A VIOLENT ERUPTION.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 April 1917, Page 1

A VIOLENT ERUPTION.

Waimangu Breaks OutROTORUA*. April J. InfdVmauou was received this morning that a most terriffic and disastrous eruption had takeij place at Waimangu resulting in the wreck of the Government Accommodation House and seri- 3 ous injury to the inmates, Mr and Mrs McCormick and their child. The news was brought in by air William Wood, who has a section in close proximity to the great geyyer. The resident officer, on learning that Mr aiul Mrs McCormick had been injured, procured a motor-car arid made arrangements to proceed to the scene, accompanied by Dr Osborne. On the way out, when about lialf-way, a car was met with the three injured people, and the doctor accompanied them into Rotorua where they were taken to a private liospial, and are ing as well as can be expeeed. Mr. Me. Cormack is much scalded about me body and face and also his hands. The child is scalded about the face, while Mrs. Me Cormick is severely sealdedball over having evidently received the tun brunt of the fearful blast that wrecked fho house. ' FRYING PAN FLAT IN ACTION . The eruption took place at 6.20. a.m. at.which time, the clock in the house stopped. It is surmised that whole of Frying Pan Flat must have erupted and a: blast of steam mud and in its onward march unroofed the house parts of the roof having been driven a distance of SCO yards across the valley and into the ridge beyond. Everything in the house seems to have been wrecked the carpet having been blown up and articles overturned. THE INMATES IN THE FURY OF THE BLAST.

Recovering from the first shock of the outburst the inmates took refuge under the bed but realising that the mud was being driven into the house and fearing that the exits would be jammed by-an accumulation of tlie mud Mr. McCormick, and family after muen trouble got clear by the back door of tho building it being impossibile to face the fury of the steam, mud and wind that was raging in'the front, of the building Notwithstanding her injuries Mrs Me Cormick started for the residence of ilr. Wood to give the alarm telephone eomimwiication being impossible as the telephone was wrecked. Mr Wood seeing that more than an ordinary eruption and takeji place proccceding in the direction of the gey- 4 ser and picked up Mrs McCormick removing her to his home, where she was eared for by Mrs Wood in the meantime Mr. Wood returned for Mr. Me Cormick and the child. “HELL LET LOOSE”

The surroundings at the accommodation house indicated that the force of the eruption nnistt have been terriffic the roof of the verandah haying been blown off and lifted on to another knoll The roof of the main building was scattered all over the valleys' and ridges ad jaccnt. i The escape of the inmates is nothing short of a miracle. The scene of' the eruption—Frying Pan Flat—reseimneu “Hell Let Loose” mud, water and steam being shot to heights varying from 600 to 800 feet. Black mud, red mud, stones and, steam of all were to, be seen and a remarkable sight was • lieimmense blocks of stone being hurled immense distances beyond the steam silhontted in the white steam in the background. Another peculiar sight was the falling of what was nol..doubt stones, but they resembled a comet or shooting stars, having a brilliance like a comet. forty ACRES blown OUT. Mr A. Warbriek,' who at the instigation of the resident officer, proceeded to the scone of the ruption from Watroa, acorss Lakes Tarawera and Kotomahana, is of opinion that the whole of the flat, some forty acres in. extent, has blown out, and so far as lie could see he considers that Gibraltar Rock has also erupted. The country to lie south of Waimangu for a distance of about three miles is covered with a dirty, wliitisly sand or mud, all vegetation being smothered. - „ CONFIGURATION OF COUNTRY ALTERED. The force of tli'e steam and wina **m he guaged from the manner in which the fern has been swept down—levelled to the ground. The configuration of the flnt will he altered entirely, and it is not likely that there will he any round trips for some time, the tracks through the flat forming a portion of ■ the land embraced by the eruption. Hundreds of residents of Rotorua travelled to Waimangu to witness the eruption. At the time of leaving there this afternoon everything was still very active, the roaring of the escaping steam being heard at some distance. It is estimated that the damage to the Government accommodation house is much greater than that to Mcßae’s Motel during the eruption,of Tamnoi* 31 years ago. After seven hours there/appeared tp be ns much power behind tht mud as at'the start. ' Air McCormick will he. a heavy loser, as the furniture and effects the house were his property. Aluch sympathy is felt for him and liis family. It was on]v on Thursday last that he returned from a. holiday. & Yesterday many visitors took th< round trip and passed over the grounc that blew out this morning. Severn were out and viewed the scene of dcso y lat ion to-day, atid expressed Iheil gratefulness that the eruption did notfl take place while they were on their journey across the fit.