VOLCANIC ERUPTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1696, 10 April 1917, Page 3

VOLCANIC ERUPTION.

AT WHITE ISLAND. FLYING STONES AND DEBRIS. Gisborne, Ajjril 9. AVhen the steamer Tarawera was abreast of While Island at 5.30 o’clock yesterday morning, the chief officer observed a volcanic eruption. Flames were shooting skyward, accompanied by living stones and debris, which were soon enveloped in a dense cloud of vapour. White Island is in the Buy of Plenty, and is the summit of a volcanic mountain rising out of deep water. The crater is occupied by a lake of strong mineral Witter, which is fed by intermittent geysers it ml boiling springs which surround it. All these waters arc intensely acid, and deposit sulphate of lime; while Ihe accompanying vapours form irregular deposits of pure sulphur, The Mauri name for the island is Waikare. Us colour is really yellow, not while. It lies twen-ty-seven miles from the shore and thirty-eight miles south from Cape Runaway, is four miles in circumference, and rises to a height of 1,075 ft. In the west end of tin* crater is a blow-hole, from which escape dense clouds of steam, rising to a great height. For this reason it was named White Island by Caplain Cook. The last eruption on White Island occurred about 10th September, 191,4. The large cliff on Ihe northern side of the island slipped towards the sulphur lake'. The debris covered (lie large sulphur blow-hole vent which formerly existed at the base of the cliff, and this evidently caused a terrific eruption. Another large blow-hole, ahoul 40 yards across, appeared four chains nearer to llie lake, and emitted lierce sulphurous Jlames. An unfortunate feature of the eruption was that the ten employees of a sulphur company ou the island lost their lives. They and their quarters were blown into the sea. Portions of the manager's house and the men's whares, also part of the manager’s wire stretcher, were found lloating in the sea, while a pair of heavy truck wheels and a large boulder several tons in weight were found four chains away from where they had originally been. It was estimated that forty acres were affected by the upheaval. The disastrous explosion in the fluidly coal mine occurred two (lavs later.