Awe-Inspiring Display By Night As Fiery Boulders Cascade On Ngauruhoe

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22868, 11 February 1949, Page 6

Awe-Inspiring Display By Night As Fiery Boulders Cascade On Ngauruhoe

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 11. After being shrouded in heavy low cloud for most o.f the day MounUNgauruhoe burst out shortly before 8 o’clock last night to give the guests and staff at Chateau Tongariro one of the most magnificent and brilliant displays ever seen in the Dominion.

Huge boulders, glowing with their intense heat, were thrown as if from Roman candle hundreds of feet into the air to cascade around the peak and roll in ashowerof sparks and fire down the mountain slopes. Each new shower was heralded by a deep rumble from the crater’s throat, and heavy black smoke rose in great columns to tower above the scene. Windows and chandeliers in the Chateau shook with each tremor.

Although from a distance the mountain appeared fairly quiet during the morning and early afternoon yesterday there has been no real respite since the activity first began early on Wednesday morning. Deep rumbles like the noise of a battery of guns being fired, accompanied by heavy black smoke emerged from the mountain throughout Wednesday and after sunset, when the mountain was clear of cloud, flames could be seen in the crater from the Chateau. Showers of rock were also observed but they did not reach the height of last night’s eruption.

The whole of the Chateau buildings were shaken by the violent earthquake which occurred at 5.30 a.m. yesterday. Swing doors and other moveable fixtures were set in motion for some minutes, but nothing was damaged. Low clouds covered the mountain throughout the day. Every threequarters of an hour Ngauruhoe gave a particularly deep rumble behind its cloudy veil. There were, however, softer sounds of continuous activity. At about 3 p.m. an explosion was particularly violent and shortly afterward the cloud above the summit cleared away for a brief interval to reveal heavy rolls of black smoke e'mefging from the crater. The peak was soon hidden again. Another loud clap occurred at 4 p.m. The low rumbling continued behind the cloud until about 7.45 p.mwhen the red glow of ames penetrated the veil. This gradually cleared away to reveal a blazing inferno and a continuous showed of red-hot stones was erupted. .The effect of the scene was made the more awe-inspiring by the presence of clouds mingled with black smoke which rose to heights of up to 15,000 ft. As the eruptions became more violent the size and intensity of the showers increased and every few seconds they were seen to hurtle down the mountain slopes. Guests from the hotel spent the evening watching the vivid display. Major Barney, of the United States Air Force, who is visiting the mountain as one of the Pacific Science Congress delegates, said he had seen Vesuvius erupting in 1944, but that display was nothing.like as spectacular as Ngauruhoe’s exhibition. A party of six guests and a guide travelled to Mangatepopo hut at the foot of Ngauruhoe yesterday. Three of them went about a mile further. The guide said the party arrived at the hut at about one o'clock- The fumbling was continuous and whitehot stones were thrown out in bursts at intervals of five seconds. HThere was no lava, but the whole area surrounding the mountain was sprayed with ash.

When they approached it the mountain was shrouded with cloud, but with each explosion the 1 intense heat cleared the peak for some seconds. Looking up they could see stones being hurled to a tremendous height.. Small ones seemed to fall back into the crater, but they could watch others from the time they were hurled aloft until they fell into the clouds surrounding the peak. A fraction of a second later the rocks, fell out of the clouds and crashed against the mountain slopes. One fell about 200 yards from the nearest member of the party.