ERUPTION OF TARAWERA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1266, 18 June 1886, Page 2

ERUPTION OF TARAWERA

Rotokua, Jone 17.

A party which started to-day for Rotomahaaa early in the morning, returned at seven o’clock this evening. They rode till they reached the belt of mud, when they tethered their horses. They then took off their boots and clothing, save their draweral and singlets, and entered the mad glacier, three miles broad. To their surprise they came on a layer of ashes which bore their weight. Mr Mercer tore up his shirt to make sandals for their feet. They got to the back of the PinE Terrace, after having travelled over dangerous ground, fissures gaping lo the earth and steam coming out in various directions. They confirm the statements already telegraphed as to the principal changes in the country. THE TKKBACE WAS GONE. There was a new geyser at Rotomahana, throwing up stones, si'uated aMßh* extreme south end. From the point where the White Terrace stood all along the range to the Devil’s Cauldron was dean blown out of existence, and at the back of the Porridge Pots, Old Lime Geysers, Devil's Cauldron, and the Whito Terrace was a ateejv precipice. The surface material was hlown off the cliff, exposing the inner rock face of the mountain. The scene at their feet from the back of the Pink Terrace was indescrib- ‘ able. They could have thrown a stone into the crater, and as the smoke lifted ; they could see the bottom of the lake, seething and spouting boiling mud in all [ directions. From near Okaro to Tarawera . the whole valley WAS SIJIVLY BEST IN TWO,

tho vast cleft being in the form of the let’er S. From the base of Tarawera proper to the surilmit they saw a sipailar cleft, and various minor spurs _ adjoining presented the appearance of being rent in two, and standing agape like leaves of a book. In returning to the point where the horses were tethered they noticed the fissures they passed in the morning had considerably widened, and fresh ones were found. At one point a steam hole formed behind them. The

VOLCANOES ON THE TAR4VEKA RANGE, did not show much activity all day, and tonight they quite look as If exhausting themselves and settling down. They am now simply steaming. The volcanoes to the south of Rctomahana were showing no smoke over the ranges, and are seemingly dying down. The only vo'cme throwing up steam c'oada and mud lately Is at the Terrace. Two of the Tuhourangi Natives at Ariki have providentially escaped the fate of their fellows. They are Mahaka Taheka and his wife. On the evening tv fore .the eruption their child met with an accident. They came on to Dr Oinders, at Rotorua Hospital, to attend to the injuries, thus saving the lives of the three The Assistant Surveyoc* Generai’s party are on an expedition to the reaervere.

THE MAORIS ENT JIBED beyond Mourea, bat could not reach the hula, which were on an eminence- The woman who is now recovering, and old Ranieri, was brought in to day b} Constable Cavanagh. The Maoris are very chary of teaching the .Toman, believing i that as she existed for a week without food or water she must be a witch. No earth teamors were experienced at Rotorua to-day, and affairs are settling down to their normal condition. The weather is now splendid. Mr Smith, the Assistant SurveyorGeneral, leaves for Auckland to-day. I understand the Government intend shortly sending up to the scene of the volcanic region AN ARTIST AND PHOTOGRAPHERS with guides, in order to reproduce exactly the present condition of the country and the physical features and changes. Inspector Goodall has left for Tauranga. Mr Reid, of Te Ngao, came into Rotorua to-day. He reports no change of impotence at Ta Ariki or Haritangi cauldrons. He has great hopes the land on the Taheke side will come all right, but is afraid the lower portion of To Ngae has too deep a deposit to recover. There 1a not sufficient fall for the mud to get to Lake Rotorua, The lake to-day is discolored, last night’s rain having shot quantities of mad from the cliffs into it. It is still abnormally high, and the contractor for the esplanade piling has knocked off work for the present, being unable to proceed with the operations owing to the height of the water. Dr Ginders informed me to-day that THE SPIUMiS ARE UNUSUALLY ACTIVE, and there is a great development of gases. A fresh attempt was made to-day to got Mcßae’s waggon and Cumming’s drays out of a flat at Tikitapu lake. The men got to the point with seven horses, to retire. They brought packages horseback, the mud being up to the saddle flaps. A fresh attempt, if the weather is fins, will be made to-morrow. The road on the flat at Tikitapu lake, and the road round the face of the mountain between lakes Tikitapu and Rotorua, through the mud of which I struggled on Sunday evening with a salvage party, are reported as wholly gone. An avalanche of mud had fallen from the mountain burying the road under lift of mud. From the mountain WAS SHOT INTO THE LAKE a spur, 150 ft high at least, covered with stunted timber, wliich had been pushed clean over by the hydraulic pressure of ! the sludge at the back, and had toppled across where the road had formerly existed into the lake. Plenty of stores and blankets have been bronght to the Tnhourangi survivors tonight . They were sent by Mrs 'Donnelly, of Napier, granddaughter of Tureha. I understand Mr Falrbrother has also got to band a quantity of clothing from the Tabernacle at Auckland, for distribution among the Natives. Mr Johnson, Government agent, has been arranging measures for the future relief of the Tuhoutangis, meanwhile Issuing to Kepa the chief, for his people, a quantity of biscuits and blankets. Ho has not deemed It wise to check the flow of private or public benevolence, reserving the Government funds for drawing upon when the excitement Is over. There is. NO CASE OF BEAL DISTBESS existing. The Tnhourangi survivors are . now seriously discussing their plans and prospects for the future. They were so appalled at the terrors they have undergone that they at first intended going away out of sight at d leaving the springs altogether. The Rotorua Natives are averse to this as breaking ip the Lake confederations, and would jrefer ceding land to the £epa and hi* people fully realise that the >ld days of tVairoa laviahnes, extravajance, and dissipation arisirgs cut of the |olden stream of lourijst* are all over, and h»t they will now have to work for a iving. This is the best thing that every iappened to them, j>s when I passed Enough Wairoa two months ago, on my rtyto the Terrace, they we:e

The Maori woman from Waihanga, mentioned; yesterday, took a shovel to dig out

DECAYING LIKE ROTTEN SHEEP rom violation of the laws of health and temperacca, and of morality ; aided downh 1 with accelerated velocity, to oar shame bo it said, by the vices of civilisation. W hat the state of affairs mast have been may be imagined from the remark of a twR live cn heating of the disaster, who had , °t long ago attended a Maori gathering B * n the lake country. He said they were P° tsessed of the wickedness of the cities the plains, and an angry God had given tb em the fate of Sodom a. 1 Gomorrah A mong thoso lost, however, were some whom I knew as fine specimens of the Maori race as ever breathed. Mr McCansland, of Roto-iti, reports that three SHOCKS OF EARTHQUAKE took place last night—the first at midnight, the heaviest yet experienced. Telephone communication has been established between Rotorua and Rotoitl. Intelligence has jnst been received from Orokoroeoko of the geysers becoming more active, and new ones springing up in the immediate vicinity. The Natives are all clearing out. It has all along been anticipated that volcanic eruption would extend In that direction, as it is one of a vol- 1 canic system, and the samaclass of country j presenting similar features to that around j Rotomahana Lake. A sharp shock of eart h- ‘ quake has jast been experienced. *