NGAURUHOE IN ACTION
FLOWING LAVA
BOULDERS SHOT 3000 FEET IN
THE AIR
Writing from Waimariiio oil Monday the Auckland "Herald's" .orrespondeut said :— The activity displayed by Ngauruhoe during the past sixteen days became greatly intensified during thu week-end, and from Saturday evening until Sunday afternoon there was a very violent eruption. OnlyUhe oldest Maoris in the aid- \ trict are able to recall a similar disturbance. Tlie outburst commenced about -nine o'clock on Saturday evening, .-nd continued practically without cessation until 3 p.m. on Sunday. Explosion followed explosion, and the protracted earth tremors that were n feature of the outburst were . the causo of considerable alarm among the settlers in the vicinity. The Maoris havo deserted Olukii pa, on the northern slope of Tongariro. i . All. through tho night molten Java 1 ml largo red-hot boulders were ejected from the crater. The sky.for miles around was ! illuminated to blood-red colour, and the spectacle was one of surpassing gra'ndonr. There, was a long series of , Ucmendjus ! detonations in the heart of the crater • {uintil 10.40 p.m., when a gigancic explo- ; sion occurred. It was heralded by dense . volumes of smoke nnd steam. IJed-hot 1 boulders were projected to a height of (over'3ooo feet, retaining, their brilliant ; colour for some minutes after falling bai"fc to-tho earth. Somo of them fell wide* of the mountain on lo thu -Waimariiio Plains. The lava flowing down Hie gullies and crevasses in the mountain face also .glowed a bright red, quickly losing the colour in tho process of cool-'. ing. The might}' earth shocks were felt many miles away from Taumarunui. Articles on shelves at tho prison camp, fully six milea from the base of the mountain, Were thrown 011 to the. floor. Houses trembled on their foundations, i.nd numerous panes of glass were broken. A remarkable phenomenon .vas witnessed at midnight. In the bright, ruddy light it was observed that boiling lava, glowing with fierce heat, suddenly filled ;. the crater, and, overflowing, poured down the sides of the mountain. Previously tho lava had flowixl down the northern : elopes of Ngauruhoe, towards Tongariro, but so immonso was the quantity ejected that the southern elopes towards ltuapehu were also covered with uolten material. Tho southern face of '.he moun,tain has hitherto been free from volcanic deposit.
The ehots were (.distantly renewed all through the night, some of them reaching an estimated height of 3000 feet to 4000 feet, the flight of red-hot boulders through the air being clearly discern-\ iblo several miles away. There was bright moonlight on Saturday night, the first really bright night'since Ngiui.'uhoe sprang into activity on October and the full spectacular effect of tie eruption could be seen. It was a terrifying ' and . truly awe-inspiring sight. Throughout Sunday night dense'volumes of smoko and occasionally some solid material were being emitted from Ihe crater, and to-day there was a. continuance of tho same conditions, with long-sustain-ed reverberations and earth shocks. With the exception of one brilliant shot early in tho evening, the volcano :ins been moderately quiescent to-night. The summit is again hidden by clouds. When Ngauruhoe first showed signs of violent activity the peak and a large portion of Mount Tongariro were white with snow. The snow has now disappeared. The position of the crater is being moved,slightly to the northward. Erosion of the crater 13 now taking place, and tho symmetrical contour of the .peak is being altered. Travellers from many scattered districts as far as Taihape report appreciable subterranean rumblings. It is stated that when. Fryingpan' Flat, near Eolorua, broke into violent thermal activity early in the present year, Ngauruhoe became very quiet, and the smoke and the steam v.bich weva to bo seen issuing from the (rater at norma! times bec-.ime less in- vplumo. Sinco the mountain became active a fortnight ago, in addition to (he material being ejected from tho main crater, steam has been observed iss-iing from blow-holes about halfway down the southern slopes. .
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 38, 8 November 1917, Page 7
Word Count
655NGAURUHOE IN ACTION Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 38, 8 November 1917, Page 7
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