CLIMBING NGAURUHOE.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1917, Page 2

CLIMBING NGAURUHOE.

FINE DISPLAYS WITNESSED. AWE-INSPIRING SPECTACLE - . Wellington, Nov. 13. Mr. Cecil'A. Whitney telegraphs from Waimarino:— "Myself, E. G. Humphreys, of Waimarino, and Frank Byer, of Wellington, climbed Nganruhoe yesterday. We arrived -at the lip of, the crater at 12.50. The volcano had not been active since fl a.m., and was quiet, whilst we ivere at the lop hut became very active just after we reached the foot of the mountain, eleven very fine displays taking place in three-quarters of an hour. ! So lava has been ejected from the crater nor is there any indication of lava on the mountain, "Wo climbed the north-west side and worked toward* the west. The crater has greatly increased in size, being over a quarter of a mile across. We could sec down into the crater several hundred feet, but the smoke and fumes hid the bottom from view. The north side is undermined, and there is much loose material on the lip ready to fall into the crater. There is every indication that further large eruptions will occur, hut there should be no danger outside the local surroundings of the mountain. 'The immense size of the crater, the quantity of material ejected, and volume of smoke and sulphur fumes which were hlown by a strong wind towards the south, provide a great spectacle. The dark stream running down the northwest is- not lava but black scoria ash. 'lt had the appearance of a stream of lava from a distance. Very little material is deposited between Nganruhoe and Tong.iriro. We could see the southern lip of the crater when the smoke was blowing aside. It is fully 300 feet higher than the lip on the north side, which is fully one hundred feet lower than it was previous to the eruptions. There is every appearance that this will be considerably lowered before the volcano becomes quiescent. Immense boulders are hurled during the eruption to a great height. 'We could distinctly hear the noise when they fell some time after the explosion. We saw several that had fallen fully half a mile north of the crater. Odd patches of tussock grass on the cone of the mountain'had been burned, but generally speaking the greater portions had not been burnt or singed. There were indications of pumice on the mountain,"