BIG ERUPTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1694, 3 April 1917, Page 3

BIG ERUPTION.

AT WAIMANOU. ACCOMMODATION HOUSE DESTROYED. Til KEF PERSONS INJURED. Rotorua, April Ist, 5.15 ji.m. Tit formal ion was received Ibis morning, about half-past 8 o’clock, of a most terrific and disastrous eruption that had taken place a! Waimangu, resulting in the wreck of the Government accommodation house, and serious injury to the inmates, Mr and Mrs M’Oormack and their child. Guide M'Oormaek is much scalded about the body, face, and hands. The child is scalded about the face, while Mrs M’Oormaek is severely scalded all over, having evidently received I he full brunt of the awful blast that wrecked the house.

The eruption look place at 0.20 a.m. From what can he surmised, the whole of Frying Pan Flat must have erupted, and a blast of steam and mud swept up the valley, unroofed the house, parts of the roof having been driven a distance of 800 vurds across the valley, arid

.-.wept on to the ridge beyond. Ew ervthing in the house seems lo have been wrecked.

Recovering from the first shock of the outburst, the inmates appear to have taken refuge under the bed, but realising that the mud was being driven into the house, and fearing that the exits would be jammed by the accumulation of the mud, Ms M’Cormack and family, after much trouble, got clear of the building by the hack door, it being impossible to face the fury of the steam, mud, and wind that was raging in the front of the building. Notwithstanding her injuries, Mrs M’Cormack started for,the residence of Mr Wood to give the alarm, telephonic communication being impossible as the telephone was wrecked. Mr Wood, seeing that more than an ordinary eruption had taken place, was proceeding in the direction of the gevser. and picked Mrs M’Cornmek up, removing her to his home, where sin l was cared for by Mrs Wood, in the meantime, Mr Wood returned for Mr MTormaek and the child.

The scene of the eruption at Crying Ban Elat resembles bell let loose. Mud, water, and steam wen 1 shot up to heights varying from (KlOft. to SIHH'I.. black mad. red mud. stones, and steam of all colours were to he seen, and a remarkable sight was the immense blocks of stone being hurled a great distance jieyond the steam, and silhouetted in the white steam in the background. Another peculiar sight was the failing of what were no doubt stones, hut they appeared to resemble a comet, or shoot ing stars, having a brilliance like a coined. Mr A. Warhnck, who, at the instigation of the resident officer, proceeded to the scene of (he eruption from Wairoa across Lakes Tarawera ami Hotomahana, is of opinion (hat the whole id' the .Fiat, some forty acres in extent, has blown out, and, so far as he could see, he considers that the Gibraltar Rock has also erupted. The country to the south of Waimangu for a distance of about three miles is covered with a dirty whitish sand or mud, all vegetation being smothered. The

force of the steam and wind can be guaged from the manner in which the fern has been swept down and levelled to the ground. The conliguration of the Flat will be 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. It is estimated that the damage tq the Government Accommodation House is much greater than that to M’Crae’s Hotel during the eruption of Tarawera thirty-one years ago. After seven hours there appeared to he as much power behind the mud ns nt the start. Mr M’Commck will he a heavy loser, as the furniture and effects at the house were his property. Much sympathy is felt for him and his family.