ERUPTION OF TARAWERA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1261, 11 June 1886, Page 2

ERUPTION OF TARAWERA

LATEST PARTICULARS. Further Destruction of Life and Property.

Recovery of the Bodies.

Rotorua, June 10th, 5 30 p m.

I have just, returned from VVairoa, and brought in idrs Hazard, who baa bad a miraculous escape. A falling beam rested on a chiffonier, and Mrs Hazard was dng out from underneath by Messrs Mcßae and Blyth, comparatively uninjured. Two children beside her were dead. Mr Hazard and the other children are not yet dug out. It is proposed to put on men to morrow to dig out the bodies, and to clear the fallen trees on the Tikitapa road, to enable vehicles to pass. We had to carry Mrs Hazird on a stretcher about five miles, as a buggy could not get through A bout a dozsn are supposed to have been killed. Will forward full particulars to morrow. A tourist .vaa «r.»ying there, whoso sue her not jet bten acertained. Mr Mcßae got him oat, bur. lost sight of him m the darkness It is supposed be was struck by a firo ball, and covered by the mud. All the survivors unite in accord ing the highest praise to Mr Mcßae, who did hia best to look after all hands. I found him working with Constable Malon*-y and Mr Blyth, and -ad difficulty in persuading him to leayc the place Everything at Wairoa is ruined. The whole surface of the country is changed, being covered with mud about five feet deep, as also is the surrounding country for miles, varing in depth according to distance. Te Ngae farm has two or three feet of ashes, or dry mud of a greyish white color. A fortunate shift of wind, which blew with hurricane force, saved the township of Rotorua and the western portion of tho district from all but a slight sprinkling. I propose to engage Mr Blyth, Government road surveyor, who has just come in from Galatea, and is one of the survivors, to take charge of the working parties. The eruption appears to have spent its force, but dense volumes of smoke and steam are still issuing and enveloping the whole eastern horizon, and an awful gloom has prevailed here all day. Mr Kolfe, Railway Surveyor, says he counted twenty distinct shocks of earthquake this morning besides continuous vibrations. It has been 1 a terribly anxious time here. Large numbers have stampeded, but numbers are now returning.

Napier June 10,

The special correspondent at Taupo sends the following to the “ Hawke’s Bay Herald ” :

As fa>- as we can learn here, three seeming extinct volcanoes near Wairoa, Lake Tarawera, called Ruawahia, Tarawcra, and Wahanga, suddenly buret into eruption this morning, about 2.15, sending enormous showers of mud, and throwing lava and hurling largo burning rocks around to considerable distances. The

shocks were very severe At Rotorua the inhabitants and visitors were greatly alarmed, and many left at once for Oxford Messengers who were despatched from Rotorua to the scene have returned, mid report great loss of life, only two of Mr Hazard's family being known as yet to have escaped The school and teacher s house are completely submerged. Mcßae’s Hotel and the other house at Wairoa are all destroyed. The dead bodies of fourteen Natives have been found, but it is feared that many Native settlements along the line of die eruption are deetroved. If the wind changes to the east it is also feared that Kotorua will suffer. We have not heard from there since 10 a.m., up to which time the eruptions were going on ; but we can still hear occasional rumblings, indicating that the volcanoes are still active. As seen from here, the first intimation was a continnous rambling, followed by a sharp report. A large

ball of fire was seen to be ejected to an immense height, and burst, sending out a shower of sparks and denoe volumes of smoke. This was followed by a cloud ising ab 'Utour horizon, mushroom shape, densely thick on the top, lighter towards the horizon, scintillating and sending out sparks of apparently electric nature in every direction. The lower part occasionally opened into llama, but the whole mass was in incessant fiery agitation. Up to 5 am. we bad about a dozon shocks of earthquake, the biginning very slight, but much sharper toward the end. The morning was piercingly cold and clear starlight except the cne cloud over Tarawera, which spread gradually to the eastward. It was perfectly calm to about 4 o’clock, when a strong southerly wind sprang up, dying away about 5 o’clock. The giass was rising steadily; but fell quickly during the time. Taogatiro is perfectly quiet, A fire is reported on Paeraki mountain this side of Untoruu

Tavkamoa, June 10

About 7.33 a.m. the inhabitants were startled by some severe shocks of earthquake, following each other In quick succession. Towards the south-east was brilliantly illuminated by flashes which continued all the morning. Towards seven o’clock dense clouds began alowly to decend from the direction of Rotorua, which enveloped the town and district. From eight to ten it was pitch dark, all business being suspended, and people finding their way about with lamer's. The ground was covered an inch deep by a coating of sulphurous dust, with a disagreeable smell. At Whatakl four craters are going ahead. Titikapu bush is all uprooted. There are 4ft of mud and ashes at Ngae. The latest news from Rotorua is to the effect that the disturbances are quieter, •md the inhabitants have decided to remain. Buggies and conveyances are in readiness to bring them away, but are not required. A later despatch says that Ruawahia and Tarawera hills are quieter, but Okoru is tremendously active. Auckland June 10.

Rotorua telegrams state that three members of the Hazard family, at Wairoa, have been smothered. The Teketapu bush has been uprooted, and the two small lakes destroyed. There is 10ft of stuff on Mcßae’s Hotel and Te Ngae has been covered with three feet of mud. In all dlrectioi.a fresh eruptions are reported to be taking place The latest is that the terraces have all gone, and twenty-six bodies have been recovered.

Wellington, Jane 10.

The following private telegrams have been received here referring to the eruption :

Rotorua, 2.15 p.m.

“Te Ariki, Mouuea, and Tapaharo Natives are repotted to be all lost. Tikapui bush is level with the ground. Rotomahana is reported to have disappeared.”

Tauio. 7 p.m.

“Eruption ia confined to the country about Wairoa and Lake Tarawera. Thence towards Eaingaroa, a large tract of country ia in action, probably over sixty-four miles, detached, not continuous, but it is impossible to say with certainty on account of the dense smoke. All the country from Lake Tarawera toKaingaroa Plains is more or less active, to all appearance I have not heard of any Taupo Natives being there ; certain to have hoard if there had been any A s arp earth, quake was fe t but no damage Wellington, June 10.

Tho following information regarding the scene of the eruption has been supplied by Members of Parliament conversant with the district affected Tar»»era mountain, the scene of the volcanic eruption, lies north and south, rising from the south sad of Tarawera take, two miles i

from R tonaahana, and was about 2800f«et h gh, with three tabe t>p* -ep-if-tod by two extino ora era, the it* u*ti-n of wn ch is beyond tne mm"ty of man I « surface, of bare volcanic rock, on amed no vegetation except ne-r the base Fur fifteen generations the Natives living near the spot have carried their dead to the cop. where thousands of skeletons lay exposed, a sort of “Tower of silence ” The spot

was very “taupe,” and tue Maoris have always held that any stringer g ing there would bring about a storm. They will probably now attribute the eruption to this cause. Although there are, or were, two craters on the top of tba mount - tain, there baa been no eruption within the memory of mao, and the M.a< ris had no traditions whatever respecting the mountain, though there are innumerable traditions respecting other eruptions in the North. Mount Tarawera is about ten miles from the settlement of Te Wairoa, the milage which lies between Roto Kaikahi Lake and Tarawera Lake, abont 200 feet above the latter, connected by Wairoa stream Two years ago tha Koto Kakahi Lake, which is about three miles in length, rose to nearly boiling point. This »>s considered a most remarkable phen menoa as the lake was always cold before. There was also a very strong outflow down the Wairoa V.liey into the Tarawera Lake lasting for a day. Since then Roto

Kakahi has remained in its ooruai a tat*. It may here be mentioned incidentally that according to =he Maori t adi ion Tarawera was the home of -he iiito ■* in toe North Island. The Toahoarangl tribe,

numbering about 250 Natives, lived at Te tVairoa, which settlement contained a number of substantial wooden WBcfings, occupied by Europeans and 23 sons. There were, in addition, two capital hotels for the convenience of tourists, three stores, a ball and an Episcopalian chu-ch. Mr Hazird, who with several of his family was killed by the eruption, was schoolmaster. The family were a m at interesting one aud higily esteemed alike by Europeans and Natives. Thera were seven sous and daughters, most of whom have unhappily perished. Mrs Hazard and her two grown-np daughters took au active interest in the welfare of Native children and o indue of the scheol, which was the moat successful Native school iu New Zealand Mr Hnztrd had been occupied ms a teacher in the district for about eight years, and was about fifty years of age From the scene of the eruption to Tauranga as the crew dies is about fifty fire miles, and Tanpo fifty miles, the distance to Gisborne is 120 miles, and to Opotiki sixty mites. Kotorua .a Situated ten mites from Wsiroa. -.ml about twenty from f arawera north. To Wairoa is a village where the coaches wi'h tourists for the Terrace stay Whakatere, or White Island, has recently been noticed to be iu violent eruption, and workmen employe;, ia obtaining sulpher tom that island have been unable to work there, owing to thegrmtactivity of the crat-r. Vessels have been unabie to effect a landing, as stones and debris have been burled thousands of feet i tto the air, while clouds of red volcanic dust have enveloped the isle". Whaketare is the nothern terminal of the volcanic zone, Tongariro was rsmarkahiy active on tbo 6th July, 1871, at which time dames were seen issuing from the crater, and violent - explosions were heard as far as Tauranga. , It is worthy of note that for the last few ‘ weeks tho hot water at Rotorua has been j tailing in n manner quite unknown previously.

STATtCHSTS IN THE HOUSE la the Home yesterday afternoon the Premier read a number of te'egrams with reference to the earthquakes and eruptions «t Rotorua The latest telegram from Tauranga was that there we e then no eruption, that the atmosphere was clearing, and there was nodisTesr. People at Tanranga, he said, bad a>ked the Govemment whether it was safe for them to remain there, and after consultation with Dr. Hector, who considered it was quite safe, he (Sir R. Stout) has despatched a telegram to that effect. He had also sent instruction:) to the Police Inspectors to giro any assistance that might be required to people who might be in distress thrbogh the eruptions. It was further dcecided to despatch the Hiuemoa that afternoon to report upon the matter, and to render any assistance that ought be required la the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon, Mr Buckley stared that tbs Government had received official information that VVairoa was covered with 10ft of ashes, and it was ascertained that a number of Natives, in addition to those referred to by the newspaper extras, bad perished. The Government bad decided to send Dr Hector in the Hiuemoa with a view to succour families who were In jeopardy.