WHAT PROFESSOR HUTTON THINKS OF IT.

Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 23, 14 June 1886, Page 2

WHAT PROFESSOR HUTTON THINKS OF IT.

A Christohuvch Pross representative ff&Jterf ou Professor Hutton with regard to tbo outbroak at Turnwera. "Of courso," ho said, " nobody imagined for a moment that iwy such outbreak would ever ocour at Tarawera. There are no traditions among tho Maoris of its ever having boen an aotivo volcano, It is a flat-topped mountain, and certainly when I saw it it did not give one tho idea that thore was any possibility of its becoming tho 'scene of volcanic activity. Wo should rather havo expeoted an outbreak farther north, say at Bongitoto Wo always looked upon the Hot Springs distriot a* one whore tho voloanio energy was. dying out) tho solfataras woro regarded as evidenoe in. support of that theory. You will find that was the view takon by Hochstetter in 1851, and that is the viow other scientific men havo token ever sinco. thon. You remember that a few wooks ago thore was a report that Ruapehu was believed to bo smoking. Well, that, of course, looks rather significant now in the light of what has occurred since." Tho interviewer asked whothor, supposing Ruapehu to have, boon in oruption when the smoke was supposed to havo beon soon, this ought not tohave afforded a kind of tafety-valvo, nnd ronderod the chance of an eruption at Tarawera loss probable. To this Professor Hutton ropliod, " Well, no : I think it is very possiblo this outbreak at Tarawera. has provod a safety-valve for Ruapehu. You must; romembor thoro is a great difference of lovol between tho two mountains. It may be that tho matter, seeking tm outlet, found itself un»blo to ascend a point so high as Ruapohu, and so burst through tho earth at Tarawora. This is very much, like what occurs at the Hawaiian mountain, Kilauca. Appearances point to an eruption of tho higher "mountain, but tlio .eruption really ocours at tho smaller volcano. Iv tho course of somo furtuor conversation, Professor Hutton urgod that it would bo a> thousand pities if competent' scientific moa wero not sent at onoetotho district, in order to make proper observation of tho phenomena. Professor Hutton" fwrthor remarked that no. detailed scientific examination of tho Hot Lakes district had boon Mado sinco tho days of Hochstotter, whoso work is still the standard authbrity on tho bubjoot. "You have no idea, ho added, " how thoy will look down upon us at Home if wo allow such an opportunity as this for original soiontifio observation to |)MMi'by without taking advantage of it."