Immense Hot Lava Flow On Ngauruhoe

Chronicle (Levin), 23 February 1949, Page 3

Immense Hot Lava Flow On Ngauruhoe

WANGANUI, Feb. 22. The lava flow from Mount Ngauruhoe (which appears to be in solid form) liaS broadened out where it nears the Mangatepopo Valley and now terminates in a huge irregular heap, according to the report of the warden of Tongariro National Park (Mr. T. Shout) who haa made an inspection of the area. From the crater.iip to the valley the total length of the lava stream is about 3000 feet, Mr. Shout stated. Sorae of the pieces were only inehea in size,' while others were bigger than a motor car and weighing tons. A tremendous amount of heat was being thrown off from the lava flow. This could be aeen several chains away, a sort of shimmering that was rising about 10 feet from a brownish-blaek layer. Those who inspected the flow felt the heat, and Mr. Shout remarlced that a joint of meat eould easily be roasted if it wfas suspended above the flow of lava. At the head of the valley, and weli beyond the reach of the lava, the grou'nd surface had been heavily covered with a layer of matter ejected from the «rater. The temperature there was also high, and scorea of small steam~ jets could be counted over the area covered.Mr. Shout says that the outstanding feature of the present activity on Ngauruhoe was the suddenness and force of blast with which each shot was delivered. The sound always came with the speed of a rifle craek, or so it seeined, and it rent the air where people were standing, different entirely, in Mr. Shout 's opinion, from the thunderlike boomings noticeable in past eruptions, and unlike the thundering boom experienced on Mount Ruapehu when that mountain was in heavy eruption in 1945-46. v ' y