STRUCK BY CAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 255, 20 June 1932, Page 5

STRUCK BY CAR

alleged hit and run . " driver held by " * ' pulice 3 ASHBURTON, Sunday. Francis Major, aged 46 years, of Timaru, died in hospital this evening as a result of injurids sustained. late last night' through heing struck_ hy a motor car near Dromore. It is alleged' that the car struck Major when he was repairing a lofry, and did not dtop. ' ' An arrcst has heen made in Christchurch 'in connectiofi with the incident. ' * !

of this caused him to rctire. No sooner had he commenced to walk away then the ground hlew out from where he had previously been standing, and he had to run to escape the great jet of hoiling mud and water which shot into the air. Fortunately the wind was hlowing strongly from the south west, and this carried the danger away from his direction. The back of his clothes, however, were plentifully bespattered with hot mud. A "Morning* Post" representative was on the sce.ne a few minutes after the occurrence and the eruption was then at its height. There were two orators. The bigger one was just clear of Mr. Gordon's fence corner and resembled the action of Waimaungu, sending up intermittent showers of hot mud and stones thirty feet high. The other blow hole, which was just off the road and more towards the Maori accommodation house, was emitting a great cloud of steam and every few minutes sent symmetrical shots of water into the air much >n the same lines as Pohutu. Some of these shots went as high as 100 feet and made a spectacular display while they lasted. Motor Lorry Mud Covered. The kettle and bags which were in the hangi when the blow out occurred completely disappeared, and a motor lorry which stood some 30 yards away, was soakod with mud and hot water. The mud was also plastered thickly on the walls of the accommodation house which was another ten yards further on, and on the walls of a fowl house further over to the left. Mr. Gordon's house is only ten yards from the scene and only the fact that the wind was blowing strongly from the opposite quarter saved it from damage, A number of people quiclcly gathered and watehod the display. It was hard to obtain a clear view of the scene, on account of the great clouds of steam hlowing across the road, but at about twenty minutes past four when the geysei's had been in operation over three quarters of an hour, the wind suddenly dropped and presented a clear view. Almost simultaneously, however, the geysers stopped playing and the spectators ventured closer. Hasty Retreat. Then, with -dramatic suddenness, the ground of the roadway sag'ged in towards the biggest crater and the edge subsided several feet. The spectators beat a linSty retreat to a more secure position, and others on the verattclah of Mr. Gordon's house also made for a safer place. Ci'rcular cracks appeared in the roading close to the crater, and these gradually widened as the middle of the hole, relieved of the pressufe of steam, slowly settled down. Then the ground fell away from under the corner of Mr. Gordon's fence and the end of the fence itself tilted into the crater. A power pole carrying the electric light wire had survived up to this point although' it was on the very edge of the crater, but it was the next to go, and subsided several feet into the soft mud in the side of the hole. It was saved from a complete fall, however, by the cross section support of the wires it was carrying. Gaping Hole. Later the Borough authorities put a barrier across the road but no further activity has occurred since. An inspection of the scene yesterday revealcd that the larger crater is now a gaping hole, approximately 25ft. x 20ft, and the smaller one 6ft, x 4ft. There has been a marked incroase in thermal activity around the lake during the past few days and last wcek a blow-out of a seconds duration was witnessed at the rear of the Ward bath building. The geysers at Whakarewarewa have also been particularly active and much activity has heen noted in the Waiotapu area. This, taken in conjunc-

tion with last Saturday's outbreak, seems to indicate that the thermal activity has not lessened in any degree in the district, but is merely ehanging with time. Certainly there is more activity on the lake shbre than has been the case for years, bearing out the contention of those who claim that the thermal activity of the district is influehced by the lake level and by raim *• - • ' By a peculiar coincidence, Saturday was the first anniversary of the outbreak at Ngapuna when a geyser erupted further round the- lcike. Previous Outbreaks. In an interview with the "Morning Post" last evening, Mr/ G. A. Glarke, senior, who has resided in Ohinemutu for many years, stated that the scene of the occurence was previously a narrow arai or canal of the lake which jutted into the side of the hill towards the Lake Hotel, and ended in a patch of swampy ground. About thirty years ago, a Mr. John Duncan, who had a small whare there, was awakened one night bY a very similar blow-out to that of Saturday. Mr. Duncan was not injured and the activity had ceased by the morning. V The swampy area was a mass of steaming vents which had disappeared with the receding of thfe lake level and the filling-in operations in connection with the roa'd construction. construction. In Mr. Clarke's long experiencc of the district, no person has over been injured by activity of this nature.