NGAURUHOE ACTIVE

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1926, Page 1

NGAURUHOE ACTIVE

"WANGANUI. May 19. Xgauruhoe has been active for several weeks and since May 6th. increasingly so, until at present it presents an awe-inspiring spectacle. A “Herald” representative journeyed to AVhangapapa Hut yesterday to obtain a close-up view and to interview tho ranger,; Mr Comhray. Tho volcano appears to observe a .schedule, becoming increasingly violent in the afternoon and evening. It is smoking all the time, but at regular intervals great columns of redhot stones, steam and smoke are vomited forth.

When an extra big shock goes off it is accompanied by a rumbling, which continues for some seconds, resembling the roar of an avalanche, or a peal of thunder, and causes the windows of the huts to rattle. Some of the shots reach a height of 2000 feet to 3000 feet above the crater.

At night the spectacle is magnificent, a continual glow showing from the mouth of the crater, from which at intervals tongues of flume are emitted, followed by an umbrella-like shower of red-hot boulders, which envelop and illuminate the crater and the upper half of the mountain. An adventurous party from Auckland endeavoured to climb tho volcano on May loth., but their efforts nearly ended in disaster, for when half-way up they were enveloped in fog and a shot went up, which scattered red-hot stones about them. They made the descent in record time.

At Mangatipopo lint tho stones can be heard rattling down the slopes of Xgauruhoe. During the rough weather, when the mountain was enveloped in fog, the shape of the crater was completely altered .

A resident of Horopito states that at 2.30 yesterday the column of smoke exceeded all previous records. Tho city of AVanganui is enveloped in smoke to-dav.