ERUPTION OF TARAWERA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1269, 21 June 1886, Page 3

ERUPTION OF TARAWERA

[per press association.]

Oa Saturday a party set out from Rotorua for Botoniahana and the following particulars are condensed from a d?scription seat by the News Association . r the journey : —Along the route we s.»v. carcases of horses, which had been overridden and destroyed In the Earthquake Yalley we saw a dozen fissure?, ranging in length from two chains to hof a mile. Along the ranges leading to Wairoa we Could see fee red clay of ibi fissures hah way dawn them, looking like a fence for three or four miles. It a! o extended sooth < f the track. At two or three points the fissures were right across the track, and at or two points on the road huge boulders were scattered about- Some looked weather worn. V\ o passed Boscawen a camp, late occupied by Mr Smith, Assistant Surveyor Gemral, from which base he is worktug round h-* whole of the volcanic system. It is three miles from the mud’ginciers, where shelter and wood can hr obtained, but tluro is no water nearer than aev. ral miles. The day bad opened with rain clouds, but at noon the sun shone out, and we had a good v : ew of the velcsxuas. The scene was almost indesciibable for its awfulness and grai deur. To our surprise WE SAW A NI.W LAKE formed west cf Okoro, but this may r/ possibly be the'drainage of the ranges, a.so a lakelet on the ■ north s;mi distance behind the Pink Terr; ca, mayhap of simil r origin. Two men could be dis covered a mile down the ranges, toiling np again to their horses. On coming nearer we indentified them ns Mr Boscawen, attached to Survey Depart meat, and Morgan bis guide, both of whom wo had met previously at an earlier stage of the eruption. On coming nearer both men appeared baked. Buses iron’s first enquiry was—- “ HAVE YOU A DROP OF WsTER, ” and as 1 had taken some in a bottle it was at his service, and bavins quenched his thirst, Judge Mair’s flrsk and the luncheon of the party came in acceptable for all, Mr Boscawen informed me that he and Morgan left the camp at daylight and started for the southern volcano, which was now dead, not even emoting steam. It la now in a very dar gerous state through earibquakes, which this morning made fissures in all directions. He and Morgan were on it when they occurred, and he warned us against ap proaefcing too n?ar to it No 2 was

THROWING UP BOULDERS occasionally through steam clouds ; Nos. 3 and 4 were emitting steam and mud in small quantities. He stated that h had succeeded in getting a number of sketches The deposit on the eona of one of the volcanoes appeard to be In various colored bands like spectroscopic colors. Mr B sen wen informed mo he had got to the base of the cone and succeeded in getting some specimens of this peculiar stuff. He stated that last night, at Mr Smith's esmp they had some sharp shocks, and thought the tent pole wou'd have come in. .After giving us the best advice bis examination of the ground enabled him to tender, he and his guide fell back on the camp for iest aud stores, and we pushed on. No oilier party had been overland to this point, and we eimply lifted the trail, going on to a point equidistant from Nos, I and 2, and about a quarter of a mile from the extreme southernmost one. Toe appearance of No. 1, or the dead crater, as far as we c uld tee opposite the face of the crater, gave an impression like looking at Mount Fden. At the southern end a huge mound of c ! ay was piled up, At intervals in the steam clouds from No. 3 could be seen huge boulde.s.

GOING VP IN THE AIR and falling back In the basin again Nca 2 and 4 teemed to be only steaming, but at the Terraces affairs seemed to be lively. At various points of our track the fcee of the sandsfield seemed to be pitted ra If with smallpox, and these marks were occasioned by great boulders thrown up on the n’ght of the eruption and burying themselves inside. The sun broke the rain clouds, and we sot a grand view of Tarawera proper. The huge chasm was clearly seea There was alr tie activity in the cra*er, which is

BURNING AND SMOKING VIGOROUSLY along the north rim to the summit The volcanic action was going on In 'ha face of the ranges towards the Lower Kaiu garoa Plains. All facing >riki north of the cleft the slopes seemed scarred by by large vertical fissures, probably caused by avalanches of mud or sand. One thing puzz'ed us greatly. On the east slope of the Tarawera halfway down appeared two huge patches of white deposit about a mile or two apart, while all round for miles appeared to be natural forest, giowth. Mr Bold scanned It with his fiejd glass, but was unable to determine its character, some conjectured it was pumic or sand, while ptblrs held it was an

IMiIENSE SUL 'HUE Dt POSIT ; and this view was confirmed by Judge Mair, who said his brother, Oaptain Mair, had informed him it was a sulphur deposit. After getting a good view of the scene cf the volcanic action the party returned along the track of Mr Boscawen to Okoro. The lake ygs still placid, os was also the new one, butMaunsawhakamana adjacent, formerly a burning mountain, looked from its appearance and fire scarred cliffs, as if very little would cause it to make up its mind TQ STOKE UP AGAIN. The return to the point where we had picketed cur horses was very trying, 3 strong southerly breeze sending up clouds of dust from the footfalls of those in advance, and it was neceaary to tail off. Just as the last cf the party were dipping over the range the cloud over crater No. 1 suddenly broke out and became as lively as ever, though Mr Boscawen had never seen it in auction during the whole day. Smoke commenced a', the north end of No. 1 and ran to the extreme south end of the huge rent. 1 can compare the rapidity of the advance of the sm ke frem end to end of itiis vast fissure to nothing but that of a locomotive

WITH A FOIL HEAD OF STB Ail approaching and running through a deep railway cutting. Just as wa were leaving the last ridge Kotomahana broße out with fresh vigor, throwing up a tall b’ack column in the centre ( f the steam clouds. At dusk the party succeeded in getting out at the Wairoa road just as darkness closed in, and not a moment too soon, as there would have been danger of diverging from the track into the lakelets between the track and Whakarewarewa. We arrived at Botorua at six o’clock in pe evening.

Warning to Light-Seers. Botorua, Jone 20. Sight seers from Auckland nave nu conception of the state of the country and the danger to be encountered in seeing the - volcanoes, but through want of knowledge of the tracks and experience Probably life will be sacrificed before the present reckless rush of tourists and pight seers to the scene of the volcanic eruption is put a stop to. Sfessts Bos? cawen and Joshua Morgan and their guides have just come in, having abandoned the exploration of the volcanic region. Owing to the north-easter they were unable to do anything. They returned by gaiteriria to try and get a jsok at Wairoa. 1 hey found on reaching the Green Lake that the Lake Botokakahi track was impassable with avalanches of mud. They are going out again as soon as the weather permits. They heard a sharp earthquake at three sls morning. Mr Morgan informs mo

(hat the volcanoes are gradually exhau ting tin nu elves l f e believes In a few weeks visitors will be able to go right down and inspect them, Mr Oavanagh has return'd from Klterirla, and repo'ls that he did not see anything of the ATay parly, which left by that route for Wair. a th’s mo n : ug.