NGAURUHOE ERUPTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3171, 23 April 1909, Page 3

NGAURUHOE ERUPTION.

5 MAGNIFICENT DISLPAYS. Not since the big eruption of Tarawera has there been anything in New Zealand to equal the magnificent spectacb afforded by Ngauruhoe on Monday morning. 'J he great cone stood out boldly gainst the tint of sunrise, and all distant objects were sharp and clear in the frosty air. From the carter rose a gigantic steam column about 800 ft high, and the steam formed out into a cloud many miles long. Behind the steam was the rising sun shining through a haze of smoke hanging about Tongariro and evidently from a prsvious outburst that morning. The summit of Ngauruhoe glowed almost like a glacier, with crimson and gold lights playing upon it in long dazzling shafts, and ! the great steam column was silvered lat the edges. As each big swelling I puff of steam rose it caught the sunbeams and there were rainbow flashes of colour. The big cloud drifted away over in the direction of Raurimu and was apparently charged with fine dust. The activity of the crater was continuous. Cloud after cloud of steam arose, joining in one tremendous column, wrich ascended frequently well over I,ooft from the cone "and the spectacular effect was superb. The crater was quiet on Saturday and Sunday, but since daylight on Monday morning the activity has continued, practically without intermission. Driving out on the Tokaanu Range, which passes within a mile or two of the burning mountain, the coach passengers from Waiouru had a splendid view. From above the Wangaehu River there was one of the finest sights witnessed since the period of activity commenced. The Waiouru Plain is 3,400 ft above sea level, and the cone of Ngauruhoe rises 4100 ft above, the plain, so that sume idea of the magnitude of the eruption may. be gained from the fact that the steam column above the crater completely dwarfed the cone itself. At times the cloud was funnel-shaped, and then more like the usual mushroom form. The masseddp volume was tremendous, and the crater continued belching forth the dark smoke and steam. The whole line of the Tongariro Plains was showing activity on Monday morning.. Dense clouds of steam rose from Te Mare and the red crater and from Ketetahi Springs. Shortly after 11 o'colck there was a great eruption of Ngauruhoe. Dense volumes of black smoke were shut up to a height of nearly 3,000 ft above the cone, the mountain belching out ■enormous quantities of dust, which was thrown over Tongariro and on the Waimarino side in successive gushes. The giant mass went up j and up, ' darkening the western skj as though with an enormous thunder cloud, and a faint rumble was heard ten miles away. For nearly half-an-hour the violent eruption continued, and the showers of dust had scarcely ceased ' before there was another violent outburst, and again heavy showers of volcanic dust fell on Tongariro. The groom at Mananui changing station reports that on Sunday nighr the noise from the volcano was I greater than he had heard it before, I and during the whole night there was I a continual rumbling, and the mountain was in frequent eruption. The weather has now cleared, and a party j has been formed to make a comj prehensive survey about Ngauruhoe and Tongariro, and a start was made on Tuesday morning. At the present time the fall of dust is confined to the mountain itself, and the steams clouds are whiter, showing that the discharge of dust has decreased somewhat.