THE ALPINE TRAGEDY.
TWO- TRAMPERS' DEATHS.
EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST
RESCUE WORK PRAISED.
How, after losing his two companions in the rain and sleet, he lay exhausted in a blanket at the top of Harman's Pass — more than 5000ft above sea level — for 36 hours, was told by Ronald Keith Loney, the only survivor of the three in a vivid description of the disaster which overwhelmed Harold Dowling Smith and Charles Bernard Robbins, at the inquest into their deaths which was held at the Bealey Hotel last night.
On the recommendation of a jury of four, the acting-Coroner, Mr M. Fitzgerald, J.P., of Otira, returned the following verdict: — "We find that Harold Dowling Smith and Charles Bernard Robbins died at Herman's Pass on or about January 11th, while endeavouring to cross over the Pass to the Carrington Hut, the cause of death being exposure, following exhaustion in a storm." A rider was added commending the work of the search parties, particularly that of Messrs J. P. Wilson, H. M. Sweney, and F. W. Cochrane, and Constable Charles Robb, of Otira.
Loney's Statement. Loney, who arrived from the Carrington Hut late yesterday afternoon, still almost exhausted by his ordeal, made the following statement to the Coroner: —
"We left Christchurch on a tramping expedition on Monday, January 4th. We spent Tuesday in Hokitika, and on Wednesday morning we left the Grassy Flat Hut and went on to the Pyramid. We went from the Pyramid over to the Park-Morpeth Hut, and, owing to bad weather we spent two days at that hut. On the Sunday, I think, we left for the Whitehorn .Pass. It was raining at the time, but not badly. We met Mr Wilson and Mr Sweney about a mile from the hut. We asked them if the weather was all right, and they said it was raining just as it was when we left them. So we tramped on up to the ice.
"It began to get a bit cold, and near the icefall Robbins had a pain in his stomach. We asked him whether wo should go back, but he got over the attack and told us to carry on. We got to the top of the Pass and the weather turned pretty bad. There were hard gusts of wind and sleet. We carried on down to Harman's Pass. The visibility was very bad indeed. The creek looked almost too bad for us to go down, so we struck up into the hill. We were all pretty cold, but there was no thought of stopping or camping. We decided to keep on going. We got about a mile or a mile and a half along the side of the hill. We were all going fairly well.
Thick Weather. "Suddenly I began to feel pretty weak. I said to the others: 'I'll pull out now and have a rest.' The other fellows told me to carry on with them. Wo could not get down into the stream, we decided to go up on to the ridge. The weather was very thick by this time.
"While we were climbing up we missed each other. I could not see them anywhere, so I curled up in my blanket in the lee of a big rock, thinking that they would make the ridge and go down to the Carrington Hut.
"I stayed there all that night, and the next day I was pretty bad with cold. I tried to climb up on to the ridge and lost my pack, so I stayed up on the hillside among the rocks in very dirty weather. When the sun came up the next day (Tuesday) I thought I would go back to the Park-Morpeth Hut again. On my way down the hillside I found Smith. I thought he was asleep. I caught hold of his arm and shook him, but he was stiff, and I knew then that he must be dead. I could not see Robbins anywhere, but I saw his pack lying near Smith. I thought he might have left his pack and managed to find his way through to the Carrington Hut.
Return to the Hut. "Then I thought I had better find my way back to the Park-Morpeth Hut and see if Wilson and Sweney were still there. I got back to that hut at about 6 o'clock, and there met both of them. I told them all that I knew of what had happened. At that time I was in a very dazed condition, and could hardly remember full details, but I showed Sweney on the map where to find my two mates. I was then taken charge of by Sweney. On Thursday I was taken to the Carrington Hut by A. H. Willis and B. B. Chester. I was unable to walk any further, and was brought to the Bealey Hotel on horseback by Mr Cochrane's man."
Edgar Henry Smith, a farmer, of 4 Chancellor street, Shirley, gave evidence of identification of the bodies of his brother and of Robbins. Harold Smith was 27 years old, and when witness last saw him, on December 29th he was in good health and spirits, and was looking forward to a tramping expedition on the West Coast.
The evidence of James Pritchard Wilson, a school teacher, residing at 37 Collingwood street, New Brighton, followed the lines of his interview with The Press.
Meeting with Loney. Of his first meeting with Loney, Smith, and Robbins, witness said: They were travelling light and had no waterproof coats. Both had ground sheets, which they took from the Park-Morpeth Hut. These sheets belonged to Sweney and I, but appeared useless to the men and impeded their movements. At their request, we took the sheets. We impressed on them to hold the sheets, but they declined. We informed them that the weather on top of the Whiteborn Pass was not so bad as where we stood. We then parted, and we reached the Park-Morpeth Hut about 2 p.m. and read in the hut book an entry by the other party that they had been anxious regarding our safety as our entry in Sweney's diary, at the hut indicated that we were going over Pope's Pass into the Taipo.
Herbert Merle Sweney, a student, at the Christchurch Teachers' Training College, whose home is in Hokitika, corroborated Wilson's evidence. He added that about 10 a.m. on Wednesday he left Loney in the Park-Morpeth Hut in fair condition and with sufficient food for two or three days. Loney was able to give such information as to make it certain that his comrades were likely to be found on the south Bide of the Taipoiti, Smith being under a large rock. On his way to the Carrington Hut Sweney searched for such a rock, but was unable to find it. As he did not know whether Wilson had safely reached the Bealey Hotel he made for the Carrington Hut, reaching it at about 3 p.m. He met Constable Robbs and others of the search party, but was unfit to travel further that day. His part in the search on Thursday and the finding of the body of Robbins were then described.
Position of the Body. The Coroner: What position was the body in when you found it? — It was lying in the Taipoiti creek, although the head was out of the water. I think that he fell into the water and the stream carried him on to the stones at the edge.
Search Detailed. Constable Robb, of Otira, gave detailed evidence of his receipt of the first news and of the searches which were made for the missing men. He said that he had examined the body of Robbins when it was recovered in the Taipoiti. Other than a few marks on the arm and scars, there was no indication that he had met his death in any way but through exposure. The body of Smith had eventually been found about a mile and a half on the righthand side of the Taipoiti river, high up on the ranges. The body was lying face down, with the left hand under the forehead. There were no marks of struggling. The appearance of the body indicated that death had taken place during his sleep. There were no marks on it whatever.
The Coroner: What, in your opinion was the cause of death? — In regard to Smith, I should say that he died in his sleep of exhaustion and exposure. Robbins, I should say, was in a weak condition through exposure, and had fallen into the creek. Owing to his condition he was unable to get out and probably died from exposure also. There is a possibility that he may have been drowned, although when he was found his face was out of the water.
Constable Robb's statement closed the evidence.
Sympathy with Relatives. Returning the verdict of the jury, given above, Mr Fitzgerald congratulated Loney, Sweney, and Wilson, giving them all credit for their work. He wished also to thank Constable Robb and all the searchers. "Finally," said the Coroner, "I wish to convey to the people and relatives of the dead men my own sympathy and that of the jury."
He read the following letter from Mrs Ellen M. Smith, the mother of Harold Smith: —
"Kindly convey the heartfelt thanks of my two daughters, son, and myself to all those splendid workers who so unselfishly searched for, and found, my dear son, and assure them that their deeds are deeply appreciated and will always be remembered gratefully." Loney will probably come home to Christchurch to-day. Wilson and Sweney are tramping back to the West Coast and will search for Loney's pack, which contains a fair sum of money and a camera.
TRAMPERS KNEW THE ROUTE.
MR WILSON'S STORY.
LONEY'S DRAMATIC ARRIVAL IN CAMP.
"The spot where they bivouacked was only 10 minutes off the right track and three-quarters of an hour from the Carrington Hut. Smith, Robbins, and Loney knew where the hut was and they could see the river, but they got up among the cliffs and they could not get down. They kept on and on instead of turning back."
That is the impression of Harman's Pass tragedy gained by Mr J. P. Wilson, a Christchurch school-teacher, who was camping with Mr H. M. Sweney, of Hokitika, when Loney happened on them last Tuesday night with the news of his companions' misfortune. Mr Wilson made the trip to the Bealey Hotel in the remarkable time of 10 hours, and only just escaped drowning in the Waimakariri in an attempt to reach there sooner. He and Mr Sweney, who were prospecting in the region, give the following account of their meetings with the three men: —
The First Meeting. "We left the Carrington Hut last Sunday at about 7.30 a.m. It had then been raining lightly for about two days but the visibility was good. We made the top of Harman's Pass without trouble, arriving there in about an hour, and reached the top of the Whitehorn Pass at 10.45. There were occasional clouds of mist passing by us, but our surroundings were never obscured. From the top of this pass to the Park-Morpeth Hut we slid most of the way on snow. When we got down on to the rocks below, we first saw these three fellows. We met them at about 1 p.m. when they were a mile and a half from the Park-Morpeth Hut. It was raining much more heavily down below.
"They looked in very good order — muscular, hard fellows — and they knew the country. They said they thought we had been lost in the Taipo and had been looking for us. Sweney asked them some questions to make sure that they knew the route, and they seemed to know it all right. They did not have waterproof coats."
Loney Reaches the Camp. "After leaving them we went on to the Park-Morpeth Hut, and that was the last we saw of them. For the rest of that day it rained fairly hard. It was wet all that night and the next day. We did not go out except to look for deer. Tuesday, on the other hand, was a beautifully fine, warm day. We packed as much stuff as we could up to the top of the Browning Pass, leaving only enough food for one more meal.
"We had just had tea that night when Loney came in. He was absolutely done, and we could scarcely get anything out of him except 'Smithy's dead.' We found out later that he had crawled in the snow for miles, frequently collapsing on the way. We gave him some weak coffee, and while Sweney worked with him Wilson packed up his bag. In less than half an hour Wilson had reached the top of the pass again. Loney had given us some. indication of the whereabouts of Smith and Robbins, and Wilson called and yodelled and zigzagged up and down the country in a hope of finding them.
A Dash for Help. "It was getting dark, so he had to go on to the Carrington Hut, where he arrived at about 10 p.m. Wilson then tried to get straight down the Waimakariri, but the river was flooded and he was many times bowled over, and knocked about. He was forced to return to the hut. He left again at 5.30 a.m. and dashed on to the Bealey Hotel making the five hours' trip in two hours 50 minutes.
"The arrangement was for Swenev to look after Loney and see that he did not wander, and then, if he could manage it, to go out and look for the others. He first went to the top of the pass where we had taken most of our stores and brought down food. Then he began a long search for the other fellows during which Mr Cochrane and Constable Robb met him, absolutely done." -Press, 16/1/1932.
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