A NEW GEYSER

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 143, 19 June 1931, Page 9

A NEW GEYSER

ERUPTION AT ROTORUA

MUCH THERMAL ACTIVITY

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

EOTOKUA, 18th June.

"With terrific suddenness a now- spectacular geyser broke out.:at (rtr'cloek on "Wednesday evening j)car tho mouth of the Puarenga Stream, on the shore of Lake Rotorua. ■ Tho first shot went up over 100 feet. The geyser tlicu.played." until 4 a.m., when it subsided."" ' It broke out with renewed violence at 3 o'clock this afternoon, playiug' every few minutes. . . ; The first activity in tlys locality occurred a fcw.,wcok.3 ago twenty yards: from, the. present outbreak, when a fo'rrne't geyser suddenly, 6rupted, endangering tw.o. nearby occupied Maori ■whares. After playing for a few days, however, it subsided. The o.ceupants of one wharc, a.couple with. three in!-' fants, and .of'the,, other, ,ah !,olderly couple, disturbed since by .the coutinual trembling of, the - ground, ovaeuated their homes a week ago, expecting a fresh outburst. . ■...'..".'■...'. The present outbreak occurred, right, inthcyard of one. of. the whares, complotely engulfing the . clothes -lino.-, and spattering muddy water round the dwellings. • ■ ' ' .When ■'!'visited■'■•' this r ■aftoriooiij" -the geyser was playing ..magnificently, send-, ing shots composedl of a-huge quantity of. boiling muddy.water over 40 feet in tho air, the who'lcj surrounded, by a pillar of steam. The seeno was reminiscent of .Waimangu, and...there was -a continual' trembling of the ground- 100 yards away.... . .-. . •' ..'.-....'. . . ... : " .Thermal activity has been .noticeable at Bbtorua during- the last- few weeks, Pohutu is playing regularly, sending up fine shots. The lake front is also very active. . ; .. -. T -: - -. The latest outbreak is. -the biggest .for!...many_; years,! Tlie crater-is. over 250 feet in circumference. : : If it continues •to play it-, will ■ compensate in some measure for -the loss- of Waimangu.