The Eruption.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6293, 13 February 1892, Page 2

The Eruption.

A TELEGRAM sent from Taupo on Tuesday to the Auckland Herald reports regarding the recent eruption : —

Wo had a sharp shock of earthquake at 0. 47 a. m. , followed by a noise like a heavy discharge of artillery in the distance, which lasted for ten minutes, but a view of the mountain was not obtainable at that time, as it. has been obscured in dense clouds since yesterday morning.

As I wired yesterday, there were three active craters within the large crater of Ngauruhoe. These craters are surrounded by a crust forming a high cliff' on the southern side, about 200 feet high, whicli gradually slopes to the northwards until it is nearly horizontal with the three interior craters. Thus to obtain an exact knowledge of what is going on, it is necessary to enter the large crater of Ngauruhoe from the northward, thence you have to pass between two of the craters to get to the most active, or, as it is called, the Black Crater. It is impossible to do this, unless the wind is N. K. or N.W., as the sulphurous vapours would cause instant death from suffocation.

It is probable that, before anj' serious results to the mountain arise, the three craters will be thrown into one, and if the vent is then capable of discharging the gases all will go on smoothly, but the danger is that the southern lip of Ngauruhoe, already referred to, and which is only a shell, may fall into the crater, when even if it succeeds in choking the vent for a few minutes, an oruption may take place at any part which is the weakest in the volcanic zone from Tongariro to White Island, but most probably Rnapehu would be called into requisition. The long spell of dry weather may prevent this, but a heavy rainffwll would precipitate matters.

Unlike Tarawera, this explosion was not unexpected. The mountain had lieen becoming hotter for several weeks, and everything pointed to an outbreak, but whether the climax has been reached is of course unknown.

Mr Willcocks, the Tokaanu guide, intends to ascend the mountain as soon as the wind is favorable, when definite information will be obtained.

The Tokaanu residents have settled down to their ordinary vocations, and have no fears of any serious results. Ngauruhoe was in active eruption in 1870, while the Armed Constabulary were pursuing Te Kooti in this district, and after the first explosion it gradually cooled down. Old residents here predict that the worst is now over. We are thirty-five miles from the mountain in a straight line, so that no danger is apprehended here to the township.