Alarm and Distress at Te Puke.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 157, 19 June 1886, Page 5

Alarm and Distress at Te Puke.

Te Puke, June 11. There is total darkness in Te Puke, with constant earthquakes. Tauranga, June 13. A number of people just in from Te Puke and the coast report that the whole district presents a desolate appearance. All the feed is completely ruined until next spring The road between here and Te Puke is strewn with dead sheep and horses. Most of the former have perished by being poisoned with tutu ; the latter were swamnpd

White Island Reported Active. , ( Tauranga, June 13. It is reported from Te Puke that shortly after the outbreak on Thursday morning a violent eruption took place on White Island, Masses of rock and volumes of steam were hurled into the air. The only .alteration noticed by those on board the Hinemoa was a fresh steam jet playing violently at the landing place, and at a total absence of the vast number of gannet that always infest the island.

Great Distress Amon&cst the Ii1t« Stock. Taubanga, June 14. - From all along the coast come stories ol eatti© dying through want of feed, and the probable ruination of the settlers. Out of a fiock of 2,000 sheep, Mr Lee, of Te Peke, has already lost 500. The balance are to be shipped away. At Whakatane the loss is expected to be exceptionally great. The Argyle left yesterday afternoon with 40 head of cattle belonging to Mr H. W. ' Vercoe. More are expected up the coast to load the steamers Clansman and Glenelg to-day. News has been brought to the mainland from the island of Motiti that a heavy deposit of coarse dust has fallen there, and the stock is in a bad way. Urgent appeals have been made to the Government for' assistance from the Mayor and the Chairman of the County Council, and numerous messages have been despatched to Mr L. M. Grace, M.H.R., from private

sources, with the same intent. Yesterday afternoon the Mayor received the following reply from Sir RoberfcStout:— "Have already wired you to go to £100 for hay." This, it is hoped, will enable settlers to remove stock, but relief on a more extensive scale, is sorely needed. An auction is to be held by Mr Jordan at Te Aroha of stock from To Opotiki,Te Puke, and Whakatane districts. TheGrovernment will ßupplyjhayfor the stock at night while travelling. A large mob of horses has been sent through to Cambridge for sale there.

WHAKATANE AND RICHMOND SETTLEMENTS. Maketu, June 12. I hear from Auckland that some anxiety has been felt there as to whether the settlements of Richmond and Whakatane had suffered any damage. This fear was partly owing, I suppose, to the fact that telegraphic communication wa3 interrupted ; but the wire 3 now being all right, and communicacation restored with these places, I am able to assure your readers that these places are perfectly safe. Ashes fell to a depth of six inches, but no person has been injured not houses destroyed.