THE TIDAL WAVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12194, 13 February 1903, Page 5

THE TIDAL WAVE.

THE ISLANDS AFFECTED

SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION. Mb. J, L. Young, a'member of the firm of Henderson and Macfarlane, who was some 15 years in business in Tahiti, gave- a Herald reporter the following information regarding the islands affected by the disaster: —

It would appear by the cables received from San Francisco that the- islands affected | are Hao, Hikueru and Marokau, of the Taumotu, or Low Archipelago, which aro situated in 18 degrees south latitude, about 450 miles nearly due east from Tahiti These are all l low coral atolls, consisting each of a narrow band of reef encircling a lagoon of not exceeding 25 fathoms in depth. In parts the reefs are bare, but in some portions land has formed to a height of 7ft or Bft above the ordinary high-water mark. Rarely does the reef exceed 400 yards in width from the ocean to the lagoon inside. Hao is about 25 miles long by three to 10 miles in width. It has a good entrance to the lagoon for vessels; some cocoanut trees and about '400 inhabitants, all natives, with the exception of half-a-dozen white traders. It produces some pearlshell. Marokau, which is 70 miles to the eastward of Hao, is about 10 miles by seven. It has no entrance to the lagoon for vessels. It has some cocoanut trees and about 200 inhabitants; there is also some pearlshell. Hikueru is 40 miles north-north-east of Marokau. It is about 10 miles by five in extent; it has no entrance to the lagoon, except for boats. The southern side is mostly bare reef without trees; there are very few cocoanuts. The village is at the north-west end, but the absence of cocoanuts and of good land prevents the island being populated, save by a few families, pxcept in the season of shell-diving, which is every third year. But when this comes round as many as 2000 natives and 20 or 30 whites inhabit the island for several months. Most of these natives are divers, and some have their families with them. The diving season began on November 1, 1902, so that in January the business would be in full swing. This little island produces from 200 to 300 tons of blackedged pearlshell in a season, worth at present prices from £20,000 to £30,000' in London, to which market most of it goes. Almost abandoned for two- out of every three years it is a busy place during the first six months of each triennial period. As no part of the island is more than 7ffc or Bft above ordinary high-water mark, it is easilyseen that any riso of the sea of even 4ft or sft, aided by the force of the wind behind it, would wash completely over the narrow strip of reef which composes it. Tho story of a " tidal wave 40ft in height " may well be discredited. Even the greatest seismic convulsion could scarcely produce such a wave, and even a " tidal wave " of 10ft in height would have long ere this manifested itself on both shores of the Pacific, as did the one originating in South America some 30 years ago, which reached Australia and New Zealand. It is, therefore, almost certain that what occurred was a comparatively small localised cyclone or tornado, with its accompanying " hurricane wave." Such a one took place on February 8, 1878, some 200 miles to the westward of Hikueru. On that occasion parts of Kaukura and Niau Islands were submerged, and a number of natives drowned. This was a gale which had a general direction from south-east to north-west. It lasted but a few hours, and was apparently not more 'than 100 miles in width. Where most violent the sea raised by it was very much confused, and washed over land 7ft or Bft in height. In all probability the present disaster was ; caused by a similar —probably travelling also from south-east to north-west, and most likely similarly circumscribed in area. As Hikueru is one of the lowest of the coral atolls, and the spot where most of tho people would be congregated is on the north-west point, and thus exposed to the full force of such a gale, it is probable that most of tho loss of life has taken place there, the more so, that about half of the entire population of the Taumotu Archipelago wero'on the spot. The total population of the whole Taumotu Group, by the official census of 1897, was 4896 souls, so that any such loss of life as 10,000 or even 5000 is impossible. _ That 500 or even 1000 lives may be lost is certainly possible. It may be, of course, that some lives have been lost on other islands not mentioned in the cable. In any case the island of Tahiti cannot have suffered, for no mention is made- of injury to the town of Papeete. The rise and fall of tide at Hikueru is about 3ft. Tho moon would be full on January 13. causing high spring tide; and the tides in January and February are the highest in the year, so that a wave of even 4ft or sft high, driven before a cyclonic storm, would be quite sufficient to wash over any part of Hikueru on the exposed side of the island.

Reliable accounts will bo received by the s.s. Ovalau, about the 19th inst. Until then we can only hope that the loss of life has been exaggerated.