NGARUAHOE IN ERUPTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1803, 19 March 1918, Page 2

NGARUAHOE IN ERUPTION.

' BUSH FIRES RAGING. SEVERAL TOWNS ENDANGERED. At about G o’clock this morning the sky presented a weird and awcInspiring sight. Overhead Avas a black dome or pall of smoke, and well up from the horizon appeared gorgeous colours like a magnificent sunrise and aurora combined. Then dark masses of smoke intervened, and covered the countryside. ' The smoke became so dense at about 7.30 that the sun was completely eclipsed and the district was enveloped in semi-darkness. Lights appeared in the houses, and inmates Avere busy guessing the cause of the strange phenomenon. The air avus thick with smoke, Avhich the gale was Avai'ting from the east, Shortly after 8 a.m. a Palmerston message reported that Ngaruahoe burst into violent eruption at 0 o’clock, and that Ohakune and Raetihi had been practically sAvept out by bush (ires, AVjiich Avere sweeping the area, and Avhich have been raging for the past eight or nine days; the Main Trunk train had been held up at Horopilo. A later message stated that the fire area had reached Utiku, and that Taihape avus in danger of destruction by lire. Marion and Palmerston arc enveloped in smoke. Telephonic and telegraphic communication north of Iluntervillc is interrupted. The through Auckland railway (rathe is suspended. A large bush dire is raging north of Taihape in the Paoroa and Omutane direction. It is impossible to find out the extent of it, but frequent telephone messages coming in to Taihape in the early hours showed there Avere gr'avc apprehensions of danger to settlers’ dwellings. An Eketuhuna message received this morning says that a remarkable phenomenon has been witness - ed, and since daybreak it has been fairly dark. Telephonic communication with Palmerston was interrupted this afternoon, owing to the line being blown down. Connection with Shannon and Wellington is also interrupted, leaving us isolated as to further oeAva. ~