HISTORY OF WAIMANGU GEYSER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1695, 5 April 1917, Page 4

HISTORY OF WAIMANGU GEYSER.

PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES. QUIESCENT FOR OVER A YEAR. The Waimangu geyser (which erupted last Sunday), 17 miles from Rotorua, has been the centre of interest for thousands of visitors to the Hot Springs district for some years past. The narrow gorge in which the geyser and its attendant phenomena are situated was created by the eruption of Tarawera on June 10th, 1880. Its existence was discovered by Dr. Humphrey Haines and Mr J. A. Pond, of Auckland, early in February, 1900, Its periods of activity were irregular, and the Tourist Department, has photographic evidence that in'l9o3 a “shot” reached a height of 1,500 ft. The geyser has been known to play as many as 50 times in one morning, several of the shots going 400 or 500 feet high. It was the scene of one tragedy. On the afternoon of August 30th, 1003, four spectators who were watching Waimangu from a spur within 45 yards df the crater, were overwhelmed and lost in an eruption of boiling mud and water, the most terrific seem up to that time. The victims wore Hisses Katherine and Ruby Nicholls, of Canterbury, Mr David McNaughlon, of Ponsonby, and Mr Joseph Warbrick, brother of the guide, Mr Alfred Warbrick. About three weeks prior to this fatality (Juide Warbrick and Mr H. E. Buckeridge had crossed the surface of (he geyser in a small boat, when they measured and sounded the pool. It was then 48ft. at its greatest depth, 80yds. wide, and 134yds. long. Waimangu became dormant shortly after the disaster of August, 1003, owing, it was thought, to the sudden reduction of Lake larawera. Subsequently there were four or live phenomena in connection with the geyser. The lirst was in 1012, when a blow-up occurred in the eastern end of the Echo ('rater Hat, on which the boiling pool, known as (he Frying-pan, was situated. The effect was to leave a small circular pool of boiling water, winch was sometimes niud-colouren and sometimes green.

OUTBKKAKS OF 1914 AND 1915,

The first real sign of any thermal disturbance indicating fresh outbreaks in this region took place on January liSth, 1914. On that day a comparatively small hole was suddenly blown in the raupo (hit immediately eastward of the cliff, upon the summit of which stands the Waimangu shelter shed, and the concave, side of which forms the eastern enclosure of the boiling lake known as the Inferno. This hole continued active until the further eruption of April 12th, 1915. It “shot” for hundreds of feel into the air at intervals, and during February, 1915, “shots” took place nearly every day. The consequence was that what was once a flat across which visitors were in the habit of walking 1 , where cattle used to graze, and on which residents of the district frequently went rabbit shooting, had to be tabooed as unsafe. It was in February. 1915, that a blow-out was observed from Waimangu House in that corner of the Frying-pan, or Echo, crater flat, which is directly to the east of Gibraltar Hill, and alongside the old bath building. Mud and stones were hurled into the air to a height estimated at 400 ft. This outburst left a boiling lake of mud and water 100 ft. by 80ft. in extent, while it caused the bath-house to sink with its foundations 4ft. to sft.. and covered its roof with a deposit of whitish mud about Ift. dee)).

The various phenomena at Wailuarigu from 1910 to 1915 led to the gradual enlargement of the Fryingpan Lake. At the former date it measured about 14 square feet and contained water an inch and a-half deep, and of about 140 degrees. At the end of the live years named the lake had grown to OS square feet, with 7in. depth of water, the temperature of which was 187 degrees. The heat in the whole of this area was so intense that it could be felt through the soles of stout hoots. LAST SERIOUS UPHEAVAL. Considerable havoc was created by the eruption of Waimangu at 2 p.m. on April 12th, 1915, when the old crater near the blowhole, on the Frying-pan side of the old Waimangu crater, suddenly became the scene of activity. The effect was to blow out a large new crater of from 90 to 100 square yards, leaving a steaming fissure where the old blow-hole was. The first “shot” sent the debris I,oooft. high, and when it ceased 20 mud “boilers” appeared, throwing mud 30ft. high, besides which there were seven great steam, holes from which the steam was emitted at great pressure. .Some of the sand and mud sent up in the first explosion was carried as far as Lake Rotomahana,

31 miles away. The inner side of the crater walls were fractured in many places, and the debris was thrown all over the surrounding hills, an eighth of an inch thick. The lod track to the blow-hole was practically carried' away, and the fence which formerly ran across from the blow-hole, along the wall of the former geyser, to the southern cliff, was demolished. The old geyser was filled up, terraces of dust deposit being created and a bank formed over the old pathway. On this occasion at the accommodation house, in which Guide McCormack and his wife resided, the ground was felt to tremble and all the windows in the building shook. MINOR OUTBURSTS IN 1915.

- There have been only two outbursts of note at IVaimangu since April, 1915. The first was on November sth in that year, when there was a single “shot” of three or four minutes’ duration. A column of mud, water, and steam rose 200 ft. or 300 ft. A cavity GOft. across was formed, and Frying-pan flat, most of which had been banned as unsafe, was almost blown away. The last activity at the geyser took place on the following day, when there were three displays. A new crater 40 yards across was blown out near Gibraltar Rock by the first “shot.” Since that date the geyser has been virtually quiescent. Gibraltar Rock is near the blowhole on the right-hand side of the Frying-pan flat, going towards the accommodation house. The latter was of modern design, and was erected some years ago. It was situated more than half-a-mile from the Frying-pan flat, and some hundreds of feet above it.