ROTOMAHANA TERRACES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 748, 22 February 1910, Page 4

ROTOMAHANA TERRACES.

DESTROYED QE ONLY BTJEIKDf

': (By Teleßraph.T-PHeej Association.! : I' ; f . ... .... v '-,;.);-': ':■'. Rptorua, February'2li .-£ -i ,'.iA project• that■ has;been..mooted. mbw.V..;; ' than once before 1 is being seriously. dis-'.-'.''. .cussed: again daily—the possibilities' ofv, ' ■ ■recovering the: famous terraces at-' Eotomahana.. Guide Warbrick,stoutly, main?/' tains that, they-i were, never;-destroyed,;;- ■' ,but simply.buried, basing :his belief -on .v.'-. ,the fact that he has' searched the whole w'- ;. of .the ground- in;'the neighbourhood;-:of,;':■' the lake, and never, .found ..a.' fragment;.-,', !of ■'.the i terrace . formation.■■''.Since. -the/V-. ■'.'■■ eruption in June, .1886, Eotomahaha; has'.'.'■:.'.■'■ filled ; : up,.to: nearly , twenty, ■'■'.. times , its' i '; . original size, and is how-more, than 100 ft.;..--■ . above its former leyeL, .There is.no ont-?-.': let, and it is -'still" rising;': another. 25ft-:"' : will cause it. to overflow,: into .its. old .- '■ . channel,..i which "'.would -soon'be ; .\ ■'■ iout; ■ 'The idea is ; to hasten; .tiiis'.ipioV".-; - cessiby giving, it- a-'start ■ by' maldng;n' ;,.'-. cut- The .topmost-layer of the. terraceC ,: : ■' iwas'.'originally ,70 : or 80ft. above' ; : the',. ..'. irater,,and is,.therefore, -now. subrnergea' . . 20 or 30ft.-' Ahbve, this; is a.- deposit', of :■ ,;,, mud; .but: this.: it is -believed "could-'Dt 1 ..:■'. 6hovelled- or pushediintoVthe , :lake.*,with,: : "; no great- labour.,'' If 'the-'terraces' ; sHll- ;. exist, the lowering of, the: water, ,it. if ':, hoped, mil bring them- , to light again.. :; Oh the other hand;' s one. authority "at;. :. least belioves Ehat' if the terraces were..; -.. riot destroyed in , the .eruption,, the steam ■ .. confined below will-by .this.;time have : .>; converted' .the . siliceous formation . into . 'v, pulp, and destroyed the.' beautiful.-'con-.;-.--'■ tours of .these.'.famous ■beauty-spots..-. Be- ■->; lieyers.in their; .existence . combat', this.-, ' '~'-.■■. theory, and. contend '.that ..the' formatioii ;V .:; .wns ; :mnch' too 1 httrd'.to .te: injured: bl';-,-'-steam. , '.--.;' /],-■•';" '.'J'-:' , -';-. ■■.-.'■■':■ ■■': '■■.".'.'?'.'.:■'. ■■-.''