NGAURUHOE STILL IN ANGRY MOOD: 3 MEN CLIMB SUMMIT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22869, 12 February 1949, Page 6

NGAURUHOE STILL IN ANGRY MOOD: 3 MEN CLIMB SUMMIT

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 12. Although lacking the ferocity of the last two days, Mount Ngauruhoe was again very active up to a late hour last night.

The brilliant and frightening display of Thursday continued until about -5 o’clock yesterday morning, when the mountain retired behind a veil of cloud.

"Weird rumblings were resum-

ed later in the morning and in the afternoon, when most of its screening cloud was swept away the mountain gave vent to more resounding crashes.

Clouds again concealed the mountain after sunset last evening but at 9 o’clock the first shower of flaming rocks was seen to leave the crater and cascade in a blazing trail down the mountain slopes. , Red Glow About Peak They were accompanied by a red glow about the peak and in black clouds towering above it each new shower was followed by the same loud roar. A party, including Mr. L. R. Allen, Rotorua, a geologist of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, a New Zealand Herald reporter and a photographer left the Chateau yesterday morning and climbed to the summit. While they were there the crater’s smoke was obscured by heavy steam which, mingled with ash, was being thrown into the air with tremendous force. The roar was terrifying. Deep rumbles began at 9 a.m. and increased in frequency until they occurred every second, sounding like a huge boiler working up steam. Loud Claps Break Eerie Silence This continued until well after 1.30 p.m. when the party was descending the mountain slopes. The eerie silence of the cloud-covered mountain was broken during the late afternoon by a series of loud claps which echoed over the surrounding country for a brief period. At 9 o’clock last night guests at the Chateau were treated to another fine display. It was not nearly as weird as that of early yesterday morning when the whole mountain slope seemed to be covered with red hot lava flows. The flows were really huge quantities of molten scoria and hot lava. Heavy mists covered the mountain tracks as the small party left the Chateau for the ascent. It was so dense that when they were near the Tama Lakes they began to return. Visibility improved and the journey was resumed. Found Huge Rock Still Hot The foot of the mountain was reached at 11 o’clock. When only a few hundred feet up Mr. Allen examined a huge rock, still fairly hot, which must have been thrown out during the night. The ground where the rocks had fallen was greatly disturbed. As the climbers struggled over the loose surface the mountain continued its ominous rumbling, and in a particularly sharp movement a small shower of rocks fell down the slope a little above them.

The surface immediately below the peak was covered with fresh, loose scoria which made climbing difficult. Mr. Allen denies the suggestion that there has been a flow of lava. A true flow would move like thick treacle. It would have a definite, physical connection with the lava in the vent. Specimens seen yesterday gave no evidence of these qualities.