VOLCANIC ERUPTION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 29 July 1929, Page 7

VOLCANIC ERUPTION

THE NEW HEBRIDES ISLAND TORN ASUNDER HU(iE SUBMARINE EXPLOSIONS LAVA ENGULFS -MISSIONS Vivid stories \of tlie recent volcanic eruption on the island of Ambrym, New Hebrides, were related by "passengers who arrived at Sydney by the steamer •Laperouse. One end of the island was lorn asunder. Rivers of lava (lowed down to (lie sea, engulfing at least three mission stations and destroying gardens and plantations. Throughout the night the rivers of* fire were visible over great distances, and the horror of the situation was intensified by violent submarine explosions which throw great columns of mud, water, and smoke several hundred feet into the air.

Captain It. A. lteeco, who for some time lias been commanding the steamer Ivobiloko, landed on the island within 36 hours of the first disturbance. When the vessel was 20 miles from the coast, lie said, the volcano’s activity was apparent. “All one cud of tho island appeared to be on lire,” said Caplian Recce. “As we approached it became evident that there was a severe submarine disturbance in progress as well. There wore terrific muffled explosions, and columns of water, mud, steam and smoke shot hundreds of feet into tho air. These columns seemed to have an almost solid core, and were from 500 yards to 600 yards in diameter. At every explosion we could feel the vessel lift and surge to the shock.” , Believing close approach to tlio island to be dangerous, Captain Reece hove his vessel to a few miles out, and went ashore in a launch, landing at Craig Cove. Almost as soon as he stepped ashore he trod on what ho thought was merely cold ash, only to find that it was so hob that his feet were badly blistered through his boots. “RIVERS OF LAVA” “Tho crater was belching forth smoke and fire,” he said, “and there were seven streams of lava flowing down tho moun-tain-side like small rivers. The lava flowed into the sea. making a great cloud of steam where it entered, and in many places-thfe water was so hot that it was impossible to put one’s hand in without getting it badly scalded. “Some buildings at this point had been destroyed, but others were standing. Built on slight eminences, they were like islands with a stream of lava flowing by on each side, to the sea. We landed at only four places along the coast, and it was impossible to estimate the damage, but the wide lava streams devastated everything in their path. Trees 100. feet on both sides of the streams were l stripped of their leaves, but the trunks were standing. Ashes 6in. to a' foot>,deep! were left behind.” Captain Recce found only. 10 people on the island. They were natives, who refused to leave with him, declaring that, they were in no danger, and that in the event of another eruption, they could go to the other side of the island. Some 300 people had left tho island on Friday evening, when the first overflow came from one of the main craters. They went by small boats and launches to Port Sandwich. 15 miles away. _ Sixty people, said Captain Reece, were in one launch, and the whole party had a nerve-racking journey through rough water to safety.

SPOUTS OVERTOP ISLAND A vivid description of the eruption was given by Mr D. Briggs, of Sydney. “Thore were tremendous submarine explosions,” ho said. “The water rose higher than the highest peak on the island —or to a height of about 600 ft. During the afternoon lava streams could bo seen plainly flowing down the hillMr. Briggs said that a Mr Harvey, an Australian, and a trader at Ambryni, told him that those on the island had some premonition of coming disaster. A few hours before the eruption there were ominous rumblings. Had this not been the. case, Mr, Harvey considered there would have been considerable loss of life. Mr Harvey performed fine work in taking off a 'number of natives from Ambrym to adjacent islands in his schooner. liis trading store was completely cut off by lava streams, but was untouched. Mr Briggs said the north-west corner of Ambrym was affected by the. disturbance. It was estimated by. Mr Harvey that approximately one-third of the island suffered damage. Three mission stations at least had been destroyed. The general opinion of passengers by the Lapcrouse was that the island had received a great setback, from which it would- not recover for many years. MISSION BUILDINGS DESTROYED Mr C. R. Stringer, one of the New Zealand Presbyterian missionaries stationed on the island, writing to a friend in Sydney, stated that ho was in a steamer which was anchored off the foreland of Epi, when the Ambrym crater, 25 miles distant, began to show signs of activity. Loud rumblings and explosions were followed by an eruption of lava, the outpour of. which was visible during the darkness of the night. Relentlessly, the stream swept’down toward the coast,, one of the first homes to be engulfed being that of Mr Taylor, of the Seventh Day Adventist Mission. The stream then flowed on toward the New Zealand Presbyterian Mission station at Craig’s Cove, close to which another volcano formed. The main lava stream then divided, and two rivers of fire passed down the sides of the station, carrying away the -schoolhousc 1 and the missionaries’ home. . PERILOUS LAUNCH TRIP Hie villagers seemed to have kept their heads, and, as soon as day broke succeeded in launching a 30-foo_l motorboat, owned by one of the missions. In this? task they were aided by a locip trader, Mr Ilurvcy, and a native teacher, James Kaum, tiro latter managing to pack some 75 persons into the frail craft, which then set out on its 12-mile journey- to the island of Malckula. Floating pumice got into the pump valves, and every now and again the engines had to be stopped for cooling. The journey was hazardous in the extreme, for not only were tlie engines at a disadvantage owing to floating debris, but geysers were continually spouting up clouds of steam and blade smoke from the ocean bed, which appeared no less agitated tluln (lie dry land. Tho trip having been safely accomplished, _ the boat’s crew of three made a return journey for another load of refugees, i When Mr Stringer returned to the village adjoining the mission station, lie found that- the houses were intact, but that the "unions and fields had bcin destroyed.