Memorable Experience at Rabaul in 1937

The Birth Of A Volcano

Two years ago (May 29, 1937) two Depart- £ ™vVce M. a s £s. o E. th w N r W CMnner/\“d George Murray, were nearly overwhelmed in the eruption of Vulcan Island, Rabaul. Mr.

Murray immediately made notes of their extraordinary experience, and these were the basis of the following descriptive article by Mr. Murray:— moo v, „ BOUT 1932, when the erection of a quarantine station was being considered, some heads of departments, including myself, inspected Vulcan Island, in Rabaul Harbour, with the object of seeing whether it was suitable for such a purpose. I had been twice on the island previously, to see whether it

might not be made into an animal or plant quarantine station, but turned down the idea as there was evidence that it was subject to frequent rising and subsidence.

On my last visit, a casuarina tree, which had been well above high-water mark, was particularly noticeable as be ing about twelve inches below water level, and the shore line seemed to have tilted. For these reasons I stated that I did not consider the island suitable for a quarantine station on account of the danger of its possible sudden subsi dence.

I was not greatly surprised, therefore, when Mr. G. Furter reported to me shortly before noon on May 29, 1937, that a new island had appeared in the har bour.

It is part of the duties of my depart ment to report all seismic disturbances to the Seismological Observatory, River view, New South Wales, and I, therefore, left for Taliligap at once. It was my in tention to be away only about half an hour, so I look Mr. and Mrs. Chinnery with me, as I knew that the latter would like to have some photographs.

On arrival at the highest point on Taliligap, about 1,200 feet, we could see well over the harbour, and there, be neath us, were three islands, instead of one. Some natives, standing by, infor med us that one had come up only a short time before, and all were apparently still wet. The islands were between Vul can Island and the mainland, at Keravia, and about 8 acres in extent. It was agreed that we should return to Rabaul by the coastal road.

Mrs. Chinnery wished to take photos of the new islands at close range, so we went to the end of the jetty at the Car penter’s boatslip. I had returned to the car, but was called back to go out in a pinnace. This I did unwillingly—l was impatient whh the delay.

We had gone as far as the most dis tant of the three islands, and had turned towards the boatslip, passing a recently emerged little islet of rock, a foot or so above water, when Mrs. Chin nery, pointing to the rock, exclaimed.

“Why, that island is getting bigger!” I thought so, too; but, not wishing to cause alarm, I replied, “Oh, no, it’s only an optical illusion,”

There were about 15 natives on the new islands, and a canoe-load of about five had just landed, apparently bent on gathering flotsam of the sea left high and dry. All these natives eventu ally must have perished.

Although not really expecting danger, I had an uncanny feeling, a premoni tion as it were, that things were not quite what they ought to be. Outside, a gentle S.E. wind was blowing. Out be tween Vulcan Island and the mainland, the sea was perfectly smooth, yet there seemed a slow pulsation of the surface, up and down, without causing even a ripple—which I told myself was another optical illusion! I also heard, or seemed to hear, a rumbling and moaning, yet this I could not locate, as the air was perfectly still, and I told myself it was only imagination.

I was keeping a sharp lookout on the course to the boat-slip, but out of the corner of my eye I could see islets of rock, like knobs, quietly popping up above the water between us and Vulcan Island, giving an amazing feeling of unreality, as if one had come into a land of dreams.

Then a long line of rocks suddenly sprang up between us and the boat-slip, completely blocking out return in that direction. The boy at the wheel was told to steer for the nearest point on the shore, about 50 yards away. But, the next instant, the bottom of the sea rose and struck the keel of the pinnace, leaving us in a few inches of water. At the same time there was a terrific explosion, about 100 yards behind us, just where we had been a minute or so before, when we saw the first rock rising out of the sea.

Mr. and Mrs. Chinnery, and an officer from the “Durour” (a small steamer then

on the Carpenter slip) who was in charge of the pinnace, jumped overboard and waded ashore,' but I stayed behind for a little to watch the scene. It was a wonder fully interesting demonstration, not merely of power, but of chemistry and physics in one of Nature’s greatest laboratories. Large rocks were thrown hundreds of feet into the air, as by some giant ballista; fire and .water, with clouds of smoke shot upwards; while there were flashes of vivid lightning ap parently brought about by an electrical disturbance in the upper air.

At the first explosion, I thought it was an island coming up, with rather more display than usual. But, when I saw a rock half the size of a house, go up, the thought flashed through my mind that this was no island —it was nothing less than Mother Earth in labour, giving birth to a submarine volcano. I also thought: “It looks as if I am going to Heaven, like Elijah in a chariot of Are.”

With that I decided quickly to go ashore like George Murray, and I called the two pinnace boys back and had them carry me on their shoulders.

The explosions kept on with increas ing rapidity and violence, and by the time I reached the shore they were like a creeping barrage, coming in my direc tion. Apparently, the earth’s crust be neath the harbour for some time pre viously. was being bent upwards by sub terranean forces, until the strain was too great, and the crust eventually broke.

Explosion after explosion was shat tering the earth’s crust, in the forma tion of the base of the crater, until, of course, the volcanic cone eventually was formed. Which, after all, is the natural history of most volcanoes.

I stood on the shore for, possibly, a fourth of a minute, to view the amazing scene; but an explosion nearer and greater made me turn and go towards the Kokopo Road, for my life. Yet I found myself trying to look back over my shoulder. I can understand some thing of the motives of Lot’s wife, 2n her flight.

I had great difficulty in making my way through the undergrowth, and probably I would have been trapped there, had not the boys seen that I was in trouble and called out, “Road this way, Master”.

Going in their direction, I got on to a native track, and had just got well started when I received almost my great est scare —a crack opened in the earth in front of me, and I thought the next mo ment would see travelling in my chariot of fire. Instead of that, when I burst out on to the Kokopo Road, there was a strange motor car, apparently waiting for me.

By that time, the cloud of smoke was only about 25 yards behind me, blotting out everything from view. Without wait ing to explain or apologise, I hopped in to the car. As I did so, a Chinese woman entered by the opposite door, followed by her husband and infant. We immediately started for Kokopo, with the cloud of “smoke”, like a great grey and blue black cauliflower, rolling close behind us.

A quarter of a mile ahead, we picked up Mr. and Mrs. Chinnery, with the offi cer of the “Durour”; and we also stopped frequently to pick up several Chinese, while every moment expecting that we would be overwhelmed with the “black out”.

Just beyond the boat-slip, the Depart ment of Agriculture car was waiting for us, and the native boy in charge was

standing by. I mention this particularly, as it has been stated that the boy deserted us with the car. s*rom experience, I have found my personal boys stand by me in the hour of danger, and it is only fair to say so.

We immediately got into the Depart-

ment’s car, to make room for the others; and, after picking up a few more people, who were running for their lives, we were soon out of the danger zone. On looking back, we could see water, smoke and Jm mense rocks being hurled a thousand or more feet into the air.