THE ERUPTION OF TONGA RIRO.

West Coast Times, Issue 10473, 18 January 1897, Page 4

THE ERUPTION OF TONGA RIRO.

Mr Peters, coach proprietor of Tokaanu, gave some information to the representative of a Napier paper with regard to the recent eruption at Tonga - riro. It appears the first outbreak took place about five weeks ago, Tongariro belchipg forth at a spot about two hundred feet above the summit of Te Maare on the northern slope, considered, rightly or wrongly, to be one of Tongariro's safety valves. Mr Peters was only eight miles distant at the time. The eruption was preceded by a succession of earthquakes, no less than one hundred and forty being recorded or having been felt at Tokaanu during the night. Just before the first outburst, smeke and flame were seen and a terrific roar was heard like the sound of a monster rocket. A long, loud rumble then occurred, and the earth in the vicinity oscillated with a peculiar rocking motion. _ Clouds of smoke, flame and dust intermingled cleft the sky, it is estimated for about a mile, and spread mushroom-like. Soon the whole of the higher atmosphere in the neighbourhood became obscured and an awe-inspiring darkness enwrapped the locality. The air at the same time became heated almost to an unbearable pitch. Soon a shower of small stones began to fall, and a hasty retreat on the part of the spectators was deemed ad visable. Stones the size of peas rattled like hailstones on the roofs of some of the houses in the vicinity during the whole of one niglft. There were several smaller eruptions from time to time, but the second big outburst took place on Friday week, when the mountain emitted even a greater quantity of debris in the shape of an almost impalpable grey dust, which covered the country in the vicinity in some places to the depth of several inches, and for eleven miles all round with a deposit of about two inches thick; whilst flax btfshes, fern trees and other | vegetation drooped with the unusual weight of volcanio dust. The country? seen from an eminence, presented a peculiarly weird appearance in its grey ; coating.