THE RECENT MOUNTAIN FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 278, 3 May 1915, Page 8

THE RECENT MOUNTAIN FATALITY.

(To the Editor.) |j Sir, —Tn defence of the Eltham party J who assisted in the search for the un- li fertunate man, IVtiivo, oil the slopes of'j Monnt Kgmnnt recently, kindly allow i me space in yo'.;r valualile columns to i reply to " Eye Witness." \

Surely " Eve. Witness " does not think we were responsible for what appeared in flics Eltham notes. It is ridiculous to think for 0:1: moment that any of us slept out all night, unless we wished to share the fate of the poor chap for whom we were searching. It is unfortunate the reporter did not get his information from one of the search party, 'u.tfud of second hand. We ai! know Mr. .Murphy found the trail first, and he deserves special credit for the way hi' worked in the matter. Only for him the poor chap would never have been found. It is true one of the Eltham party found his ice axe, but we would never have found that if it had not keen for Mr. Murphy lighting a fire in the rchil) to attract our attention from the Opunake side. 'He, having lost the trail in the gorge, wished us to search in the vicinity of the fire, while he continued en through the bush. It was thought at the time that the unfortunate man had returned to the scene of the fire and left his ice axe, after Mr. Murphy had gone on and before the Eltham party had arrived there. So two of our party stayed overnight at the hostel in order to leave, early the next morning with Mr. Murphy to show him the exact spot where the ice axe was found; hence, the report that we found the trad first and "slept alongside it all night for fear of losing it." With reference to the bomb incident (one of our men throwing a cracker at Eye Witness and Co. on the wav home). 1 do not think that such trash should have been brought into the matter.

I trust this will convince " Eye Witness" that the report concerned did not originate from anv of the Eltbam men. and that we believe also in giving lionor where honor 13 due.—l am, etc., ■ OXI-; OF THE ELTHAM MEX.