GIGANTIC VOLCANIC UPHEAVAL

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18642, 21 May 1932, Page 12 (Supplement)

GIGANTIC VOLCANIC UPHEAVAL

Throughout the greater part of the' world, it is expected, the effect will be felt in some form or other of one of the most gigantic volcanic upheavals on record, which has spread terror over South America. At least eight volcanoes in the Andes, many of which were long thought to be dead, suddenly burst into awe-inspiring activity, and, by tlirealcning 10 engulf cities and towns, plunged hundreds of thousands of people into peril. As the eruption reached maximum violence, a belt of poison gas spread over the country, and blinding clouds of ashes descended, the pall at length spreading from the Atlantic ltd the Pacific.

Experts consider it likely that the ashes might be carried as far as Europe, and that the dust-cloud would probably produce « marked reduction of sunshine over the earth's surface. One after another the long-quies-cent peaks, the ohlef among which are Tingulrirlca, Quizapu, Descabezado, and Domuyo, burst into activity. Descabezado last showed violence in 1847, when a second crater blew out its Hank.

The first crater to erupt was TJnguiririca, 14,000 ft., situated 150 miles from Valparaiso, Chile. As the others joined in, the scene became unearthly. The chorus of giants roared and rumbled like a constant cannonade.

The red glow of lava lit up the snowy peaks of the mountain chain, while a deep purple pall of smoke and dust was rent every few seconds by Jagged Hashes as of lightning.

Cities Rocked All Night.

Valparaiso and other leading cities .of Chile were rocked all night and next morning by vast subterranean disturbances which shook the Andes. Alarming earthquake shocks were also reported from many places in the Argentine. A general flight of panic-stricken people at once began from towns and villages situated near the Andes. All

Reign of Terror Across a Continent. Townspeople Flee for Life from Poison Belt.

made for the coast by train, motor-cars, on horse-back, or in any | vehicle they could find. | As they rushed for safety streams | of dust and ashes were hurled into* the sky by the raging peaks. ■ These covered the Argentine with a pall of smoke, and gradually spread their effects from coast to coast of South America.

| Like Dante’s “Inferno.” The scene near the town of MalarI guc, in the Mendoza province of the i Argentine, which seemed doomed to be j engulfed owing to the appearance of ! giant cracks in the earth, was described as reminiscent of Dante’s “Inferno.” The sky was covered with ci'imson clouds, and the atmosphere had a sulphurous odour.

So intense were the ash clouds that the towns of Curico, San Fernando, and Rengo had to be lighted at midday, while the streets resembled a region covered with snow. The rain of ashes was at Its worst in the Cordillera region, where in certain areas It reached a depth of over two feet. Aviators who were sent out from both the Chilean and Argentine sides returned reporting visibility nil owing to the thick blanket .of volcanic dust. A dark fog caused by falling ashes hung like a menacing pall over Buenos Aires, 300 miles from the mountain range, and the city presented an Arctic appearance, streets, roofs and trees being covered with white dust like snow. Even the decks of ships in port j and the tops of motor-cars were coated with the deposit. The ashes whitened the clothes and slung the eyes of those who ventured into the streets, and even those, remaining indoors were not immune, as the volcanic debris filtered into the | houses through chinks in doors and ! windows. j For an area of nealy 300 miles from j Descabezado the air was almost unbreathable owing to -sulphurous gas. .Many of the inhabitants of San Rafaci, an Argentine border town, became ill as a result of breathing ashes and sulphurous fumes.

I An urgent demand for cylinders of j oxygen was received in Buenos Aires j from this area, and arrangements were I made to withdraw the 80,000 inhabij tant-s by railway -should the situation ! beoome worse. I Villages in the vicinity of Malargue ( were shaken three times by earth- ' quakes, and in some places 14 inches of ash fell. The possibility of the effects of the eruption to be manifested In Great Britain and Europe was referred to by Dr. Hartmann, astronomer of La j Plata University. He -stated it would ! not be difficult for the volcanic clouds j.to drift over to this part of the world. A thin pall of fine ashes from the volcanoes, 6000 miles away, he re- ! marked, might cause wonderful sunsets to bo seen all over Europe almost immediately, and the effects inight continue for several weeks. in the Krakatoa eruption in Java in 1883 dust was thrown to a height of 30 miles or more. Its grains, of less than mlscroscopic size, were carried | in the upper atmosphere almost all l over the world, and were the cause ! of lovely sunsets. j Regarding the effects of the disturbances on the Argentine wheat I belts, grave fears have -been expressed in London. Owing to the disorganised state of communications in the affected areas no positive information is yet available. Those who know the Argentine point out that the area in which the volcanic dust was reported to be falling most thickly includes a very large part, if not the whole, of the wheat-growing districts. If accounts of the depth to which the dust is lying are correct it is inevitable that a large part of the Argentine crop must have been destroyed.