Rocks Like Houses Tossed 1000ft. in Air

Chronicle (Levin), 10 February 1949, Page 5

Rocks Like Houses Tossed 1000ft. in Air

Press' Association)

(Per

AUCKLAND, Feb. 9. Mount iXgdiiraiioe m full erup-: •i;i'on was a niagiiincent and temlyqng signt lrom tiie air-. Only irom tlie vantage pomt of an aircraft iiying at nearly 11,000, leet and as -elose to the n.nuntain as prudence permitted, was -it . possible to o'litaiii a compieteiy unobscured view of tlie gaulit coiie; jagged ash smothered crater rim, trembling crater and tlie. sc'arlet glow of the vent through whieh the mountain was pouring smoke, ash and showers of white. hot rock. Because of a blanket of cloud covering large seetions of - the North Isiand, it was not until an aircraft carrying Herald representatives was at nearly 9000 feel and 'climbing to elear the last wisps of cloud above the Rangitoto Range, that the moiintain siiddenly came into view as the plane broke clear into brilliant sunshine. ' .

With the white cloud curdlmg below and the sky clear above, Ngauruhoe's perfect cone appeared with a solid black column.seemingiy fast to its summit. No lava tiow was visible from the air but the crater rim was broken and blackened and the steep slopes leading to the summit were tliickly coated with dark ash. Distinctly above the ' motor's drone could be^heard the rumbling of the mountain in tormenf, the grpaning -of the earth under the fierce stress and the cri-sp cannon like reports as Ngauruhoe fired an endless succession of shots. Tossed out like crieket balls, great lumps of rock were flving high into the aii' from the veni. They soared upward in showers, glowing white hot and fading to dull red as they reached tlie iop of their flight perhaps 1000 f'eet in the air, and falling to, crash to fragments on the mountain 's stony slopes.-Eaeh rock, and some were as big as houses, smashed to tiny pieces as it fell and eacli piece tumbling down the mountain side, scoi'ched everything it touched and left a trail oi greyish smoke. The centre of the volcano, viewed from almost directlv above, was angry with fire. Between shots the glow faded and dulled being almost concealed by an endles» swirl of smoke and ash, but the lull was only momelitary. As though it were alive, the heart of the volcano seemed to throb and beat and ea.eh timo scarlet showod clearly through the smoke, tons of rock were liurled up from deep inside Ngauruhoe.