RUAPEHU ACTIVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21990, 22 December 1934, Page 10

RUAPEHU ACTIVE

DENSE COLUMN OF STEAM THE CRATER LAKE BOILING RELATION TO NGAURL'HOE ASCENTS MADE BY CLIMBERS [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT ] THE CHATEAU, Friday The crater lake on Mount Kuapehu lias shown its greatest activity for some considerable time during the last two days. A visitor to the Chateau, Mr. (). Wilson. of Hulls, climbed the mountain yesterday and found the lake in a very disturbed condition. A dense column of steam was rising to a height estimated at 1000 ft. above the surface of the lake. The water was evidently at a very high temperature and was boiling violently in places, presenting a remarkable contrast to the surrounding ice cliffs. There were no signs, however, of the water having risen above the ice cliffs on to the surrounding snow. Owing to light clouds and haze near the summit of the mountain, the steam cloud was not clearly visible from the Chateau, but reports were received that it was observed from Bangataua and other points to the south. Karly this morning steam could distinctly be seen rising from the crater. The mountain was again climbed today by Lieutenant J. C. Elworthy. aide-de-camp to the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, in company with a guide from the Chateau. Steam was still rising from the surface of the lake, but the activity was considerably less than on the previous day. There were signs that the ice cliffs were being undermined in places by the heat oi the water. The manager of the Chateau, Mr. R. Cobbe, has noticed on previous occasions that disturbances of Ngauruhoe are frequently accompanied by increased thermal activity in the surrounding district, and there is probably a connection between the recent eruption of Ngauruhoe and the present disturbance. The activity of Ngauruhoe lias not yet ceased entirely and volumes of black and white vapour are still issuing in small quantities from the crater, at times rising in spirals a few hundred feet above the summit. Kuapehu was last reported to be showing signs of activity in August, when a column of steam was seen to be rising from the crater, while the lake was observed to be considerably above its normal temperature in June.