ORDERS GIVEN FOR THE EVACUATION OF WAIROA.

Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 24, 15 June 1886, Page 2

ORDERS GIVEN FOR THE EVACUATION OF WAIROA.

DANGEROUS MUD GLAOIERB '.BEING FORMED/ ,' DR. HECTOR'S EXPLANATION OF THE DISTURBANCE." HIS OPINION AsTtO THE CHANCE OF ANOTHER ERUPTION. A-MAORPMAGICIAN. .; TWO OTHER yiLLAGES REPORTED , . , . BURIED. t. „ Botobua, Tnis Day. _ Pr. Hcotor's visit to Wairoa was the most important event of to-day. Whatever intention he had of Betting out in the boat across Tarawora^Lako he, abandoned after examination of the position of .affaire. Indcod, ho considered th\ek, bo morions that he ordorod the immediate evacuation of. Wairoa, and tho olosing of the rood, which has 'now become , 911 almost iinpaseable sea of mud, in which .vehicles, pedestrians, and horsemen are continually bogged. Dr.'] Hector's reason for taking this stop is notth'o fear of further eruptions, although they are not impossible nor even improbable, bat tho oonsoquonoo which mast follow the first heavy rain. W,hore the mud has become softonod with water, (it has already commenced to slip do»yn the hill bides in streams, and this fact points to thai oonsequenoo of a general subsidence of tho millions of, tons, of mud on tho steep hill aides. In Dr. Hector's opinion groat mud glaciers would >be formed, which, slipping into the vallpya^and lakes, would bury tho pah to a depth of perhaps 40 feet, and render oscapo impossible to anyone thus out off. Ho thinks tho dangor to human, life ndw from this cause is infinitely greater than from any increase in the volcanio energy. The lakes being filled with vast masses of mud would overflow;, and a long time, porhaps months, mUstolapse bofore tho country can settle into a condition ,of anything like permanent subsidence.' With the indications of an early break in the long-continued fi no weather, Dr. Hector considers it inadvisable to delay precautionary measures, and everyone is being burriod into Rotorua by his direction to-night. Communication ' may be opened between Wairoa and Ohinemutu by canoes crossing Lakeßotakakohi toKaiteriria, and thence by the track running round by Who* karewarowa.' This is the route described by me before as the boat ono ior reaching the mountains above Rotomahamv, With rogard to theWjent volcanic eruption Dr. Het - tor holds similar views to those suggested in my letter yeeterdaT.-: ,h; bolievos that the earthquake shocks, oaused by, tho outbreak' ,6t Tarawcra mountain ruptured the ' steam pipes' in', Rotomabana geysersj and lot in the water of the' lake upon the subterranean heat, resnlting in the generation of an enormous quantity of steam and tho exoitement of the muddy bottom. of the lake. Ho doubts, however, whother the eruption has been of the character which produced the formation of lava. Ho thinks rather that the outburst on Tarawera waa paused by tho rupture of' the sealed cap,' which was previously impervious to steam. Tho stones resembling scoria wore, ho thinks, formed by heat produced in the steam, and not through the, liquifaotion of tho rook by intense heat. From a number of spooimons I had collected on the sooria hills at the back of Rotomahana, ho selected one which from ito characteristics gave indications of lava, the rest were, mostly pieces of terraco formation *and. a. small piece of obsidian. As to tho chance of a further eruption, Dr. Hector hesitates to pronounco any decided opinion. He bplieves, however, that tho chief dangor at present is from tho mud in a liquified state. , He sayjf the danger from the shifting of recen^ deposits is well vocognised. : Tho boat in which it was intended to cross Lake Tarawera for tho purpose of inspecting To Ariki settlement was lowered with ' considerable difficulty, and tho crew dosconded -by tho aid of ropes. It was a very pluoky operation. JTho party was under .tho^dirootion of Major Mair, and will thoroughly examine the 6ottlomont, and ascertain if there is any chanco of any hhman being remaining alive. Mr. J. A.. Pond (of Auckland) and party mado an Orpoditioa on horseback to Rotonmhaim by the rontes d§scribefl yesterday. They went close up to the craters along the .old bod of the creek leading from Okaio to Botdmahana, and found thorn fumaroleaor steam vents ejecting stones,. In only ono instance, the largo well nearest Okaio Lake, are tbo stones thrown outride the crater. Another party walked along the/bed of Rotomahana, at the foot of the hills* where there was a porfeqtly level patch formed by ' tho dust deposits. They obtained a glimpse through the steam into the centre of the lake, and confirmed the intelligence' already wired, that it is now one immense mud volcano, spluttering like a porridge pot, and sending its hot mud high into the Air. Mount Tarawera is the only place that exhibits the characteristics of & true volcanic crater. ' On -the side next Rotomaharta there is an enormous chasm more than half-way up the mountain, from which not only are the huge stones projected, but streams of sulphur are running over the top. Several large fumafdles aro playing on the ridges of the great mountain. Mr. Pond, from examination of the grey dust ash, was able to form the opinion that it consists of silicate of alumina, or silica - with perhaps lime, potash, and soda. There is not now the shadow of doubt "that both the -Terraces have been smashed up, and Dr. Hector readily classed the fragments collected on the hillsjde v j The discovery , to-day, of an old chief, named Tu'otu Tdnga, bnried in his wharo at Wairoa, is a strong reflection on the dilatoriness of Government in adopting measures to etploee these houses. Although the mud was heaped up around tho whare and over the roof to a, height of over four feet, the door was not so blocked m to shut ottt the li&ht. The reason of his not being found earlier is partly due to the wish of the natives in the village that he should never be discovered. . >He is reputed to be oikr a hnndred'yekrs old, and is greatly feared** & wizard of first -class transmogrification power. He is accused of causing the death of a child by bewitching him. The destruction of Wairoa is also partly attributed to '"tne 'old Wn'tf -malevolence!, ' When 'fdund he seemed, perfectly contented with his condition^ Although ft mere 'skeleton, his 104 hours' hybernating had not made him speechless, and he protested against being carried out, He at once partook of food, however.and dn reaching the/ sanatorium at Rotorua was fed upon milk, administered in small quantities! His dutiful nephews^ and g^andchilftenywholhad nutd^e no!esort|to search for then?' aged relative, flookeaftitfwn to weep over him, when he came in. To-day w»s a great diy with tho Wftirpa refugees'.' In "front of the meeting house at Rotorua the food for distribution was heaped up. .The great redflag^of tho tribe Tjearing the nanle of their ancestor * w/is hoisted at half mast, and the chiefs m»do the usual harangues. The natives of the district have behaved very well taiwds their unfortunate brethren, dividing clothes with them freely. . The Govennnent hare also authorised: the issue of food and clothing. • ■ r - , A. very 'saddening spectacle was witnessed at the cemetery, on, the occasion of the burial of'Mr.'Haiara, me fire children, and the English tonrifrt • Bfcjnbridge in graves side by «de. Mr.> ITArthur, of Anckknd, was present as a friend of tho stranger whose ,life has been brought to an untimely end in par midst. Ohineniutu is in a conditioj for the oreation of a paniQ on the smallest provocation, and wonderful "stories, which are pure fiction or have a, slight foundation, fly about continuously. One current to-day, _wish modi detail, was to the effect that ]&>iuit £dgonmbe had Broken into .eruption, and that VVbite Island was in * terrible ferment. There seems nt> «*ann4 for^his report beyond. the £ftct,th«t<the,ngnwiias at Tikitere, in the adjacent distriots, are in a state '61 «»lvfty, which, as Dr. Hector points out, is -rcswilyi accounted for both thexo andtcN»>bT the closing of the outlets with mud, aricVihe banking up of the water iq the l*ke« and springs. Eotorua is. i feet \

higher from this cause, but the overflow will Boon clear a conrso for itself, an it han alroady done at Wairoa. What may be tho c-ffoot of tho slipping 1 of tho mud on the north shore into Rotorua remains to be seen. If there is a very sad side to this catn<i-N trophe, thero is also a humorous one. Mr. Morgan, a survoyor, relates that ho was at Galatea with tho natives, and when the shower o> ashos camo on ono nativo fell upon hii; knees, and exclaimed, "Oh, Lord, if yon will only lot us get out of this, I will give you a p*und, and Morgan shall keop it." Rotorua. This Day. The old chief at the sanatorium in gaining strength. None of tho natives would touch him Tho Roy. Mr. JTairbrother got hi» clothes off. He told Mr. Fairbrothtr that In did not know what had happened, but lie snppoßcd tho wharc bar! fallen in. He be- 1 l : eved he woii'd bo rescued, and prayed to God continually. He had no food. A native woman from Tokiuo or Waitangi. tto villaguH 011 tho left hand Hide of Tarawora looking from Wairoa, camo in to-day, tui'l reports that nobody is lfalt but hcf.sell'.