weather, when ho would accompany him as far as it was safe, to go. More than this he could not do, as he has no legal right cr power to detain anyone who is determined to go and take the risk. Whether it is advisable to obtain sueh power, and make it an offence punishable ihy prosecution for anyone to start alter being warned not to do so, is a question worth considering. Possibly the knowledge that such power existed might deter the very venturesome from starting.—l am, etc., W. A. COLUS, Chairman, North Egmont Committee.