NGARUHUE’S OUTBURST.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 November 1917, Page 3

NGARUHUE’S OUTBURST.

REPORTS LIKE THE SOUND OF

ARTILLERY

■ A representative of the “New Zealand Herald” who spent- the night at the foot of Ngarulioe on Friday last give s an interesting account of his experiences. First describing an ascent of a portion of the volcano itself, with i some companion, he says; “Just before the plant life limit was reached, varying areas of burnt tussock were met | with. Next, recently-cooled pieces of I scoria in coral, and spone-like fornia- ! tion were discovered, and the arduous I part of the climb was forgotten in an i eager scramble for "mementoes. A loud exclamation from a member of the party coming up from a near declivity brought the other* apprehensively towards him to find an excited individual pointing to bis latest find—:i beat-radi-ating boulder—gingerly testing . its questionable temperature. The explorers utilised its warmth to restore the circulation of their almost perished feet. While the party were thus warm-

ing themselves, a sharp earth tremor ! slink the mountain, and a deep detonation came from the clouds followed immediately by the rattle of a shower of stones striking the earth in the vicinity. Members of the- party, realising that they bad wandered into the danger zone, started for the valley, •each carrying a piece of half-cooled lava as a means of maintaining bodiky warmth. Advantage was taken of a large beater? boulder to dry their moist clothing. As the cloud belts stall remained, two members of the party decided to make an immediate start for Waimnrino, but the press man, being equipped with a sleeping outfit, decided to pnsstlip night upon the nearest ridge adjacent to now the apparently slowlv-oxpi ring eruption. “Towards sunset a terrifying report, like the sound of artillery seemed tn shake the whole of the mountain range to its very foundations, and offered little encouragement, towards a prolonged sojourn in tho forbidding lnealitv; but it was too late, to alter plans. The next outburst came shortly before 10 o’clock creating an, awe-inspiring sneetndc With a lurid glow, a great ma«s of molten matter shot, up vertically into the now clear atmosphere, and spreading, dropped its wliite-hoatod mass upon the country below. Boulder after boulder bounced and raced down the steep slopes, crossing bolts of .frozen snow and leaving hoop-slinned miniature steam cloud* following in their wake. From the crater dense, angry waves of steam issued, and from under this stream of molten lava helclied forth and flowed in a lingering stream down the many uneven gutters of file ngitafled mountain.” FASCINATING, BUT UNCANNY. The writer proceeds: Tt was fascinating and an uncanny phenomenon, and one not anticipated when the decision was made to spend the night upon the mountain and to fix tlm bivouac within loss than a quarter of a mile from tho scene of thermal noflivity. The slow movement of the glowing streams of lava even upon the most precipitous slopes was caused partly, no doubt, by the rapid cooling of the lava and the adhesive^nature of the soft sand deposits peculiar to tho upper height's of the mountain. With an abruptness equalling its commencement, all activity seemingly ceased and a darkness doubly intense settled upon tho now quiescent valley. After a prolonged spell of nervous expectancy the cold forced the lonely observer to the shelter of a sleeping hag. An hour later a repeated cannonading, echoing and reverberating like a prolonged roll of heavy thunder, again disturbed the silence. No words can adequately describe the grandeur of the molten mass ns. projected with irresistible force, it rose many hundreds of feet into the darkness of the night. The crater seemed to have instantly filled with another wave of molten matter, oven before the oieeted mass had reached the apex of j its flight, and when the rnpidlv-eooling mass fell hack into this sea of fire another stupendous explosion took place. Immediately the whole sky was again aflame with broken masses red-hot lava and a cascade of white hot’boulders darted down the serrated sides of the trembling mountain. At the same moment a great, wave of lava flooded over the brim of the crater lip and swept with decreasing pace down the sides, giving the cone a remarkably brilliant fan-shaped appearaneq. As the rivulets of .lava, cooled, the white, glowing boulder that studded the hillside resembled the street lamps of a hilly city. The glow usually lasted about twenty minutes, but one gigantic boulder left upon the fringe of the crater lip glowj ed like 51 lighthouse beacon for nearly two hours.”