MOUNT EGMONT FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 June 1918, Page 6

MOUNT EGMONT FATALITY.

INQUEST CONCLUDED. VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH. The inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Arthur H. Ambury and William E. Gourlay, who were killed on the northern slopes of Mount Egmont on the afternoon of June 3, was continued yesterday 'before the district coroner (Mr. A. Crooke, S.M.). Sergeant Trealiy represented the police. Mr. A. H. Johnstone appeared in the interests of the North Egmont Mountain House Committee. Dr. W. R. Wade stated that he was called to the Mountain House on June 3, and went up the mountain with three farmers, Gopperth, Price, and one other. He joined Mr. Murphy's party, and Mr. Murphy discovered the bodies of the deceased, Ambury and Gourlay, at the foot of a cliff on the right*and side of Humphries' Castle, at the top of the left-hand branch of Waiwakaiho Gorge. Death was caused by general contusions and fracture of the skulls. To Mr. Johnstone: He did not take particular notice of the boots of either of the deceased. Torquil V. Mackay, a draughtsman in the Survey Department and a fellow employee with Gourlay, gave evidence recounting the occurrences of the day, which was in accordance with previous accounts given. He said he had urged Gourlay, whose boots were not in a fit state for mountaineering, to get them fixed up before going up to the mountain. He did not know why Fookes, who earlier had tied Macdona'ld to himself when helping him, did not also tie Gourlay to himself when ho went to his assistance. Alpenstocks were always procurable at the mountain house. " After the guide left the house it was usual for people to make their own arrangements for equipment. In reply to the coroner, witness said he did not think it advisable for the three men in the party to ascend the mountain either with or without a rope, because they were not experienced enough. In reply to Mr. Johnstone witness said he hajl frequently climbed the mountain, his first ascent being about 18 years ago. He did not call himself an exhert climber. He would not have climbedlthe mountain on the day of the fatality. Christopher G. Bottrill, schoolmaster, gave similar evidence to that of Mr. Mackay. He said the accident happened about 4.30 in the afternoon.

To Mr. Johnstone: He had been a frequent visitor to the mountain for several years, and had ascended the mountain fire times. The snow to the level of 6000 ft. -was fair, and it was possible to fack steps in the surface. After that the ice was granular and steps had to be cut. In his opinion it was not safe for the party to climb the mountain without being roped together. It should have taken about half an hour to come from the top to the place where the accident happened, if steps had been cut In the ice. He did not consider it safe to glissade on the ice at the top of the mountain. Witness saw Gourlay the night before the accident, and in his opinion the equipment he had was not sufficient for the ascent. Witness had not had any difficulty in getting equipment fron. the guide personally, not officially. To the Coroner: No one who was careful would glissade on ice. Ronald Brew Macdonald, who was one of the party of which Gourlay was a member, gave evidence which was largely on the lines of that given 'by Fookes (another member of the party) at a previous sitting of the coroner's court. In reply to the coroner witness said his only experience of mountain climbing was on June 3 of the previous vear. They did not get to the top on that occasion. Witness admitted they did not know the amount of risk there was m attempting to climb the mountain on the date of the accident. They found on commencing the descent that the Btepa cut on the way up were too far apart. They knew it was necessary to take a rope with them, but he and Fookes looked about and could not find one. There was a rope there, which witness believed belonged to Mr. Ambury.

To Mr. Johnstone: They had a light breakfast before leaving the old mountain house at 6.30 ajn. They took lunch with them. None of the party was exhausted when they got to the top of the mountain. They had lunch at the summit. They commenced glissading about 70 or 80 feet from the summit. Witness had only glissaded on one previous occasion on Egmont. He had glissaded on snow in the Mackenize Country He was not aware that Gourlay had ever glissaded before. He found it much more difficult to descend than to ascend the mountain. Gourlay experienced great difficulty in descending, especially on the very hard surface, though he showed no signs of exhaustion. To the Coroner: He understood FooJces had been eight times to the top of the mountain.

Patrick J. Murphy, guide, and manager of the Dawson Falls house, said he received a call from the North Egmont house- some time after 7 p.m. on June 3, saying someone had been lost to the west of Humphries' Castle. He arrived at the scene of the accident in about 2$ hours, with Messrs C. Evans and A. King, of Kaponga, and joined a party from the house, among whom was Dr. Wade. He cut into the sdow at the head of the Waiwakaiho, and after going a short distance discovered the bodies of the deceased at the foot of a precipice. It would be about 11.30 p.m. The descent had been stopped by a big rock, against which the bodies were piled up. To the Coroner: There was snow where the bodies had fallen. Continuing, witness said that from the accounts given to him he judged the bodies had fallen from 800 ft. to 1000 ft. The party cut out a place so that the bodies would not slip further and left them till next morning, when a party went out to bring the bodies down. The day on the Dawson Falls side of the mountain was perfectly clear. The snow could be avoided up to a height of about 6000 ft. by keeping to the ridges. The wet snow on Egmont was always packed hard. The inexperienced climber invariably cut too straight up and made too small cuts for his steps. The climbing of Egmont in the winter-time wag Teally dangerous. He had seen a number of notice boards directing climbers to the right path. He could not say there were any warning notices.. The practice of sitting or squatting on the ice was abso. lutely dangerous. The first thing a guide tells climbers is to keep on their feet. To the Coroner: The attempt to climb •Hie mountain on June 3 by the party, who were practically inexperienced, was very foolish indeed. In view of the evidence he did not think Fookes was verv experienced. He thought in the ascent nf S(PBOt is Vu winttt thtre ihould al-

ways be a guide, or at least one very experienced man in the party. In the Dawson Falls house a notice was posted asking intending climbers to notify the manager. He did not know that anything could be done to prevent people going up the mountain. On the southern mountains people always took a guide, and on the more difficult peaks two guides were taken. To Mr. Johnstone: The visitors to Mount Bgmont did not climb to the summit in the same proportion as visitors to Mount Cook and the Southern mountains. A large number went up with no intention of climlbing the summit. For five or six months of the year the climbing of Egmont presented absolutely no mountaineering difficulties. In the winter *he conditions were generally like those of other mountains. X one of experience would attempt p" sading on Egmont, except on the io slopes. And it was further evidence inexperience that the party attempts the ascent without a rope. Another matter which the public was unaware of was what to do when falling while climbing a mountain, also the right way to use the alpenstock. Most people, in climbing, would fall (if they fell at all) sideways, and the alpenstock should be gripped firmly and held close to the hip, and .pressed into the ice in such a way that it was not likely anyone would fall very far. It was certainly no use trailing an alpenstock behind, when falling. In farther reply -to the coroner, witness said he thought people should not climb the mountain in winter, (but he did not see how it was possible to preven| them doing so. Constable George Hadler, Fitzroy, gave evidence as to the recovery of the bodies. T. V. Mackay, re-ealled by Mr. Johnstone. Baid he understood that Fookes knew that the rope mentioned at the mountain-house was there for his use. He personally told Fookes about it. Fookes had told witness he would not be roped to anyone. Witness purchased the rope, (by order of Mr. Collis, for the Mountain House Committee- Witness referred to the stepg from which Gourlay. slipped. He said Mr. Bottrill cut all the step 3 that day. They were very good steps, cut about 15in apart. The axe used was a very inefficient one. AOOIDEOTAL DEATH. The coroner returned a verdict to the effect that deceased were accidentally killed by falling over a precipice on Mount Egmont on June 3. He added that in the case of Ambury, his death was the direct result of his attempt to save Gourlay. In referring to the evidence, the coroner said it was apparent from what Guide Murphy said, that no one in Gourlay's party was what could be called experienced in mountain climbing. Gourlay had never been up before, and did not even take the trouMe to see that his boots were fit for the My Maedona'c "bmA twu en the mountain only once >efore, and then not to the summit. Fookes was said to have seen up eight times, seven of which were winter ascents. Their inexperience was evident from the, fact that they began glissading too soon; they cut their steps too far apart, and also refused to take a rope with them. He could, not determine whether Gourlay had suffered from exhaustion when he Blipped to what became, his death. The unfortunate part of the affair was that Gourlay lost his life a* the Tesult ot inexperience. The worst feature of the fatality was that his death had tocen the cause of Ambury's death. He had made an herojc attempt to s ave Gourlay, and such acts deserved the Albert Medal, though lie did not know that there was any award in New Zealand that corresponded thereto. He hoped the public would take seriously the evidence of .Guide Murphy, and not attempt to climb the mountain in winter without a proper guide, or the assistance of thoroughly experienced mountain climfoers.