VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3049, 10 April 1917, Page 6

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

ERUPTION AT WHITE ISLAND

FLYING STONES AND DEBRIS

By .Telegraph—Press .Association,

Cisborne, April 9. When the steamer Tarawera was abreast of White I .si and at 5.30 o'clock yesterday morning, the chief officer" observed a volcanic' eruption. Flames were shotting skyward, accompanied by flying stones and debris, which were soon enveloped in a dense cloud of vapour.

White Island is in the Bay of Plenty, and is the summit of a volcanic mountain rising out of deep wjter. The cratcr is by a lake of strong mineral water, which is fed liy intermittent geysers and boiling springß which surround it. All these waters are intensely acid; and deposit sulphate of lime; while the accompanying vapours form irregular deposits of pure sulphur. The island lies twenty-seven miles from tho shore and thirty-eight miles south from Capo Runaway, is four miles in circumference, and rises to a height of 1075 ft. In tho west end of the cratcr is .a. blow-hole, from , which escape dense clouds of steam, rising to a great height. For this reason it was named White Island by Captain Cook. The last eruption on White Island occurred about September 10, 1914. The largo cliff cji the northern side of tho island slipped towards the sulphur lake. The debris covered' the large sulphur blow-hole vent which formerly existed at the' base of the cliff, and this evidently caused a terrific eruption. Another large blow-hole, about. 40yds. .across,, appeared four' chains' nearer to the lake, and emitted' fierce sulphurous flames. . An unfortunate feature of tho eruption'was that the ten employees of a sulphur comon. the island lost their lives. .They and their quarters 'were' blown into the sea. Portions of the manager's house and'the men's Whares, also ■part of the manager's wire stretcher,' were _ found floating in the-sea, ■ while a pair of. heavy truck wheels and. a" large boulder several, tons in weight were found four chains away ' from where they had originally heen. It was estimated that forty acres were affected "by tho upheaval.