ALARMING OCCURRENCE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14403, 21 September 1914, Page 4

ALARMING OCCURRENCE.

ERUPTION AT WHITE ISLAND. SULPHUR WORKS OVERWHELMED TEN MEN PROBABLY KILLED. (Per United Press Association.) WUAKATANIi, September 20. Apparently the greatest eruption since Tarawera, which occurred on June 10th, 1886, occurred at White Island presumibly Inst Thursday week, when a dense volume of Mack smoke was seen rising rom the island. The island is worked by the White Island Sulphur Co., which ’ad an extrusive plant there and quarters or a manager and about ten men. Suplies for the island are sent from Opoiki nice a fortnight. The proprietor of he Opotiki launch Mokomoko went on bis regular trip on Tuesday last, hut having no dingy was unable to land and ■onld not,’ attract any attention, lie cendi’ded the men were absent on another part of the island, and did not notice my eliange in the aspect. He returned o Opotiki and proceeded to the island igain on Saturday morning, landed, and found a scene of desolation on the site ’ reviously occupied t-v the works and ■amp. The effect of the eruption seems :o have been to throw the whole hillddo overlooking the large lake and camp into the lake and over the whole of the nirrounding area, completely burying the works, dwellings, boats and small wharf, ind all the inhabitants. He reports no ngn of life at all on that part of the Aland, and twenty feet of debris covers where the camp stood. The Mokomoko returned to Opotiki and reported the disaster. At two o’clock this morning a lenrch parly in charge of the police, coneating of about forty, left Opotiki for 'he island, and have not returned at the Tine of wiring. It is unders'ood that another party have gone from Te Kara, he nearest point in the bay to the island, which is distant about forty miles rom Opotiki and Whakatane rospective’y. As tar as can be ascertained there were ten men on the island. It was first reported that Mr Rhodes, the manager, and his wife were on the island, but it A now practically certain that they lef by the Rosamond, which frequently calls it the island, some weeks ago. Lately times of sulphur have been■ noticeable along the coast from Matata to Opotiki, and the island has nevdr before ben ;oen so active as on the day the disaster is supposed to have occurred. It is worthy 'f note that a fresh cold water spring on t. farm four miles away below To Toko, which lies in a valley in a. direct line between Tarawera and White Island, has been transformed into a boiling spring within the past week.

CAMP BURIED IN DEBRIS. MEN MAY HAVE ESCAPED IN BOATS. AUCKLAND, September 20. Fears arc entertained for the safety of lie eleven men employed mi White Island by the N.Z. Sulphur Co., in ccnscjueuce of a thermal explosion. The pari.oulara so far received are very meagre. Fixe inland was visited on Thursday *by i pilot, who reached there from Opotiki bout 6.30 pi.in., having heeu delayed, it is thought, by hud weather. At any rate ‘ie, did not effect a landing, but waited off shore, for five hours. During that time he made frequent signals, to which lie wit no replies. Ou returning to Opotiki the pilot wired to Mr W. H. Willoughby, managing director of the Sulphur Co. in Auckland, ou Friday for instructions. Mr Willoughby wired bark instructing him 'o return-to the island and make further investigations. This the pilot did on Saturday. That eveniug he again wired o Mr Willoughby, stating that he had eturned to the island, where ’ • f'—- J hat au explosion had blown up a large nortion of cliff 1000 feet high/ and that the camp was buried in the debris. The boats usually kept near the wharf were missing, and he supposed had been washid out to aea. Interviewed to-day, Mr Willoughby dated he had no further details. Ho was inclined to think, however, from the fact hat Whakatane residents saw an explosion in the daytime, that the men got iway in the boats. The latter were four n number—three surf boats and a linghy. Those would hold many more ban 11, and Mr Willoughby considered bat, the fact that there was no nows of the men as yet may merely indicate slow orogress in the surf boats, which would he seriously hampered if the weather was rough. Tlie fact that the pilot failed "o get replies to rffenals on Thursday wan .ot unusual. The men ashore might have been on the other side of the island or it their meal. Mr Willoughby, on Saturday evening, wired to Opotiki to organise n search larty to proceed to the island forthwith, and advices state that the party was to eavo with the police at 2 tl.tn. to-day. hi the meantime the Northern Co.’s .‘earner Tasman, to leave here 11 u.ni. ■Saturday for Whakatane was ordered to rnc.ood to White 1.-, laud first. Four polieenen went by the Taslnan, which should ’.-each the island at 5 p.m. to-day. Shipmasters have been asked to keep a 'onk-ont for castaways. The camp ou the island was near the wharf. Just, beyond was a high cliff, which, from that point, almost encircles n the form of £ huge crater, a lake now try. Tffie other end of the partial circle is a cliff 100:) feet high and half a mile from the camp building. At the l ose ef his cliff and on the side of the lake is a 'blow-hqle, which Mr Willoughby states has been showing rather more than normal activity recently, but not such as to create alarm. Ho thinks it probable that the activity from this blow-hole penetrated beneath the interior of the cliff and culminated in an explosion throwing the lehris over tho lake and the camp in lie vicinity. The party on the island comprised ten men under a manager, Mr A. J. C. McKim. The only names so far available are Walker, Steve Young and Burn, also six from Auckland, somo if whom are married. The staff was lately reduced, and the eleven men had inly been on tho island five or six davs. 'll supplies wore taken from Opotiki, '6 miles away. The company has sought better means of communion!ion without success, and lately has put in moorings to enable it to secure a regular'steamer service. In rough weather it is very diffi■nlt to land on the island. A wireless dant has been suggested, but was not entertained by the Government. At prelent tho Union Co.’s Rosamond calls there on tho way to Tologa Bay and Gisborne. The only other means of communication is bv boat with Opotiki. Whakatane is <6 miles away, and Tanranga 56. Mr Willoughby is hoping to receive further news to-night.

STATEMENT BY MANAGER. THINKS DISASTER HAPPE»WIaT NIGHT. T *;• ISLAND NOT CONSIDERED . t DANGEROUS. AUCKLAND, September 21. Mr Willoughby, managing director of the Sulphur (Ay, is inclined to fear that the disaster happened at night, in whiqh case the employees would have been taken unawares. Had it occurred in the daytime the men would not have l beon working in a dangerous part of tho island, but in absolutely quiescent ground on the tlat. Discussing the probable cause of tho unbcaval. Mr Willoughby sag] the blowhole was situated at the base of tho north-eastern cliff. This had always shown thermal netivitv. which of Into had been rath er more pronounced than usual, though not to an alarming degree. Ip his opinion the activity from this blowhole passed beneath tins' cliff, which was KKKjlt high, and caused a lurne landslide. There were other blowholes on the island, from some of which fumes bad been seen issuing „t. times. No flames on a large scale had ever boon seep however. The eatnu was situated about 300 or 400 v-rds from the lake, or about half e mile from the northeastern el iff which has l»een thrown down. Ihe island w - as not considered dangerous end men who had worked there were* always eager to go hack. Apparent)'-, continued Mr Willoughby, there had beep three active craters on 'be island at one time -ope a t Troup Head, long extinct, another on tho op-n-isOe hill, anti the third ip the centre of too island, on the "orth-westem side ot Sulphur Lake. From tho latter thorp were constant emissions of steam and smoke, he-"-.,, the smoke seen by the residentb ol Whakatane was not unusual.

SEARCH FOP. THE MISSING. PORTIONS OF CM MR FLOATING IN SEA. NAMES OF MISSING MEN. AI CKL.WT). September 91. Scnrr-h parlies which visited the island yesterday state ilia' Horn armoaranee* 't would scerr, tl. n t the lari-» o'iff on the iiort lorlv of iftlfMirl hlippod ''an] towards Sulnbur 1 ate, ns th# d..l,ns c-M ci-r,,] „ ] nr)ro *„!„(,„’ r btowliola ‘ wln'‘ i fornorlv existed a t thel>a»o ' ''o cliff. Tliis evidently caused a terrific emotion. /"other lar'e blowmle, about ■)(' yards across, has npneyi nd four chains nearer the In be, enr 1 1ting fierce sulphurous flames. Thp lake ro loneer exists, Annoarnnces SU({fes! that tbo epuution took place in j,(p> e-cnnir. It scorns not improbable that rbe enui'ion blew Cm emplove«s Hieir einrte-s over Troup .Hill. 150 ft K "' on tK e Fcnth-eastem 'T " O''', island, ns (he side of that (■'iff is wbjtnned bv erupted. materia). 1 ortions ef the maPaeer’s house end tho etnplnvees’ wlmre, also part of the manager’s a Ire ‘‘re'cher. were found h v l search early floatip" j (1 Hie (< xa. A nair of heavy Duck wheels, and a lupup boulder several tons in weight War* found four- '-bains away from whey** ‘bev ory-innllv were. Jt is estimated *hat nnife 40 e'-ros have boon affected b'- f he nnbeaval.

, Jho police narty and o'ber willing miners clmrcd nwav several tons of , debris from the site where the men's -"offers stood, hut the material was go 'lot and s teaming tbr l 'be n-ork had.tfp be stanied. The rvoliop w jJ] portion* '■" arch ter the bodies if the sea admits them venturing ™* At p rpsent) however, there is a big roll on.

Tho names of tb, ,n Pn ’ w ) lr> it fw.red h' T ’n bn"” kilW) aro os follows—A- f - n MeKim (mannirerV R. Well ’"W Stephen H. Young J. Rvrn# W J. Donovan. R T.a-nb H. A. •tn'inrson, R. Waring. Kelly. ihe fi-rt seven men ri-med worn fsom Auckland, pnd B is believed that all hut Bvrne were ''"married. With ra rrard to Anderson. Waring, and Kelly, tber u is some doubt whether they were on tho island, bn* it >s thought probable they were, in ele'-entli man who bod been onga'-od b,- the manager m ♦be ennneity of cook is known not t# have kent bis engagement. All th* emnloveas ot.l'e- 'ban manager WMtt quarrymen or labourers.