John Edward Eldridge Blomfield 1910-19/1/1930

TRAGEDY AT MOUNT COOK

CAUGHT IN A BLIZZARD

FIVE LIVES LOST

A terrible tragedy, resulting in the loss of five lives, occurred on the Tasman Glacier in the Southern Alps yesterday. According to information received by telephone from Timaru to-day by Mr. R. B. McCracken, local agent of the Mount Cook Motor Company, Ltd., a party consisting of four ladies— MISS KEANE (Christchurch) MISS MONTEATH (Christchurch) MISS HERBERT BROWN (Rangiora) MISS SMITH (Auckland), and GUIDE BLOMFIELD (Dunedin) left the Malte Brun Hut yesterday morning, in fine weather, on their way back to the Hermitage, and was making for the De la Beche Bivouac when they were struck by a sudden blizzard, with thunder and lightning, hail and snow. Some hours later their five bodies were discovered in the vicinity of the bivouac by Guide Hilgendorf, going out from the Ball Hut. 

From the Malte Brun Hut to the bivouac is a distance of some two miles, but the party would have to strike right out into the Tasman Glacier to reach the De la Beche Bivouac. They would have crevasses on either side of them, and would no doubt have difficulty in reaching the bivouac corner, for the southerly blizzard would strike directly up the glacier. Mr. McCracken said that his company's officials in Timaru were quite emphatic that the weather was good when the party left the Malte Brun Hut and to the best of their knowledge the fatality must have occurred between 10 and 11 o'clock on Sunday morning. 

"The whole of the staff were sent out from the Hermitage, with a number of workmen working on the road down there; and the bodies are being brought into the Hermitage this afternoon," said Mr. McCracken. "The weather is still bad down there. The storm struck Timaru fairly early on Sunday morning, and is described as one of the worst they have known down there. It must have struck the party very suddenly indeed. The corner before the De la Beche Bivouac, where the bodies were found, is described by Mr. Harper, of the Alpine Club, as a very, very bad corner. The bivouac is a very good one, affording ample shelter, had they only been able to reach it. But they were evidently overwhelmed by the blizzard." 

According to a Press Association message from Timaru, the party left the Malte Brun Hut in good weather, but had only progressed three or four miles when it was caught in the raging blizzard. It was impossible to continue the journey as visibility was limited to a few feet. There was no place where the party could find shelter, and apparently they huddled, together on the ice, where they were subsequently found by Acting-Guide C. Hilgendorf, who had remained behind at Malte Brun Hut to clear up and put things in order for the next party. He went out to catch up on the party, but was driven back to the shelter of the hut by the blizzard, which suddenly swept the Tasman Glacier region. The storm was accompanied by vivid and spectacular lightning. There were also peals of heavy thunder. When the storm had abated somewhat, Guide Hilgendorf set out with all haste in search of the stricken party. His mission was destined to be a fateful one, for the four ladies and the guide had succumbed to the fury of the elements. 

In spite of the terrible conditions that prevailed, Guide Hilgendorf did not spare himself in a dash to the Ball Hut, and on his arrival there he was "all in," but he was able to give news of the tragedy that had taken place on the white expanse of the Tasman Glacier. 

Word was immediately conveyed to the Hermitage, and a rescue party was dispatched to the Ball Hut, but it was not possible to recover the bodies last evening on account of the terrible weather conditions in the Alps. This morning there was practically no improvement in the weather. 

The unfortunate happening has caused widespread regret, and it was the one topic of conversation in Timaru. 

Acting-Guide Blomfield is well known in Dunedin, where he was a student at Otago University.  Alpine climbing was his one recreation, and he was a regular climber at the Hermitage. During the summer vacation he was usually employed as an acting guide. He was twenty years of age. 

Miss Doris Herbert Brown who was lost on Mount Cook is the elder daughter of Mrs. Herbert Brown, of Mount Thomas, Rangiora. Miss Mary Monteath, aged 20, is the daughter of Mr. J. K. Monteath, 23 Poynder Avenue, Fendalton. 

Miss Smith, was aged 26, she was the only daughter of Mr. H. S. Smith, Woodhall road, Epsom. She left Auckland for a holiday at Mt. Cook on Thursday last.  -Evening Post, 20/1/1930.

Blomfield was twenty years of age. He was the son of the late Dr E. E. Blomfield. His mother, who is now Mrs Dr. McKellar, is a daughter of Sir John Sinclair. Blomfield was born in Dunedin, and was educated at John McGlashan College, after which he attended the Medical School at Otago University. He had passed his secondyear examination. Blomfield was for several a keen alpinist, and he had spent all his vacations at Mount Cook, where he acted amateur guide.  -Evening Star, 20/1/1930.

FIVE LIVES LOST

HILGENDORF'S JOURNEY 

TERRIBLE CONDITIONS (By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") 

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Further details of the Mount Cook tragedy indicate that the body of Guide Blomfield was found by Guide Hilgendorf about 150 yards ahead of the others. It appeared that he had struggled on in a last desperate hope of reaching the Ball Hut and assistance. The storm was still raging with terrific force, and Guide Hilgendorf did not spare himself in a desperate effort to reach the Ball Hut. He literally had to fight his way foot by foot against the terrific wind, and for a considerable distance was compelled to crawl on his hands and knees, the force of the gale being so great. 

Practically exhausted by his hazardous journey, on his arrival at the Ball Hut he was just able to gasp: "The girls are dead — out on the glacier — blizzard terrible." 

He was immediately conveyed to The Hermitage by car, and from there a rescue party was dispatched to the Ball Hut. The terrible weather conditions nullified the efforts of the party to recover the bodies during the day, and the search is being resumed to-day. 

THE VICTIMS. Miss Mary Monteath was the younger daughter of Mr. J. K. Monteath, a master at Christ's College, who resides at 23, Poynder avenue, Fendalton. From 1919 to 1924 she attended Rangi Ruru Private School, where her quiet nature and fine personality made her many friends. At school she showed considerable musical ability. After leaving Rangi Ruru he continued her musical studies, becoming an accomplished pianist. She was a member of the Aeolian Club. Miss Doris Brown had had considerable experience of alpine climbing. About six years ago she made a very difficult climb on Mount Cook. She had also done a lot of climbing on the Franz Josef Glacier. She was a niece of Mr. Guy Mannering, one of the best known of New Zealand alpinists. Her uncle played a big part in the development of the Mount Cook area and his preliminary work enabled the peak to be climbed. 

Miss Helena Keane was employed as a clerk with W. Williamson and Co., builders and contractors, Montreal street, a position which she had occupied for the past eight years. She was a particularly efficient worker and had an excellent career at school. Miss Keane was spending the last day of a fortnight's vacation at Mount Cook. She was a daughter of Mrs. I. Keane. 

Acting-Guide E. Blomfield was 20 years old. He was a son of the late Dr. E. E. Blomfield and his mother, now the wife of Dr. McKellar, is a daughter of Sir John Sinclair. Mr. Blomfield was born at Dunedin and was educated at the John McGlashan College, subsequently attending the School of Medicine at Otago University. He had just passed his second year examination. He was a keen alpinist and spent all his vacations at Mount Cook acting as an amateur guide. He was very popular with the alpine climbers. He had climbed all the minor peaks, and this year he had taken up a lot of equipment with the idea of climbing Mount Cook next month. Among the peaks he had climbed this season were the Footstool and Mount Hamilton. 

Guide Hilgendorf, who found the bodies, is a son of Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf, of Lincoln Agricultural College.  -Evening Post, 21/1/1930.

EFFICIENT GUIDE

FEARFUL SUDDENNESS OF STORM 

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") AUCKLAND, This Day. Commenting on the Mount Cook tragedy, Professor Algie, who has done much climbing in the Mount Cook area, said that he had received information this morning which showed that the weather was quite good when the party set out from the hut. The storm developed with fearful suddenness and struck them with full force about two hours after they had left. It was too late then to turn back. 

"No one would assume," continued Professor Algie, "that a storm of such magnitude would develop in the middle of summer at so low an altitude. No amount of skill or experience could guard against anything so purely fortuitous. I am well acquainted with the work that had been done by the late Guide Blomfield, and I am confident that he would ably and efficiently discharge his duties as guide. The fact that the bodies were found on the right and recognised route on the glacier reflects very great credit on Guide Blomfield, especially as in such a storm, the visibility would be practically nil. 

"The trip to Malte Brun hut is not a mountaineering expedition. It is a relatively safe excursion for anyone who can walk ten or twelve miles. The hut is visited by parties at all seasons of the year, even in the depth of winter. Guide Blomfield would have far more knowledge and experience than such a trip would call for, and he would be well qualified to lead an expedition of far greater difficulty. 

"The sympathy of the whole community will go out to those relatives and friends who are suffering as the result of the saddest alpine tragedy that has occurred in New Zealand." A letter from Mr. Neil Macfarlane, a son of Mr. J. B. Macfarlane, has been received by Professor Algie. He had been doing a lot of climbing in the Mount Cook area in recent weeks. In his letter he stated that he had been travelling with Guide Blomfield, and he wrote of the guide in the highest possible terms.  -Evening Post, 21/1/1930.

THE TRAGEDY ON TASMAN GLACIER

Heroic Effort of Student Guide. 

CLOTHES GIVEN TO GIRLS.

Christchurch, Jan. 21 When Student-Guide E. (“Teddy”) Blomfield was found on the Tasman Glacier, where he and four girls perished on Sunday afternoon, he was practically naked, all his clothes having boon given to some of his companions. Apparently be was on his way back to the hut to obtain blankets for the rest when he was overcome, for his body was found only 150 yards from the others. 

A glowing tribute to the work of Student Guide Hilgendorf is paid by Mr Roy Twyneham, a Christchurch solicitor, who returned from Mount Cook last evening. Mr Twyneham has had extensive climbing experience and was at the Hermitage when the news of the tragedy was brought in. 

“When I saw Hilgendorf at the Hermitage on his return be was all in,” said Mr Twyneham. “After the awful day he had put in he was in the last stages of exhaustion. 

“It was a wonderful performance. He had to crawl for 5 miles on his hands and knees. It was only his superb fitness and strength that enabled him to get through at all. I climbed with him a few days before, and I know what he was like.” 

That there was nothing that could have been done to prevent the tragedy is the opinion of Mr Twyneham. He says that everything possible was done, by everybody concerned, and that the tragedy was due to the severity of the weather. Hilgendorf, who had stayed behind at Malte Brun hut to clean up, left for Ball Hut as soon as his work was finished. His first intimation of the tragedy was when he stumbled over a ruc-sac, which was carried by Blomfield. Then he found the bodies of the four women, and he pushed on to Ball Hut with the news. The journey was most gruelling, and included five miles of crawling over ice. On his arrival he was just, able to gasp. "The girls are dead. Out on the glacier, blizzard terrible.” 

Hilgendorf Went Back. From Ball Hut to the Hermitage the news was taken by Dr J. C. Bradshaw, and immediately a party of guides, student guides and packers was sent out, under Chief Guide Vic. Williams, to recover the bodies. In spite of the terrible journey he had just made, Hilgendorf accompanied this party from Ball Hut to the place where the bodies lay. At that time he knew no more than that Blomfield was missing, as he had not seen him, but when his body was discovered it was only 150 yards away from where the women lay. 

"Blomfield was a most skillful guide,” said Mr Twyneham, "and no one at the Hermitage, guides included, knew the glacier better than he did. The weather was moderately good when they set out, but a blizzard comes on with wonderful suddenness. They must have been dead within an hour and a-half of leaving the hut, as they were only four miles away when found.  -Bay of Plenty Times, 22/1/1930.

Malte Brun Hut, February 1931.  Tasman Glacier to the right.  Hocken Library photo.

THE ALPINE TRAGEDY.

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST.

GUIDE TELLS STORY. 

FINDING OF THE BODIES. 

TERRIBLE JOURNEY TO HUT. 

BATTLE WITH ELEMENTS. 

[BY TELEGRAPH. CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday. 

"After I left the Malte Brun hut the blizzard increased in intensity, vivid flashes of lightning cleaving the heavens. Conditions were so unpleasant that the metal head of my iceaxe sparked and sang whenever the lightning struck it. I was compelled to tie the axe to the end of two Crampton straps. I then dragged it behind me."

The foregoing was a portion of a statement by Guide Hilgendorf, who discovered the bodies of the ill fated party after the blizzard on the Tasman Glacier on Sunday, made at the inquest concerning the deaths of the four young women and the guide,which was held at the Hermitage this afternoon. Those who lost their lives were Doris Herbert Brown, of Rangiora; Dorothy M. Smith, of Auckland; Helena Keane, of Christchurch; Mary, Monteath, of Christchurch; and Edward J. Blomfield of the Hermitage staff. 

Mr. E. Mac Donald, J.P., of Fairlie, acted as coroner, with a jury of four. Constable A. Mackintosh, of Fairlie, conducted the proceedings for the police, Mr. L. E. Finch, of Timaru, appeared in the interests of the Mount Cook Tourist Company, and Mr. W. D. Campbell, also of Timaru, represented the relatives of Guide Blomfield. 

Guide Very Experienced. The first witness was Alexander Sinclair, solicitor, of Dunedin, who identified the body of Guide Blomfield, who was a son of the late Dr. E. E. Blomfield. Geoffrey Gould Wollery, assistant-manager of the Hermitage, identified the bodies of the four young women, who, he said, had been guests at the Hermitage. He said that on January 18 the four left the Malte Brun hut in charge of Guide Blomfield. They were all in good health and fit to make the trip. Charles Digby Elms, licensee of the Hermitage, and manager for the Mount Cook Tourist Company, said Blomfield had been employed by the company as a guide for the past two seasons. He was a professional guide and a very experienced man. Guests had spoken very highly of him during the several periods he had been at the Hermitage. Prior to the last two seasons he visited the Hermitage, and had done a great deal of climbing.

All Well And Happy. Charles Hilgendorf, employed, as a guide at the Hermitage for the past two seasons, said that on January 16 he left the Hermitage with a party for the Malte Brun Hut. He was at that hut when Guide Blomfield arrived with a party of four ladies, on January 18. On the following day Guide Blomfeld and his party left the Malte Brun Hut, at 10.30 a.m., to return to the Hermitage. Witness told Blomfield that he would follow after he had tidied the hut. It was raining slightly when Blomfield's party left. At that time witness did not think it would be a rough day. When the girls left they all appeared to be well and happy. They were clothed much as were all women who visited the hut. Witness tidied the hut and followed them about an hour and a-half afterwards. It was raining very heavily, with lightning and thunder, and as he continued his journey the weather became worse, and a gale sprang up. 

Discovery of the Bodies. When witness reached the glacier the condition of the ice was very bad, and he had had to put on crampons. Even with crampons the going was very difficult. The blizzard was the worst that he had known. Just as he reached De la Beche Corner he saw a woman lying on the ice, and he discovered that she was dead. She was lying face downwards in a hollow in the ice, having apparently been sheltering from the wind. He saw no disfigurement of any sort. 

About 30yds. further on he found another woman. Her face was cut on the cheek, but he did not take particular notice of it. About l0yds. further on there were two more women, one of them with her face under water. The other was lying on top or beside her. They were both dead. He pulled them out of the water, on to the hard ice and went on to the Ball Hut.

Very soon after he left the bodies the weather improved and he made good time. The bodies were about six miles from the Ball Hut. Witness reached the Ball Hut about 3.30 p.m., a little more than three hours and a-half after he had left Malte Brun. He found the bodies about 2.30 p.m.. He reported the tragedy to the guide in charge at the Ball Hut. At the time he discovered the bodies of the women he did not see that of Guide Blomfield, probably because he was crawling on the ice when the blizzard was raging.

Crawling on the Ice. Witness said he crawled on his hands and knees to the corner. The wind was so severe that he was unable to stand up. "I could do nothing else but crawl," he added. He said the storm from the north-west came down the Rudolph Glacier, striking the Tasman Glacier at De la Beche Corner. The bodies were at the worst part of the glacier for weather, being exposed to the wind coming down the Rudolph Glacier. 

To Mr. Campbell witness said: I have been following up mountaineering since I was very young. I have known Guide Blomfield for two years, I found him a man of sound judgement and always careful for the safety of his parties. There was no reason why Blomfield should not have left the Malte Brun Hut on Sunday morning. I have left the Malte Brun Hut under conditions similar to those existing when Guide Blomfield left.  -NZ Herald, 23/1/1930.

A photo of guide Teddy Blomfield can be found here.

TASMAN GLACIER TRAGEDY

NEW THEORY ADVANCED 

LIGHTNING THE CAUSE OF DEATH 

MR G. E. MANNERING’S ARTICLE 

That the death of Acting-Guide T. E. E. Blomfield and the four women whom he led on to the Tasman Glacier on 19th January, 1930, was caused primarily by a discharge of lightning and not by exposure, is the theory substantiated by Mr Guy E. Mannering, the wellknown New Zealand alpinist, in an article in “The New Zealand Alpine Journal" for 1930, published at Wellington last week. After thoroughly investigating the circumstances of the disaster and searching the complete files of "The Alpine Journal” (London), Mr Mannering, an uncle of one of the women killed, has decided definitely that the verdict given at the inquest of "death by exposure” was wrong. He has contributed a similar article to the London journal of May, 1930, by which he is editorially supported. Further, a medical practitioner of Christchurch who volunteered his opinion to the Christchurch "Press” immediately after the tragedy, has reaffirmed it strongly in favour of Mr Mannering's theory.

VICTIMS WERE SEPARATED Mr Mannering begins his article, ‘‘The Disaster on the Tasman Glacier,” with a reference to the single previous fatal accident in the Tasman district, that in which Mr S. L. King, with Guides Thomson and Richmond, were overwhelmed by an avalanche on the Linda Glacier (February, 1914). "This was a mountaineering accident pure and simple. The present disaster is in a totally different class, and happened to a party of walkers out on the open glacier, where practically no climbing dangers are present." He gives then an account of the trip made by Misses D. H. Brown, H. Keane, M. Monteath, D. M. Smith, and Acting-Guide Blomfield, which ended in the death of all five. Guide Hilgendorf "came upon Blomfield’s ruck sack and, about 80 yards further on, the body of one of the girls lying in a hollow as if sheltering from the wind. Forty yards further on he came to three more bodies, close together, but two of them lying in water and slushy snow. He stated that all were dead and already stiff." The first relief party from the Ball Hut "went on about 150 yards beyond the first three bodies and found the body of Acting-Guide Blomfield upon which they attempted resuscitation, but without result.” Mr Mannering was one of the party of 15 which, on 21st January, reached the bodies and after grave difficulties carried them on stretchers back to the Hermitage. "The subsequent medical examination of the bodies revealed no injuries except a few small abrasions, and the knees of the guide alone showed traces of crawling. The medical opinion given was that they died from cold and exposure, and that there was no evidence of anything else whatever. The doctor was unable to give an opinion as to the length of time in which it is usual for a person to perish by exposure.” An inquest was held on the afternoon of Wednesday, 22nd January, the verdict being "death by exposure in an alpine blizzard.”

ONLY TWO HOURS' EXPOSURE Since the inquest, Mr Mannering has ascertained that the watch of his niece, Miss Brown, was stopped by water at 12.49 p.m. Two other watches resisted the wet and showed 6 o’clock and 7.15 o’clock respectively, apparently having run down. It is clear, he states, from the silent evidence of Miss Brown’s watch that the disaster occurred at about 12.49 p.m. It was evident from Hilgendorf’s statement that the storm was not bad a short distance below the hut until some time after 12 o’clock (noon), and that consequently the party had fair conditions for the first hour or so of their walk. This would mean that they were not a long time in the heart of the storm — say, under two hours. Hilgendorf stated that he found the bodies “already stiff” at 2.30 p.m.; but Mr Mannering thinks he must have found them earlier, since he was at the Ball Hut by 3.30 p.m., and could not possibly have made this distance in an hour under the difficult weather conditions. Hilgendorf had no watch. It had been subsequently revealed that there were three spare, unused cardigan jackets in the women’s rucksacks. Apparently no attempt had been made to put on these warm garments.

"My own considered opinion, after alpine experiences extending over 40 years, during which I have been caught in many alpine storms is that the disaster was caused by lightning" writes Mr Mannering. "I have searched the 41 volumes of ‘The Alpine Journal,’ which reports alpine fatalities regularly, and much alpine literature besides, and cannot find a parallel case where a whole party has perished so suddenly from mere exposure. The annual death roll of the European Alps is well over 100 deaths per annum. A great many cases are reported, but I can find none where the period of exposure is known in which death has occurred under a period of about 12 hours, and then it is usually only one or two members of the party who have succumbed. There are numerous instances of resistance for periods of 24 and 48 hours and even longer, without death resulting."

CASES OF EXPOSURE WITHSTOOD Mr Mannering quotes from memory four cases of exposure in the Tasman district. Green, Boss, and Kaufmann stood out all night at 10.000ft on Mount Cook in a had north-west storm, climbing down next morning. Mr Lowe broke his ankle on the Rudolf Glacier, crawled down to de la Roche bivouac, and existed for 10 days in the open with very little food. He is alive today. Mr James Smith, the roadman at Glentanner, sat out on the ice at de la Beche Corner with two ill-clad women all night in a north-west storm, and they reached the Malte Brun Hut next morning. Guide V. Williams, with Mr K. Neave and Mr Mannering himself, walked down from Malte Brun to Ball Hut last November in a terrible blizzard when most of the time visibility did not extend beyond 20 yards. They were covered with icicles, but were not distressed by the exposure. 

"Lightning is very varied in its effects upon animal bodies, and frequently takes life without leaving any sign of burning," he continues. "In the present case it has been established that the party was in the centre of a great thunderstorm — severe lightning was observed in their vicinity by parties at the King Memorial hut (7000 ft up the Mount Cook routes), from the Ball hut, and by Guide Hilgendorf as be was contiung down from Malte Brun, his axe was hissing and spluttering to such an extent that he towed it behind him with straps rather than carry it in his hands. The wet condition of their clothing would render them liable to conduction of electric fluids, more especially as they were walking in water off and on, being in a slushy area of ice."

"EQUIVALENT TO ELECTROCUTION" It seemed contradictory, but damp clothing had been known to save people from shock since "a high frequency current utilises only the surface of a conductor." The following note has been supplied Mr Mannering by a leading Professor of Physics in the University of Bristol:— "If the flash actually struck one of them, that one would have been burned or singed, but if it was very close to them without actually striking anyone, it is quite feasible that the induced effect, in the human body, of the flash would be equivalent to electrocution, giving sudden death. If they were all reasonably close together, as in walking, the same flash might quite well have the same effect on all of them." Another high authority (Professor Buchanan, of Liverpool) said: “The presence of a storm at the time when death is stated to have occurred . . .  will in most cases point to the true cause of death." Professor Buchanan said further that "post-mortem rigidity comes on early, which was actually the case. Another condition laid down by him was present in the case of one of the bodies.

MEDICAL PRACTITIONER’S OPINION Additional evidence in Mr Mannering’s support is given by a medical practitioner in Christchurch as follows: "If they died of exposure, as the Coroner said, it is certain that the bodies of the four women would have been found huddled together for warmth and shelter. What actually happened is quite obvious from the known facts. They were struggling in the wind, but evidently did not feel the cold excessive since they did not put on all their available clothing. At the time they were in a position on. the ice where they could have put on the extra cardigans quite safely had they wanted to do so. They were perspiring slightly and wet; a solution of salt would be in their clothes, and salt is a good conductor of electricity. They were not struck by the full force of the flash, but they were in the corona of the flash. The current would pass through their clothing to the ice, not charring the bodies but killing, them almost instantly. The salt might be a protection from a devastating shock, but not from such a current as this. 

“The treatment for shock is the immediate application of warmth. In the bitterly cold wind, standing on slushy ice, and wet through, they were in the worst possible condition to receive the shock. Those who did not die in a few seconds, notably Miss Brown and Blomfield, were able to shift their positions. Blomfield, I think, died of exposure following the shock, for he was able to get a good way further on. The medical practitioner who gave evidence at the inquest may not have been aware that death by lightning was possible without marks on the body."

PROOF OF LIGHTNING SHOCK The doctor emphasised that it was ridiculous that five healthy young people could all die by exposure within two hours. The fact that all died almost simultaneously, with the exception of Blomfield, was to him absolute proof that they were struck by lightning. In circumstances where immediate help and treatment could have been given, Blomfield and Miss Brown could possibly have been saved, but under the conditions in which they were found, even these two would have died. The excitement at the time of the tragedy was by no means conducive to a calm and scientific consideration of the circumstances of their death.

He quoted finally from Professor E. J. M. Buchanan’s "Forensic Medicine and Toxicology": "Death is not always immediate. Sometimes the clothes have been torn off the body with scarcely any personal injury. Metallic articles, especially steel, worn or carried about the person, become magnetic and may be fused (Hilgendorf’s ice-axe hissed and spluttered). The lesions which may be met with after lightning stroke are varied. . . Not infrequently those killed by lightning are found in the same position that they occupied during life."  -Nelson Evening Mail, 8/7/1930.

Southern cemetery, Dunedin.

News of the Day

Memorial Hut on Tasman Glacier. The New Zealand Alpines Club has raised funds to build a hut in the Tasman National Park, Mount Cook, as a memorial to Guide Blomfield and the four women who perished on the Tasman Glacier last year (states the "Christchurch Star"). Contracts have now been let for erecting the hut (£150) and for packing the materials from the end of the road at the Ball Hut to the site seven miles up the Glacier (£135). The hut is being erected in a national park by permission of the Government and is not for private profit. The work is being done by six men who would otherwise be unemployed. An application for assistance under the Unemployment Board's scheme was received by the Finance Committee of the Citizens' Unemployment Committee, and was referred to the Timaru Committee.  -Evening Post, 4/3/1931.