Tongan Wireless Operator's Story of the Eruption

r THE Tongan wireless operator on Niuafo’ou, S. Malekamu, kept a diary of the events which led up to and occurred during the eruption.

Severe tremors, he says, began about 7 o’clock on the evening of September 9.

He took earth and thermometer tem peratures which seemed to be normal and tried, unsuccessfully, to raise Nuku’alofa and Suva on the radio. At about 8.12', there was an earthquake of about one minute’s duration. His account from that time is as follows:

Sep. 9—8.15 P.M.

The copra inspector called from the verandah that something queer was hap pening. I ran out and to my horror the western approach to Angana village is in flames and smoke, thousands of feet high. Can hear clearly big trees and coconuts snapping when waves of lava reach them. My estimate is that the fire now is at the western end of Angaha, almost at the hospital. I abandon every thing and start for the hill. Fire seems to cover all western approaches, from the sea up to the village of Esia, so ran towards Sapaata village.

Joined by teacher outside the radio station; we start at a slow trot, hoping that the fire will not reach town. Stop near Sapaata end of Angaha and have another look at the eruption. Not five minutes after we left the wireless station there is a big flash, which runs from the sea in a north-easterly direction, and ends about 100 yards from where we stand. This flash is accompanied by a fresh crater erupting from the sea in front of Dugald Quensell’s property.

We now run for our lives. On reach ing Sapaata, the fire looks as it it has reached where we stood not three min utes ago. People run to the hill —a whole mass of men, women, children and animals. The whole place is brightly lit by fire; the moon is obscured by fire and smoke. . .

Piu is considered unsafe as it is too close to Angaha, so we all go up to Mokotu point, about a mile from An gaha. From Mokotu, the fire is seen rag ing at Angaha.

The wireless masts still stand in the midst of the fire.

After about an hour we go to Piu, where we view the destruction of the wireless station and government offices and quarters. One crater is at the back of what was our kitchen; and one is about 20 yards from the office and the

same distance from our living quarters.

There are other small openings at vari ous places at Angaha, which spout fire but not lava.

Sep. 9—Ll P.M.

Light fain mixed with sand begins to come down now. I become wet and for the first time realise that I have nothing else except the shirt and vala which I wear. I have saved only the office and safe keys and a tuning fork. People now start building shelters for the night.

Sep. 10—10 A.M.

Went to Angaha. With the exception of the hospital, school house, and teach ers’ quarters, all government and most other property is destroyed. There are three craters at Angaha and about nine others in line along the beach.

One crater has formed a good safe natural anchorage facing northward, which is considered to be the ‘best an chorage Niuafo’ou has seen. Lava ex tends right out to sea. Whether it will stay or not depends on whether it can withstand the force of the waves. The new beach is covered by a kind of rough, black sand, and lifeboats can land there with ease.

September 11.

About 11 a.m. I and five others manage to pull out the small safe from the Gov ernment office. We recovered £34 in silver. All paper currency was burned.

Unable to pull out the big safe as it was surrounded by hot lava and covered by hot, rough, black sand from Alelea crater, a few yards away. .

This crater erupted strongly again last night, and by morning a big hill had formed there, about two or three hun dred feet high. ' To-day, with a long stick, I wrote an SOS beside the Alelea crater, where the meteorological hut stood. An aircraft passed well away to north at about noon or earlier; going westerly, possibly from Samoa to Fiji. Alelea crater has stopped erupting but it makes an occasional roar like a lion that makes people near it run for their lives.

Sept. 12—About 10 or 11 a.m. an air craft (unseen) passed well out to the north, running easterly (Fiji-Samoa).

We pray that she might come near and report us to Nukualofa, but she keeps a straight course.

Sept. 13, 14, and 15—Nothing happens

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on these days, except one or two craters near Utu Palapu are still active, especi ally at night. Not a day passes without four or five good, big shakes.

Sept. 16 —About 2 p.m. an aircraft comes from south and circles island once, then goes round Angaha. Everyone is happy, as we know that it will re port us to Nukualofa. Tried to morse to aircraft with a 2-cell torch, but no good, as the sun is too bright. The plane disappeared in an easterly direc tion.

Sept. 17—All craters in Angaha have died down with the exception of some small openings away from the erupting area, which send out smoke and some times fire, but not lava. Alelea and Kekei are still active, but weak. Every day since September 9 has been fine.

Sept. 18 About noon, an American Naval Catalina approaches from the east and circles the island. She then circles Angaha, then drops a first aid box, together with a bag of rice, tinned beef, tea and seven cases of American “K” rations. She circles Angaha many times—sometimes so low that we can see three American sailors in blue shirts and dungarees waving to us from the side doors of the plane.

Sept. 19—We distribute food from the plane amongst those affected by the eruption. Endeavour to collect parachute for sending back but find that it has been cut to pieces by some of the Niua people. The food was sent from Landers, USA Naval Base, Tutuila, Pago Pago, Eastern Samoa. Written on one of the cases was “New Zealand ship will call here in 10 days.”

The day is fine. Father Schahl has picked up on his radio a message that the “Hifofua” will be here to-day or to morrow. A land transport plane with twin engines comes over about 11 a.m.

and circles Angaha twice. It then flies away to eastward.

Sept. 20—About 10 a.m. “Hifofua” arrives together with an American tanker (diverted from her course to Noumea) which is ordered to stand by the island in case of an evacuation.

After some hours on shore the Min ister of Lands is of the opinion that there is no immediate danger and no further need for the ship to remain.

Every crater is dormant now and no more shakes are felt. It looks as if the eruption is over for the time being.

Further details have been made public in Noumea of the proposed French South Pacific Air Company. The aims are to connect up the Caledonian and Hebridean archipelagoes, link these up with Australia and Tahiti; attract tourists and train young people to become pilot's.

Capital needed is estimated at ten mil-

lion New Caledonian francs, subscribed in France and locally. The local branch of the Bank of Indo-China is receiving subscriptions. It is proposed to use Catalinas on the longer runs, and Republic Seabee amphibians for shorter distances. Two training planes would be used at the Noumea base.