NGAURUHOE IN ERUPTION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9392, 11 March 1909, Page 5

NGAURUHOE IN ERUPTION.

THE CRATER VISITED ON SUNDAY. Per Press Association. Wellington, March 10. The Secretary of the General Post Office received by telegraph yesterday the following report compiled for the Postmaster at Raurimu (about twenty-two miles west of Ngauruhoe) by Mr G. Wilson, Public Works Engineer, who returned from the mountain last Sunday : “1 ascended Ngauruhoe on 1 the north side from the base. There appeared to be no unusual sign of activity beyond occasional pall's of vapour emanating from the crater. On reaching the top, however, it was clearly seen that a fair amonuc of activity was in progress, The crater is fully twenty-five chains across and it is divided, roughly speaking, into three compartments. On the south side is a very deep hole, fully five chains across and 100 ft deep, with perpendicular sides. The bottom was easily visible and from it were coming' strong jets of steam, making a sound like a huge waterfall. The sides were also steaming and emitting strong sulphurous gases, which affected the throat very perceptibly. Adjacent on the north side is a smaller crater, about fifty feet deep, through which I walked. Strong fnmes were issuing from cracks in the ground and the bottom was quite hot. I did not think there was anything unusually dang3rous in walking about the crater, but it subsequently proved that it was not by any means safe. To the eastward Is a fiat open space on a much higher elevation than the 'other division and covered, generally speaking, with fallen rock and debris. Vapour was being emitted here also through small fissures; in fact, broadly speaking, the general crater appears to be alive everywhere. After viewing everything I climbed out of the crater on the west side and sat on the edge to take some refreshment prior to descending. Whilst here a peal of confused muttering and rumbling took place deep down in the volcano. To this I attached no importance as Ngauruhoe*is occasionally noisy. I descended- on the west side, leaving the top &bout half-past three on Sndnay afternoon. On Monday evening, about 5 o’clock, residents in the vicinity of Waimarino were startled by a lona noise similar to empty water tanks being drawn over a rough road. This continued for about twenty minutes. Ngauruhoe was invisible at the time, being enveloped by smoke caused by bush fires. Ini a very short time dense columns of dark-looking vapour were seen rising in her direction and then it was plain to all what had occasioned the noise, as a big eruption was in progress. As the prevailing wind was coming from the north-west the .deposit of ashes was thickest on the south and east of the cone and also on the saddle between her and Ruapehu. The smoke appeared to be going in the direction of Waiouru. The mountain continued to play vigorously for some time, but as night fell everything became obscured. On Tuesday morning, however, activity commenced with renewed vigor and continued throughout the day. The hot springs at Katetahi (on Tongariro) and the lake in the crater of Ruapehu were very much, disturbed, whilst geysers and steam jets were seen playing on the saddle between Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe and well up the flank of the former mountain. By nightfall everything was again obscured and on Wednesday morning nothing was visible. Towards midday, however, the mountain was still smoking, hut was very much quieter.”

DESCRIPTION OF THE LOCALITY. Nganrnhoe (7515 ft) forms one of the ranges on the central tableland, to the sooth of Lake Tanpo. This chain consists of a group of distinct volcanic cones, and is about thirty miles in length. The chief cones are Rnapehn, Nganrnhoe and Tongariro. Nganrnhoe is a perfect cone, though on its northern side Tongariro interferes wilh its slopes 3500 ft below the summit. Its activity is usually that of the solfatara stage of a volcano. Occasionally, spasmodic fits of more violent activity occur, and showers of solid matter are shot up into the air and accumulate as thin beds of scoria and tnfa on the mountain sides. Occasionally Ruapehu joins in, and dark scoria is deposited on the white snow that covers the top of the mountains. No lava has issued from either volcano since the mountains have been known to European travellers. Nganrnhoe is the most active volcano in New Zealand. It forms an almost perfect cone, standing a few miles to the north of Ruapehu (9176 ft). Its crater is a terrible abyss, from which issue enormous clouds of steam and vapour, forming a column rising high above its summit. . Tongariro (6458 ft) is a few miles to the north of Nganrnhoe. This mountain has two craters, the Red (6140 ft) and Te Mari (4990 ft), from which steam and vapour issue with considerable foroe. These two oraters and-the Prater of Nganrnhoe are the three vents from which discharges of lava have taken place, the last being in 1868. Rnapehn (9175 ft) is the highest mountain in the North Island. “It is a huge volcanic cone the upper part of which is considerably above the line of perpetual snow. On its summit, at the bottom of the funnelshaped crater, is a warm lake, snrrounded by snow and ice, and accessible only by the nse of ropes/