ERUPTION IN PACIFIC

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 September 1946, Page 7

ERUPTION IN PACIFIC

DEVASTATION ON “TIN CAN ISLAND” RELIEF SHIP DISPATCHED .. SUVA, Sept. 17. . A volcanic eruption is devastating the isolated island of Niuafoou in the Tongan group, 450 miles east of Fiji. When radio communication ceased an aeroplane from Suva reconnoitred the area and found that parts of the island were wrecked and blasted. Violent eruptions are continuing. A Roman Catholic priest and some of the 1200 .islanders near a partlyoverwhelmed village made signals to the aeroplane. The Government in Tonga said that a ship carrying a doctor and medical supplies w'as being rushed to Niuafoou. The island is of volcanic origin and has a long record of serious eruptions in which parts of the island were devastated. A severe eruption occurred in the middle of 1943. and there were others in 1929 and 1356.. The island’s main interest to the tourist is its unique method of mail delivery, and because of this the island has been nick-named “Tin Can Island.” Inward mail from ships is sealed in biscuit tins. Outward mails are made up ashore in several parcels and tied to the ends of sticks. Two or throe natives swim out, each with a stick and the mail is taken on board steamers in buckets, and tins containing inward mails are thrown overboard and towed ashore by the natives.