ERUPTION OF TARAWERA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1268, 19 June 1886, Page 2

ERUPTION OF TARAWERA

[per press association.]

Wellington, June 18 The Government have decided to have a survey made of a road from Rotorua via Mohaka, Rewa Rewa, to Rotorua and Galatea, The Maori sufferers by the late eruptions are to" be employed upon the construction of the road.

Roxorua, Jane 18, Messrs Hean and Duthie, of the National Bank, feft for Tauranga thla morning. The former was terribly punished by the Rotomahana expo dition, but has now recovered. The parly would never have ; cached Rotomahana after crossing the mud glacier, and getting to the bed of clinkers covered with a thick layer of ash, but for Me Mcßae’s self devotion in stripping off his shirt, notwithstanding the hard frost, and forming sandals of it for the bare feet of the party. On the return journey Moan was revived at intervals with stimulants, or he could not have got through. The sole task for the party being carried for emergencies, Mr Mcßae, in falling back on Rotorua, again made for a cache above Kaiterlna, where in one of his journeys from Wairoa since the eruption he had a keg of whisky in the mud for emergency cases. Mere the party got revivers for the remainder of the journey. Lord Clanmorris telegraphed up from Auckland *o Mr Boscowen, of the Sur-veyor-General’s Department, Wellington, who proceeded from Rotorua on a sketching tour to the scene of the volcanic eruptions this morning, asking if he could accompany him. Mr Boscowen, after a view of the country from Rotorua, advised Lord Clanmorris not to come In the Puarenga Gorge, at the head of the water-race of the Rotorua waterworks, a boiling spring started to-day in the river, underneath a larg ej block of rock on the eastern side of the river. Mr Malfrov Inspecting Engineer, just returned from a visit to the works, informs me (he spring is boiling with considerable v 1 I ? , l e !™’ J . aDd , the water in the rive • is slightly discolored and whitish. Mr Mcßae has received a telcgi.nn from Auckland stating that his case re insurance of the Wairoa Hotel, will be considered at a meeting of the directors of the Union Insurance Company. Though possibly no concession can be made for loss by volcanic eruption as forming a precedent, the residents here sympathise with Mcßae in his losses, and would be glad to see some consideration extended to him. Mr Mcßae despatched a party of men to-day with ten horses and tackle, *° ® xt , rlcata the waggon and dray embedded at the flat at Tikitapu Lake. 1 hey succeded in getting the dray out, but failed m removing the waggon. The party despair now of getting it out, and state the track round the lake is now certain death to anyone attempting it The of wife Eru, one of the Tuhourangi survivors, died to-day from nervous shock and exposure on the morning of the earthquake. She had been previously in Kotorua Hospital for cheat complaint. Some half-dozen others are ill from the shock, and one got an arm broken by a stone falling in the eruption. A sharp shock of earthquake occurred between two and three this afternoon, and there have been earth tremors all Jay, It has been suggested that the G vernment snould take over the ruined country as a reserve, and give the Tuhonrangi a block of Crown lands instead, TheTe Ngae Natives fear the land is ruined for purposes of cultivation, but they have land oj the Mokoia and at A mhoa in reserve. Possibly after the present scire baa passed away they will go back to Mokoia Ihe Natives at Whakarewarewa will also receive some aid, as their cultivations at likitapu Lake are all burled in mud, A suggestion has been made that the Government should make a series of small experiments with seeds on the sand or mud on the different blocks, in order to save the settlers and Natives alike throwing time and labor away. Mr Johnston, the Government Agent, at the request of Kepa, is furnishing further supplies to tho Tuhourangi survivors. The latter are unwilling to sot about building a new settlement till all the tangi ceremonies with tho hap us to come in have been performed, in accordance with Native etiquette. Te Heuhou Natives told Mr Wilcox, a Native interpreter today that some short time before the eruption Tongariro was in violent notion. If this statement was correct, it is strange the incident has not been reported by Europeans of the district.

A party went out to Eotomahana today. Mr Dansey, the officer at the telegraph station, Eotorua, who went, reports that tho mud is hardening like cement. He took a horse within two miles of the back of tho Pink Terrace, and got up easily. He believes the volcanoes are exhausting themselves, and in a week or two visitors will be able to go down to Eotomahana and inspect the fumaroles, only steam being thrown up. The volcano has formed cones, and there was water or liquid mud around the ] f lg e , as well as what appeared two acrei pf water at the upper end of the lake. When the steam cloud lifted it was potf .ly placid. The extreme southern volca jis the only one active so far as reg- rds throwing up stones, mud, &o. The others In the lake are simply steaming. The sites of the Pink and White Ten. ces and Devil’s holes, oving to tho str an, could not be seen. They oouldaee the Tr* jwera ranges distinctly, but the force of tho earthquake had been great, aj Mr Dansey saw huge pinnacles of rock had been thrown down from the cliff on the Pink Terraco side of tho track.

Tc-day Wahanga appeared tolerably quiet. The volcanoes were only throwing up columns of smoke at intervals. The Uuawhia coats were going pretty constantly, and long wreaths of smoke showed they were throwing up steam or dust clouds. Wreaths of smoke were over the groat cleft In the peak of Tarawera proper, and the cones have been throwing up slender columns at intervals, judging from the bank of steam clonds.

At the present time of writing (9.40 p.m.) all is pretty quiet along the volcanic chain save at the Terrace.

Late*, A somewhat sharp shock of earthquake has occurred, and earth tremors are almost continuous.

Christchurch, Juno IS. Professor Hutton has decided to visit the Tarawera district on his own account to make investigations into the recent volcanic disturbances.