FIFTY YEARS AGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22543, 7 October 1936, Page 10

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ERUPJION IN PACIFIC ISLAND PARTIALLY DESTROYED An account of a serious volcanic eruption at luiiafu, an island in the Tongan group, was given prominence in the Nkw Zealand" Herald 50 years ago. The following report, which appeared oil | October 6, 18SG, was brought by the Arawatea, a vessel which arrived at Russell the previous day:— "The eruption appear* to have been ! first noticed by those on board the French-war vessel Dei-res, which passed close to the island. As the island was | enveloped by great clouds ot smoke and apparently in violent eruption, no one froui the vessel deemed it prudent | to land either to ascertain definitely the | extent of catastrophe or, il possible, to I render assistance to the natives. ! "The eruption was reported to the ! Tongan Government, however, and the i Premier., Shirley Baker, at once j chartered the steamer Suva, which imj mediately proceeded to the island. On \ arrival it was found that three parts i of the island had disappeared, and that a new mountain 200 ft. high had been thrown up. "So far as is known no lives have boon lost. Before the eruption a terrific thunderstorm burst over the island and the natives, greatly alarmed, quitted their villages and assembled at a point on the island which has not been affected by the eruption. To this circumstance they owe their lives, for had they remained in their villages the probabilities are that they all would have been killed. "It is stated by seamen on the schooner Olive, which arrived in Auckland yesterday, that the reflection of the eruption was seen at Keppel s Island, which is fully 100 miles from Nuiafu."