THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XX, Issue 141, 15 June 1886, Page 2

THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION.

[Press Association. |

Alarming Symptoms.

Lake Taupo Rising & Falling.

Tongariro Active and Very-

Threatening

An Unfortunate Maori.

Maori Settlements Swallowed

Up

The Terraces Gone.

(Auckland, This Day,

Lake Taupo yesterday afternoon rose to an alarming height very suddenly but subsided gradually without doing any damage. Tongariro at the same time showed increased activity, This morning Tongariro was enveloped in thick smoke and loud explosions proceeded from it, a severe shock of earthquake being felt.

Simultaneously at Rotorua there were two shocks of earthquake this morning. An old Maori was dug out yesterday at Wairoa. after being buried four days. He says that he had no food, but prayed all the time. The natives will not speak to him, believing him to be a wizard and the cause o£ the eruption.

A constable arrived at Rotorua reports' no hope of saving life at the xlriki and Morea settlements. The former is buried twenty feet deep in mud and ashes. The latter has disappeared altogether, and is believed to have been svval lowed up by Lake Tarawera. It is believed that no further eruption will take place at Rotorua, but Tongariro is considered very threatening.

Wellington

Sir Julius Yogel has received the following telegram from the Postmaster at Rotorua: — ; 'lt is now quite a decided fact that the terraces exist no longer." Mise Graham haa telegraphed to Mr Ballance that Bhe got within a mile ef the Pin Terraces, but was unable to see any trace of them.

Dr Lemon has received the following tele grams ; —

Napieb, Jane 14. Mr Elliott, the Opotiki lineman, reports that he found the plates of both lightning guarda at that office fused. The wire* had been down in the river and had been repaired temporarily by Mr Gordon.

Mr Somerville, the lineman from Tauranga, reports that he had great trouble in travelling, the dust from Rotorua having blinded him and his horse. He found the wire fused at the insulators one mile north of Whakatane.

The Commissioner of Armed Constabulary has received the following : —

RoTonuA, Jure 14, 9*45 a.m

Steward's party could not reach the Rotomahana Native settlement, being shrouded by sulphur vapour, and several places close by are in dangerous violent eruption. The Pink Terrace has subsided, and its site is apparently a lake. The police hope to reach the Morea settlement by land to-day. A boat also attempts both places.

[From various sources.] A SCENE OP DESOLATION.

It is when we set out from Ohinemutu in the direction of Tarawera and Rotomahana, the favourite resort of tourists, that the stupendous calamity which has befallen the place is revealed in all its a wf ulness. A melancholy procession passed along this road to-day to dig 1 out the Haszard family and the remains of missing- natives. The pretty little Tikitapu Bush, such a favourite with tourists, is completely destroyed : the whole forest is covered with three feet of volcanic dust ; trees 150 feet high are lying flat, torn by the convulsions of the earth and high wind, and their roots, as they were torn from the earth, are lying in many cases ten feet high, All the under-growth is swept away or borne down with the weight of the debris. Not a leaf is to be seen, and the foliage of all the big trees is destroyed. On reaching Tikitapu we find it is the blue lake no longer : the water is changed to a dirty brown. Following the road the sidings are filled up with drift deposit to half the width of the road. Rising the hill we come in view of Potokahi. What was once a green lake is now dirty water, and the heaviness of the shower may be gauged by a fence four feet high, the top of which only is visible. The river conveying the outflow of the lake is stopped, and the bed filled up. In a gully beyond this point was seen the dead body of a horse, which had been tethered, and evidently had had a fierce struggle for life. The entrance of Wairoa presents a scene of complete desolation, the whare tops peering out of the acGumulatod debris. On the roof of one was lying the dead body of its former owner, who had been dug out. Three rooms of the Terrace Hotel arc standing, but the back parts are knocked away and the balcony stove in. The Rotomahana Hotel is a shattered wreck. The roof of the store next door has tumbled in with the weight of mud. The search party had dug out the remains of Mr Hazard, who was lying face downwards, evidently crushed to the earth with the weight of the beams which fell across his back. Mr Hazard's death was probably instantaneous, as also that of his little baby, who is in a fearfully crushed state ; but his little seven-year-old daughter appeared [ to have suffered a great deal of agony. She was lying on her back with a wooden beam, pressing on her face. The house had taken fire, and was smouldering, but the bodies wore not burnt. The old mission station, near Mr Haszard 's house, has collapsed ; only a little of the roof is visible. The natives are wqrking harft in the village digging out their belongings. One old woman was found doubled up in her whare dead. A search was made in the boatshed for the boats, but they were beyond recovery. Lake Tarawera is completely overhung with vapour, and the mountain has not yet been seen in consequence of the obscuring clouds, No native Jias come in £ron> Rqtqmahana — a too significant indication of the fate of tho Ariki settlement, near the entrance to tho lake, which has, it is feared, been engulfed with, all its inhabitants, computed at about 50. The stream and watorfall at Wairoa formerly running at the back of the hotel has dried up. One poor horse was seen wandering about the township frightfully cut and battered. This was the only sign of animal life in the disturbed village ; everything had succumbed to that terrible storm.

A RESURRECTED MAORI

Operations were meanwhile being carried on by the natives to dig out the members of

their own tribe. The road to the hut a Wairoa had to be cleared, and the great trees removed. While the work was going on, an old Maori, over 100 years of age, was dug out. He had waited patiently, with his elbows upon his knees, until his deliverance came, and when the ashes were properly scraped off him, he rose and shook the dust of the crater from his feet, and without giving a look of recognition to anyone, went straight away oil! and had a good feed.

MR FAIRBROTHER'S NARRATIVE,

The Rev. Mr Fairbrother, who has lived at Wairoa for so long as a missionary, rode over from Cambridge to visit his former flock as soon as he heard of the misfortune that had befallen them. He says — Those who know what a big snow storm is, if they can imagine lava, instead of heaped up or drifted snow, can understand what Te Wairoa looked like. To get to the scene of the Hazards' catastrophe, we had to go through nine miles of it. The difference between, the lava and snow is the greater weight of the former, which has borne down whatever it rested on, and what was once the beautiful village of Wairoa is now a desolate plain of mud, with here and there skeletons of trees coated with lava. When I arrived, there was one old Maori lady there who threw her arms round my neck crying, " I must die here, I must die here." I afterwards persuaded her to leave and come to Ohinemutu. She then told me that Mary and her little boy were lying dead in Sophia's whare. I went inside, and when able to command my feelings, Mohi the husband of the dead girl, told me her sad history. He said they were in a chief's house when the eruption first commenced, but Mary was afraid to stay there, because of the noise of the falling boards of the house, and they then went down to their own whare, taking the two little boys. Then Mohi said, "Well, Mr Fairbrother has taught us to pray, let us pray to God," and they prayed. The roof now was smashed in with the lava, stones, and mud. To save the life of the elder boy, he wrapped him in a shawl and knelt over the little one so that the boy should not receive any hurt from the f ailing la va and stones. The drift, however, gathered so quickly round his body that the little one was soon covered, and he had to keep throwing it aside with one arm to keep it away. The Maori had his hands on the ground, and was also on his knees, so as to provide an effectual shelter for the little one, who was on his back, thus forming a resting place for the increasing fall of lava. All the time the wife Avas trying to protect the other little boy, who was named after myself, but her efforts were in vain, and in the silent struggle with the elements the lava overpowered mother and child, killing both. Mohi, finding it getting dark, and the lava very heavy on lil-j back, made a desperate effort to fling it- off, and taking up his little one, called ttr "his wife to be quick and follow, when, to \ii* horror, he found that both his dear on.«s had silently died by his side. They wer<. nf terwstrds dug out. The mother was in stKir.ti'ng- posture, with her arms extended o\ >^fier babe to protect it from the sand drift. This is but one of many sad narratives which could be told of Maori devotion to their loved ones in danger.

(Written at Oxford, Thursday night.)

Journeying along with. Mr Rich, of the Pakatere Company, by special train to Oxford, we were surprised to find that the nearer Rotorua we approached, the less excitement was shown. We learned that up to sunset there had been little or no uneasiness felt regarding Rotorua. The guard (Suck) and driver (Cook) of the Oxford train had not yet heard of any loss of life, and the feeling of the residents was not at all one of alarm. The temporary relief we felt was rudely dispelled at Oxford, when a coach load of tourists returned and described the dreadful scenes of the early morning. The volcanic eruption is said to have been preceded a week ago by a tidal wave on Lake Tarawera, and the Maoii' were afraid to go up with their onnops. Another circumstance which increased their superstition was as follows : — Some tourists and Natives were standing on the border of the lake, when a large warcanoe is said to have appeared, gliding along quietly on the placid water, the Maoris standing upright, using their paddles. A Native woman who was with the tourists v;iillcvl tv tliuac iii fclic ounoo, but) it ouxldonly disappeared from view. It was regarded as being a phantom canoe, an omen of the evil which has befallen their tribe. They are satisfied it was an apparition, as they have no war canoes.

A TOURIST S EXPERIENCE,

He says : " We went on Sunday to Wairoa. On Tuesday we went to the Terraces, and are the last visitors who will probably ever see such. On Wednesday it rained, and at 10 p.m. the earthquake began, rocking tho house in which we stayed (at Brent's Hotel). The shocks became more frequent and severe from midnight till 2 a.m., when a terrific eruption occurred. Huge mountains of flames issued forth, and went upwards towards the sky with a tremendous roaring sound, which prevented us hearing a word spoken. Then a dense mass of smoke belched forth, gradually spreading over the heavens. We were presently enshrouded in as gloomy a darkness as previously we were surrounded by dazzling light, the transformation being very painful and terrifying to most of us. The earthquakes continued intermittent until four o'clock, when ashes came down, and a great thunderstorm broke over the place, still further intensifying the alarm. The ashes were found to be three feet deep at a distance of seven miles from the township. The said tourist alleges that he himself was not a bit frightened, but gazed calmly on this magnificent sight of the wonderland of New Zealand, and at -1 o'clock, getting tired of looking at the thing, he lay down and went to sleep. Brave tourist I

A pitiable scene was witnessed by one of the English tourists. He stood on an eminence at an early stage of the eruption, and gazed placidly on the terrific volcano, because in his ignorance he thought it was one of the wonders he had come to Rotorua to behold, when, all of a sudden, as he watched, a Maori woman hastened along the road. The earth opened, and with a shriek the poor woman threw up her arms and went down out of sight. A shower of hot ashes caused the tourist to gird up his loins and flee from the spot, feeling he had already had quite enough value for his money.

Rotorua, June 1 2.

The term " lava," commonly applied for want of a better word to debris thrown out by the volcano, is misleading 1 . Tarawera Mount has not yet been reached, and the general character of the eruption thoro remains to be determined, but the stuff in which Hazard's house was buried, and whichjias covered thefcountry for 100 square miles, " consists almost exclusively of fine dust, apparently pumice. At Wairoa hard lumps were mixed with this, and showers of red-hot stones were seen, some of which fell at Wairoa, but so far as can he ascertained at no greater distance. At Taheke and Ngae there has been nothing but dust, The great weight of this, together with the violenco of the wind, was enough to bear down buildings. The residents of Rotorua described the noises heard as similar to those experienced at Tauranga — rumblings and tremors — but nothing resembling the cannonading heard in Auckland. This noise probably arose from the discharges in the upper atmosphere, and was deadened to those nearer the scene by the rumblings and vibrations in the lower atmosphere. At Ohinemutu the first signs were felt at an early hour and were taken for earthquakes. These continued without intermission. On looking out a dense black cloud was seen in the direc--6f Tarawera. but it appeared as close as tf it were hanging over Ohinemutu itself. In this occurred the wonderful electric phenomena, like most brilliant lightning, bub terrible beyond description. Nearly the' whole population rushed from their houses terror-stricken, and ran doAvn the street apparently under an impulse to get away from ;he black canopy, which seemed as if about to seal up the history of the village and involve all the inhabitants in one common grave. Some declared that the day of judgment had come, and the feeling experienced was such as we may suppose 1 would be felt by inhabitants of the earth on that awful day. None of those I have spoken to wish to repeat the experience of that terrible night. June 13. The body of Edwin Bainbridge was found covered up by debris underneath the fallen verandah of Mcßae's Hotel. He was a native of Newcastle-ori-Tyne where his ! .

parents Btill reside. He evidently met with instant death.

" Puff " writes in the Wellington Press: — Bye the bye, do you see tbat fissures were observed at Auckland 1 Yes ! But we've had one here for some time that could put the set on any of them! How do you mean? Why, G. Fisher, the Government Insurance Association crack ! Volcanic origin, too, Some ! Any amount of parlava alout him [ How about; mud-slinging? Oh, the leaßO said the better 1

The Ly-ee-Moon recently lost on the coast, of Australia was a steamer with an eventlful hißtory. She was built of iron, in 1859, at Blackwall. She was built as a blockade run_ner, and experienced some service off Charleston in the American war. In her early career she had paddle wheels, and could steam about eighteen miles an hour. Her American experience was a short one, after which she •was engaged in the Chinese opium trade. ! She was also utilised as a mail boat, her duties being to intercept inward vessels and carry the mails into the ports of China, from whence they were conveyed overland to the merchants. In 1872 at Hongkong the vessel foundered, and was, after being raised, taken to England by Mr Stevens, who purchased her. She was there altered iuto a screw steamer, and after making two or three passages to Torres Straits, via Singapore, was purchased by Capt. Trouton on behalf of her present owners. This was in 1878, and shortly after her arrival in Sydney she was completely gut ed by fire. Some alterations were then effected in her, in the shape of improved passenger accommodation. After this she proved herself most serviceable up to the time of her wreck.

At Sydney, on May 28, E. B. Holt, the defaulting bank manager, made a statement in mitigation of bia senteuce, in the course of which be said : " I have been 25 years in the Colonies, and during that period have been employed in two banks, namely, 12 years in the Union Bank of Australia, and 1 3 years in the Bauk of JNew Zealand, leaviugthe former service for an improved position in the latter, and such long services prove the eatimatiou in which 1 have beeu held by both institutions. I

have reason to believe that the Bank

authorities hi Id me in high esteem, aud valued my services to the g/eateso extent, aud I cau conscientiously say that I u=ed

every endeavour, even to the prejudice of my j own health, to forward the interests of the Bunk of New Zealand, as well aa those of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, of which institution I was also manager, and I think it will be generally admit/ltd that the preseut satisfactory condition of these iuslitutious is entirely due to my exertions. When 1 became guilty of the conduct which led to the present prosecution, 1 left Sydney and made my way to Townsville, in Queensland, but was so wretched and full of remorse that I intended, on my return to Sydney, to give myself up to the police. When I was arrested at Brisbane, I had ordered my luggage to be placed on board a steamer for Sydney, as I think the authorities will tell your Honor, and in the same spirit of repentance I have assigned everything I have in the world for the benefit of my creditors, and there is every reason for believing that on the realisation of my estate my creditors will be paid in full, or nearly so, for my other debts are of a trivial character. My chief creditors are the B_»ck of New Zealand aud the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, and I hope that will be considered. My life id indeed wrecked. My wife haa been compelled to go to another bind, where eho haa frienda ou whose kindness she must cast herself. lam more than 46 years old, and am in a very weak state of health. I have already known the horrors and bitterness of my imprisonment in gaol for two months, the bitterness of which, to oie I canaot describe." American papers state that the small island Juau Fernandez, where Alexander Selkirk pasdtd nis four yeara of solitude, has bean leased by the Chilian Government to a Swiss named JRodC, who hns estabthtre a flourishing colony. M. Rodt exercises the powers of a Viceroy and has the fullest udminijtiatiye authority. The chief occupation of the inhabitants is agriculture, but some brauohes of manufacturing industry are also practised. M. Rodt encouruges immigration, aud among the new Crusoes are to be fouud Austrians, Englishmen, Frenchmen, North and South Americans, South Germans, Swiss, and Spaniards. There are no Prussians, the governor having a rooted antipathy to Prussia. Rough on Corns. " Ask for Wells' " Hough on Corns. " Quick relief complete permanent cure. Corns, warts bunions, Kempthorne, Prosser & Co., Agents Christchurch.