PART OF CONE HAS BEEN BLOWN OFF.

Chronicle (Levin), 11 February 1949, Page 5

PART OF CONE HAS BEEN BLOWN OFF.

RAETIHI, Feb. 10. This afternoop a party of six scien tists, including Major W, S. Barney, meteorologieal oflicer of the U.S.A.A.F., and Dr. E. G. Bowden, o'f Australia, accompa-nied by a guide from the Chateau, went round the base of the. mountain. Dr. Bowden climbed to a height between 3500 and 4000 feet. Tonight they described the noise from within the mountain as a rumbling effect resembling the movement of a giant piston. It was puiletuated at irregular intervals by loud explosions. They said aetivity tonight was delinite iy more violent than anything yesterday and this evening the Chateau was being shaken at intervals' by explosions. This afternoon they found round tlie base of the mountain on the Tama Lalie side, rocks thrown. out yesterday which

were still at white heat. Major Barney said tonight that it seems that part of the top of the mountain has been blown off. He said he thought any geologist would agree with his view that the present aetivity was blowing away tlie artilieial cone buili up in a previous period. The uitimate result would be that probably about 500 feet of the cone would have disappeared. Tonight, he said, rocks and molten lava were being blown to n height of between 4800 and (5000 feei above the top of the cone. Whereas yesterday the debris was being ejected in one direetion, it was now coming ont in a shower all arouno the cone aua there were slight indications of a steady lava flow. The general mdica tions were that the chimney had been blown away and the cone was assnmmg a ventricular form. Alajor Barney added that the cloud formation ou major explosions was siiuilar to those caused by an atom bomb explosion ana seemed to indicate deep seated ana lerriflc energy.