"HELL LET LOOSE."

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16235, 3 April 1917, Page 4

"HELL LET LOOSE."

ERfUPTION AV WALMANGU

THE ACCOMMODATION BOITSE WRECKKD.

CAHETTAKEK, -AND, FAMILY INJURED. (Per Press Association.)

" . ROTORUA, April 1. Information was received this morning, about half past eight o'clock, of a terrific and disastrous eruption that had taken pvace at Waim.angu, ing in the wreck of the Government accommodation house and serious injury to the inmates, Mr and Mrs M'Cormick and their child. The news was brought in by Mr Wil-, Ham Wood, who has a selection in. close proximity to the great geyser. The resident officer, on learning that Mr and Mfs M'Cormick had been injured, procured a motor-car and made arrangements to proceed to the scene, accompanied by Dr Osborne. On the way out a oar was met with the three injured . people and the doctor accompanied them to Rotorua, where they were taken to Nurse Glasson's Private Hospital, and are progressing as well as can be expectedMr M'Cormick is much scalded about the hody and face and also his-, hands. The child is scalded about the face, while Mrs M'Cormick is severely scalded all over, having evidently received the full brunt of the awful- blast that wrecked the house.

The eruption took place at 6.20 a.m., •at which time the clock in the house stopped. From what can be surmised the whole of Frying Pan F.at r, oast have erupted, and a blast cf steam, mud and wind swept up the valley, and in its progress unroofed the house, parts of the roof having been driven a distance of 800 yards across the valley and on to the ridge beyond. Everything in the house Beems to lave been wrecked, the carpet having been blown up and all articles overturned- ■ Recovering from the first shock of the outbreak the inmates appear to have taken refuge tinder the bed, but realising that mud was being driven into' the house, and fearing that, the exits would be jammed by an accumulation, Mr M'Cormick and family, after uiuch trouble, got clear of the building by the back door, it being impossible to face the fui-y of the steam, mud and wind that was riging in the front of the building. Notwithstanding her injuries, Mrs M'Cormick started for the residence of Mr Wood, to give the alarm, _ telephonic communication being impossible, as the telephone was wrecked.

Mr Wood, more than an ordinary eruption had taken place, was proceeding in the direction of tbe geyser and picked Mrs M'Cormick up, removing her to his home, where she was cared for by Mrs Wood. In the meantime Mr Wood returned for Mr M'Cormick, and the chud. The surroundings at the accommodation, house indicated that the force of the eruption must have been- terrific, the roof of the verandah having been blown off and lifted on to a knoll. The roof of the main building was scattered all over the valley and ridges adjacent. The escape of tie inmates is nothing : short of a miracle.. The scene of the eruption, Frying Pan Flat, resembled "hell let loose," mud, water and steam being shot to heights warylng from 600 to SOD feet Black mud, red mud, stones and steam :of were to be seen, and a remarkable sight was the huge blocks of stone being hurled immense distances and silhouetted in the white steam in the background. Another peculiar sight was the falling of what was no doubt stones, but they appeared to resemble comets or shooting stars, emitting great brilliance.

Mr W. Warhrick, who at the request, of the resident officer proceeded to the scene of the eruption from fe Wairoa, across Lakes Tarawera and Rotomahana, is of opinion that the whole olf the flat, some forty acres in extent, was blown out and, so far as he could see, he considers that Gibraltar Rock has been erupted.,. The country to the south of Waimangu for a distance of about three miles is covered with a dirty whitish sand or mud, all vegetation being smothered. The force of the steam and wind can be gauged from the manner in which the fern has been swept down, and leve.led to the ground. The configuration e)i the tiat whl be altered entirely, ad it is not likely that f&erc will be any round trips for some time, the the flat forming a portion of" the land embraced by the eruption. Hundreds of the residents of Rotorua travelled to Waimangu to witness the eruption. At the time of leaving everything was still very active, the roaring of the escaping steam being heard at some distance.

"It is estimated that the damage to the Government accommodation house is much greater than that to M'Crae'a Hotel during the eruption o>f' Tarawera thirty-one years ago- Alter seven hours there appeared to be as much power Irehind the irrad as at the start. Mr M'Cormick will be a heavy loser, p'b- the furniture and effects at the house were his property. Much svmnaitihy is felt for Kim and his familv. It was only, on Thursday last that he .returned from a holiday.

ROTOTIUA, April 2. Yesterday many visitors* took the round trip and passed over the sround that erupted ih the :iiornirg. Several were out aga'ai to-day.