Molten Scoria Flows Down Ngauruhoe's Slopes

Chronicle (Levin), 12 February 1949, Page 5

Molten Scoria Flows Down Ngauruhoe's Slopes

Press Assqcia'tion). .

(Per

AtrCKEA'ND, Feb. 11. Although lacking- the, ferocity of the last two days, Ngauruhoe was again Very active u"p to a lafe hour tonight The b'rilliant and frightening display o: yesterday continued until about f o'clock this morning when the moun. tain retired behind a veil of cloud. Tht weird mumblings 'resumed later in tbf morning and in the afternoon wher most of its screening cloud was swepaway, the mountain gave vent to more resounding crashes. Clouds again con ceal'ed the mountain after sunset this evening but at 9 o'clock the first shower of flaming rocks was seen tc leave the crater and cascade in c blazing trail down the mountain slopes They were accompanied hy a red glov about the peak and in the hlack clouds towering above it. Each new shower was followed by the same loud roar. A party including Mr. L. R. Allen, o: Rotorua, geologist of the Department oi Scientific and' Industrial Research, left the Chateau this morning and climbet to the summit. While they were then the crater 's smoke was obseured b\ heavy steam which, mingled with ash was being thrown into the air with tre mendous force. The roar was terrify ing. Deep rumbles began at 9 a.m. and in ereased in frequency until they occurred every second, sounding like a hugi boiler working up steam. This continu ed until well after 1.30 p.m. when the* party was desc ending the mountain slopes. The eerie silence of the clouci covered mountain was ■ broken during the iafce afternoon bv a series of loud claps whieh echoed over the surrounding eountry. For a brief period at 9 o'clock tonight" guests at the Chateau were treated to another fine display. It was nearly as weird as that of early uiis morning when the whole mountain siopi seemed to he covered with red hot law flows. The flows were really huge quantities of molten scoria and hot lava. Heavy mists covered the mountain tracks as the small party left the Chateau for the ascent. It was so dense when they were near Tama Lakes that they began to return. Yisibilit' improved and the journey was resumed. The foot of the mountain was reachec; at 11 o'clock. When. only a few hundred feet up Mr. Allen examined a nuge rock still fairly hot, which must have been thrown out during- the night. The ground where the rocks had fallen waS greatlv disturbed. As the elimbcn struggled over the loose surfaee, the mountain continued Its ominous rumbling and in a particularly sharp moverhent, a small shower of- rocks fell down Uie slopes a little above them. The sunaee immediately below the peak was covered with fresh loose scoria V'hich made climbing difficult. - ■ Mr.. Allen denies tbe suggestion tbat fcber'e. has been a flow of lava. A true flow would move like thick treacle. It would have a definite physical copnection with the lava in the vent. Specimens seen today gave no evidenee oi these qualities.