VOLCANIC DISTURBANCE AT TAUPO.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 197, 19 August 1895, Page 2

VOLCANIC DISTURBANCE AT TAUPO.

Considerable Damage Reported.

Nearly All Chimneys Down.

Hotel Stocks Smashed to

Atoms.

People Camping Out in

Tents.

All Quiet at Rotorua.

(BY TELEGBAPH.—OWN COBRESPONDENT.)

Taufo, thia day.

An alarming series of earthquake eh»cke have been experienced here since 6.30 p.m> oq Saturday. They were the heaviest shocks ever felb here. Buildings of all descriptions oscillated violently, and chimney B tumbled down in all directions. In the hotels and stores nearly all the bottleswweer c smashed, and crockery suffered severely everywhere. The majority of the residents hereabouts are camped out in tents. So far no one has sustained any personal injury.

(BY. TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Wellington, this day.

Considerable damage by a series of severe earthquakes at Taupo on Saturday evening and Sunday is reported.

The first intimation was contained in the following telegram from Mr Park, Postmaster ab Taupo, to the Secretary of the General Post Office at Wellington on Saturday evening :—" We aro having a succession of tremendous earthquake*.. The first one occurred at 6.27 p.m,, and smashed a lob of creckery. They are by far the heaviest shocks I ever felt.

" A swinging lamp suspended eavon feob from the ceiling swung until ib almost touched the roof."

Latar, Mr Park telegraphed again as follows:—

"9.30 p.m.—Shocks still continue, bub not so severe.

" Rotorua has not felb them ab all. " All the chimneys here are down except mine and two ab the Lake Hotel, " My battery jars are half-emptied, and in a great meae. The wires are in contact, aa I anticipated. " AH the residents here ara camping oah. V Tiie local store ia in a great masts. be*

bween broken bottles, castor oil, blankets, paints, etc." '

Yesterday Mr Park telegraphed I •* Earthquakes lasted till mid-day to-day. "Only five chimneys are uninjured. At the Terrace Hotel very little crockery or glassware is lefb.

"All the bottles in the hotel wore thrown down.

The earthquakes were severe over an area, commencing ab Wairakei and extending to McCrae'e Hotel.

"The inhabitants camped oub all nighb." Another telegram from bhe same gentle* man, received lasb evening, says: " We have nob been able bo see Tongariro. Ib is cloud capped. I rode to ftohokinau to-day, eight milee to the north-east, but all is quiet there. Tha shakes are nob severe ab Orakei and Korako.

"The kitchen dresser ab the Terrace Hotel waa thrown on the floor, and the kitchen range shifted oub several feet. The whole of the bottles in the bar were thrown on the floor and smashed, while cases were moved so as to block doors.

" This is also the case at all the hotels more or less, while the storekeepers goods are. all thrown on the floor, mixing up castor" oil, ladies' finery, vinegar, curry, blankets, etc.

" The road were cuttings exisb is blocked by large slipa which have occurred all round the lake. We can see hundreds as far as the eye can reach.

" The Tokaama mail conld nob go today owing to these slips. "There fs nothing special ab Wairakei.all the families but nine are camped oub in tents."

The lasb telegram received from Mr Park ab 6.9 p.m. yesterday says, " 6.7 p.m. There is another eevere shake." NAPIER SEVERELY SHAKEN. Mr Harrington," Office-in-Charge ab Napier, telegraphed to Mr Gray on Saturday nighb, •• Two heavy distinct shocks of earthquake were experienced here, the first at 6.26 p.m., and the second a very Bevere and prolonged one, at 6.27. The direction was east to west. ALL QUIET AT ROTORUA. Mr Dansey of Rotorua telegraphed on Saturday nighb as follows : "Nothing felb here. Fine starlight nighb. No unusual aetiviby about the springs." SHARP SHOCK AT TARAWERA. Mr Hebberiey, of Tarawera, telegraphed yesterday as follows: •• A very sharp earthquake was felb hero lasb nighb ab 6.30. Shocks continued until 10 o'clock today, on and off. No damage ia done.''