LOST ON RUAPEHU

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 260, 26 March 1913, Page 5

LOST ON RUAPEHU

I TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES, ' A YOUXG MAX MISSING, SUPPOSED TO HAVE PERISHED. LADY'S HEROIC EFFORT AXI) FRIO lITFL'L SUFFERINGS. By Telegraph- - Press Association. Taihiipe, Last 'Night. An alpine party had a terrible experience on .Mount Rnapehu. One party left Ohaknne on Saturday afternoon, and spent the night in the mountain hut in company with another party which they met Lhere. The ascent to the summit was commenced on Sunday morning; but one of the party named Binghaiu, aged 21, became exhausted, and could go no further. Miss Marcella Coates. an experienced alpine climber, and Messrs. Waters, S. Hubert, Willoughby and Mclntyre, left with the object of faking Bingham back to the hut.

When the main party returned it was found that they had never reached the hut, and anxiety was felt for their safety. A search party was despatched, but found no trace of the missing six. Mclntyre and Willoughby found their way along Sulphur Creek, and came out safely at Pokoka. stating that they had left their companions, who intended to go through the bush to the hut. The weather was bitterly cold, and a snowstorm hampered the search, party on Monday, no trace of the missing party being found till to-day, when Waters and S. Hubert came out at Waimarino, about seventeen miles north of Ohakune. They were badly knocked about, and sull'ered severelv from hunger, fatigue and exposure. They left Miss Coates and Bingham yesterday afternoon, the former deciding to stay with Bingham, who is a friend of hers. . Miss Coates was found later under the Makatote viaduct, having wandered nearly forty miles, walking and crawling bv turns. She was found about twenty miles from Ohakune. and is in a bad state, suffering from shock, hunger and exposure, and bad wounds on her legs, feet and hands.

She is in a delirious condition, and states that she saw Bingham go over a waterfall yesterday afternoon about 3 o'clock, and later saw bis hat and coat in the stream. She remembered nothing more, and can give no lucid account of her experiences. Her story is not fully credited, and search parties are still looking for Bingham, but there is little hope for him. All the search parties had returned at 7 o'clock this evening, but another was sent out to look for the missing man. The condition of Waters and IT. Hubert is not serious, but iliss Coates is in a very bad way. Wangamii. Last Xight. \V. X. Bingham, who is one, of the missing party that had unenviable experiences on Mt. Ritapehu. was for twelve months in the employ of A. Doing (a local chemist). Recently he passed his final examination. Bingham's mother is a widow residing at Danuevirke.