WAIHI LANDSLIDE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 776, 28 March 1910, Page 7

WAIHI LANDSLIDE.

STORY OF AN EYE-WlTSESSi.'■■■;■ COWS, HORSES, AND PICS BURIED. 'A SCENE OF DEVASTATION. (By TelwrraDh'.-SDeolal CorreKJondenU Auckland, March 27. ; A graphic story, of tho . disastrous landslide at the small Maori village of 1 Waihi, on tho shores of Lake Taupo* early on Sunday morning last, was given to a "Herald" reporter by Mr. J. Hanlon, of Whangarei, ; who was . fishing on the Tongariro River a abort 1 distance away at the time/ "It was at about 11.30 on Sunday morning," said Mr. Hanlon, "that I was standing at our camp talking to the cook. Suddenly we heard a< terrifio roar, leading the cook to exclaim, That's thunder'; but I thought differently. ''That's not thunder,': said L, and looking round in the direction from where the noise came, I.saw a great column of dust like steam rise some 1300 ft./ followed by' a great crack in the hillside at Waihi.' Then I saw the bush disappearing into the cavity. Suddenly it Bhot up again, and then, with a mighty roar, rocks, soil, , and bush rushed down the valley towards the lake, tumbling and rolling over.and, over like great breakers on a/beach,, until the. slide reached- the mouth or the valley, where it spread out a quarter of a mile wide on the flat land on the shore of the lake, sweeping away, the "Waihi village in its course.:: It- then went on for about 250 :yards .into ,the lake, creating■ about 16 or 18-acres of now. land above, the lake level.'

Potato and Malzb Crops Destroyed. ; ; "The slide also covered.the . WaihiTokaanu Road to a depth of from'6ft. to 25ft. for about a quarter of a milo. ' In its. course it destroyed the potato and ; maize crops and _a ; large area; of" grazing land, and buried cows, horses, '.gad', pigs' as' it went, along.; _- _ '■■"■ "It was the sight .of a lifetime;"continued Mrl Hanlon. '.'lt was most awe inspiring. Huge rocks were ground into small pieces, and hundreds of tons - of others were broken into slabs 3ft." or 4ft long and about 2in."thick.".-... Mr. Hanlon stated the tidal wave which followed the slidewashed up huge quantities of carp, which nowstrew the road for hundreds of yards. • "It was a melancholy sight ...thai greeted our eyes after the slip," said Mr. Hanlon. "The scene of desolation was terrible. Crops '■■' and: plantations were everywhere destroyed, and whares were smashed into ' matchwood. One house, strange to say, had been shifted 'Bin. bodily, without any. more, damage than a. broken chimney." '.■ Mr. Hanlon stated that the i slide, which traversed a mile, only 'lasted' three minutes;' Had it occurred on. a week day, a; heavy ■ death roll must have been the •■ result,, as. the ! Natives were busy digging .their- potato crops, which have now been entirely destroyed;' The next morning the creek'which runs into the Te Rapa had found: its way along the side of the debris, ; and was flowing under the. Patiki and down to the flat,.whence.it found its,way Into tho lake about' half a mile to the south of the former outlet of the Te - Rapa. Tho creek now being banked up will form a considerable menace for sonw time to come, as ;its waters will collect and form a lake in the valley behind the slip. . The slide at present is very boggy,.but capable of being traversed, though risky., ::Mr., Hanlon, however, went over it. V,.'.. v "•.':.'•.-

An Interesting Theory. ; •? Bushmen, whom Mr., Hanlon spoke to : about; the occurrence, advanced an in-' teresting theory as;to the cause. 'The outlet of a number.of>large springs;in the district.got stopped up a year ago. and in. their opinion caused the water., to spread in the rock and thus caused numerous fissures at the base of the hill, which. in consequence became so' weakened that it'could not support the immense .weight above' it.,''-"'. According to Mr. Hanlon- lie place does .not at. present look at all safe, : ahtl.in-iris opinion anoiiher slip may occur '-. at any, time.". The hill-side, for a distance of about a quarter of 3 mile, - is covered! with hot springs, which ib is feared may yet be the oause of a dis- , aster far. greater than that which haj already i occurred. Even now there ara several yawning cracks on the hill-side.

■ :Wl Tamataliana's Death. , 'When. Mr. Hankm left on Wednesday,.': the Natives were digging for, the, body of Wi Tamaiwhana, .the victim, of the M catastrophe, but without success.; They.O were, going .to,"have: another ' try, ■ but is useless. It was o'clock on the fateful morning,- said Mr; Iranian, tfoat tha Natives heard a noise in the hill, and . ; immediately got very excited, wondering what was going to happen. -W: Tamaiwhana and some: companions on tho flat land subsequently heard, some portions of the bush come down in the ;. valley and proceeded to .investigate. Wi Tamaiwhana 'wentout. further "than his' companions, when suddenly the-big . ■slide, started to'move, the others .called', out to.huii.'toTuVfor his.life, but he 'appeared to' be fascinated and paid no '■' attention to their'entreaties.i At.last, - however,', when the slide was within 60 . yards or him he turned and ran, but:it . was too late, and he was overwhelmed. He (tumbled and fell, but rose again■ to -his feet and staggered-forward; but ib'.was'not for long, for a huge boulder,; hurling through. space, struck him in the'back and he fell to rise no-more,'.; ' the last seen of .him .being ;his feet;;: Bticking out of the moving mass) and : shortly afterwards he disappeared from sight; His remains are now believed to ■ be some 20ft. beneath: the. surface; . Perilous Experiences. ■■■":■■';■ Several narrow escapes were recorded. A Hindoo. pedler; was walking along the Toad w'beh he saw the slide,approach--: inghun I .' The mam ran as he had never, riin before, and at length reached what; ho considered a position of safety and (sank exhausted to the ground. -His troubles were, however, not over yet,' for when the land slipped into the lake a tidal wave sis feet high, pursued him. Another sprint,, and the pedler was at last .safe, for though the water: did overtake him it reached only up to his knees. ''".'_ ',-.!',;' '. ■ Some girls were picking maize in the' plantations when they heard the crash.' . They fled to safety, but one of'.them went off in such a dead faint that a*: first it was thought she had expired. Two boys were in the valley trying to- catch horses that had bolted up thf hill. By.following tho horses the boys i escaped just'in time, though they were 1 cut off and were •at first ; thought to have been killed. A little boy thought !he was cut off from safety and was doomed. Dropping on his knees he turned Me face to heaven and uttered a prayer/. H3a father rushed ottfcv and seizing him dragged 'him from tee advancing torrent only just in time. ; ■ .An English visitor who goes to tfca 1 locality every year to fish, decided ix \ fish in the Te Bap Creek, near WoOii, p on the morning in question. At t3wi last moment, however, ho changed Mb '. mind. Tho place where he intended to fish is now 200 yards inland, covered by 30ft. of debris. -. ■■