RUAPEHU ACTIVE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10311, 19 March 1895, Page 2

RUAPEHU ACTIVE.

GREAT OUTBURST OF STEAM. Wellington, Match 10.

Mr Gray, secretary of the Telegraph department, to-night received a telegram from the postmaster at' Lake Taupo stating that this morning there was a tremendous ejection of Bteam from Ruapehu, the lake on' the summit of the mountain having evidently been converted from cold water into a great solfatara. The wireßtates that since midday the mountain has been ejecting smoke and ashes. Ruapehu has never been so active before. The other crater of Tongariro (Ngauruahoe) is also active. *

March 11,

A telegram received from Taupo to-day by Mr Gray (Secretary of the Post and Telegraph, department) states:—"The clouds have now cleared from Ruapehu and the emission of steam is as active as it. was yesterday, bub no smoke at present. The eruption is- on.',the eastern corner of the mountain, where the cold lake was sited, and steam is falling over Rangipn plains in dense,masses. The sight is grand, and, from appearances, likely to last some time. The intermittent geyser, 'The Crow's Nest,' situate a mile from here, in unusually active; also the other hot springs in this locality. No earthquakes were felt nor any •warning given of this eruption, although it blew unusually hard on Sunday morning. Some people here with glasses last night thought they saw flames issuing amidst the steam and smoke, but bein£ a bright moonlight night it was impossible to say for certain. The event has caused great excitement amongst the Native population, who fear that some terrible ; calamity U about to overtake them. Luckily the mountain is almost free from snow, otherwise the Wangaehu river would be flooded,"