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The Barmouth and County Advertiser and District Weekly News

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LOST ON CADER -IDRIS

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LOST ON CADER IDRIS Thrilling Experienced of Officer and Wife. Exclusive Report to the 11 Advertisep.11 The Officer tells his own story, Two Nights Exposure in Snow and Hail. Captain Pocock, and his wife, of Croydon, London, who were spending a bofiday at Barmoutb, have had a most thrilling ex- perience while climbing Cadet Idris. Captain and Mrs Pocook left the Corsygedol Hotel on Sunday morning, at 10 a.m. with the in- tention of climbing Cader Idris, and commenced their ascent from Arthog side, intending to descend to Dolgelley, and return to Bar- mouth on the evening train. The weather was clear and fine, till about 3 p.m., when a heavy mist descended upon the mountain and completely obscured every- thing possibte. In endeavouring to find a path, that would bring them safely down they missed their way and wandered into a ravine. The mist did not lift, and darkness came on, still they wandered about in the hope of finding a path, but they missed their footing and fell over the Cliffe,on to a crag projecting over Lake Mrs Pocock fracturing her thumb in the fall. There they waited until daylight, thinking it was safest, which was as well, for if they hacf moved forward a few feet, they would have fallen over into the very deep lake be- low them. Ca-ptain Pocock ventured to the edge to see if it were possible to climb down, but it was found impossible, but there was a. narrow edge beneath, which looked like a path. He decided to try and let. his wife down to I this ledge, thinking she would then find her way and get assis- tance from him. He tore one or two articles of clothing into strips, including his Trench Coat and having made a rope of these, he let his wife down, on to what looked like a path, to their horror she discovered that it was only a ledga in the CliSe, and did not extend for more than I two yards long and about two feet wide, and it was impossible for her husband to get to her. There they had to stay, not being, able to move one way or the other—as certain death stood them in the face. They had taken nothing what- ever to eat, and it was now Mon- day and they had had nothing since Sunday breakfaat. The strain upon Mrs Pocock must have been fearful—for she dare not look down, and there was littid or no hope of anyone com- ing in that direction, as they were very much out of the beaten track of Cader Idris climb. Monday, being a fine day, Mrs Backbouse and party, decided to climb Cader Idris, and in doing so. knowing the mountain very w.ell, she ventured out of the track, being sure of her way. She heard a man's and woman's voices, shrieking, and concluded they more larking—but as the voices continued, one or two of the party decided that they were cries of distress they beard. Mrs Backhouse endeavoured to locate the sounds, and finally saw Mrs Pocock standing in her perilous position, nat against the rock over-looking the Lake, but could not locate the Omcer. Mr Barrow, one of the party, called to Mrs Pocock to ascertain her name, and where she had come from, but it was utterly impossible for him to get anywhere near them. Mrs Backhouse descended the mountain into Dolgelley, and at 5 p.m. gave the alarm to the Police, who immediately set out with food and ropes, etc., to the rescue. Mr Barrow remained up the mountain in order to bail the rescue party and to keep the spirits of Mrs Pocock from flag- ging. Sergeant J. Francis Evans, Police Constable Barnard, and others went out as a rescue party at 6 o'clock on Monday night. They experienced the greatest digiculty in getting near Captain and Mrs Pocock, trying nrst from above and then from below. For eight or nine hours they tried unavaiHagly in the darkness to effect a rescue, and then SergeanL Evans managed to get a Tope to the iady, and J though greatly exhausted she ? was able to fasten it round her waist. The Sergeant then dropped her over a precipice twenty yards high, and got her from crag to crag till eventually he succeeded in getting her to the bottom of the mountain and conveyed her to a farmhouse at five o'clock on Tuesday morning, where every kindness and care was give to her. She is still at the farmhouse, suffering from a bad cold and exhaustion, which considering the appalling adventure sue bad undergone, was not to wondered at. The terribly exhausted condi- tion of this lady can be imagined by the fact of two days and two nights exposure—one night a heavy frost, and another hail- storm and not a bit to eat. The captain was still in his perilous position, and Police Constable Barnard headed an- other rescue party, who after great trouble and exhertion managed to bring him to safety at 1 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. He was giving stimulants and taKen to the same farm bouse as his wife. The Captain was vpryiitt!e the worse for his adventure They had ieft no word at the Bate! as to where they wepe going, and when they did not turn in to dinner, it was conceded that they had bad a break down in their cur. They arrived at the Corsygedol Hotet in a car, and it was thought that they b,,id. of course, gone out motoring on Sunday. Had it not been for Mrs Backhouse and partly, deciding to climb Cader on Monday, the great possibility is that Captain and Mrs Pocock woutd have starved to death. ? Captain Pocock arrived at the Cors. ygedol Hotet yesterday afternoon (Wed. nesday) and in the course of an inter. view which our representative had with him he said he bad beeu up Cader Idris Rveorsix tmes previously. He bad been on service aea.'dy twenty months in S.doaicH, nad being in hospital for three months had come to Barmoutb on short feave before rejoining. Later in the afternoon, Capt. Pocoek motored to the farmhouse where his wife is.

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