VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8101, 22 March 1906, Page 5

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

VIOLENT ERUPTION OP LARGE CRATER LAKE. AN AWE-INSPIRING SCENE. RUAPEHU AND NGARAURUHOE ACTIVE. AUCKLAND, March 21. On Thursday last a large column of steam was observed ascending from Ruapehu, and it was couoluded tbab thermal action was going ou. A party was organised by Mr Meers, of London, who had made two previous ascents of the mountain, to visit the scene. When the summit was reached it was seen that a violent eruption of the large crater lake had taken place, for the greater portion of the glacier and snowfields on- the east side and summit wera covered with a dark grey deposit. On the rocks, approaching the lake, the deposit became thicker, and tha holes larger, caused by big boulders, whilst mounds of mud at intervals rose up four to five feet high. The lake, which is about 500 yards wide, wis seen to be violently boiling near the centre, with great wavelets of yellow-looking matter floating away on the surface, and steam was also rising from the surface. On the south sido of the lake the ice cliffs were shattered to pieces, and huge masses of ice oame tumbling into the boiling water with a terrific roar, only to soon disappear in the boiling, seething waters. The whole scene was awe-inspiring in the extreme. The Ngarauruhoe volcano, which is adjacent, is also very aotive, sending out volumes of smoke and ash, so that there is unusual voloanic activity at present.