A TOURISTS NARRATIVE.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 135, 11 June 1886, Page 3

A TOURISTS NARRATIVE.

■(* Scdne of Terrific Grandeur.

One of the English tourists thus relates his experience : —AVe went on Sunday to AVairon, On Tuesday we went to see the Terraces, and are the last visitors who will probably ever see such. On Wednesday it rained, and at 10 p.rrn earthquakes began rocking the htHtOB in Which we stayed (Brent's Hotel). The Shocks became more frequent and ireVere from midnight till 2 a.m., when a terrific eruption occurred. Huge mountains of flame issued forth and went upwards toward the sky with a tremendous roaring sound, which prevented us hearing a word spoken. Then a dense mass of smoke belched forth, and gradually spreading over the heo.vens> we were presently enshrouded ill as gloomy a darkness as previously" we were surrounded by <v d«z!?litlg light, the transformation being Very painful and terrifying to most of us. The earthquakes continued intermittently till four o'clock, when ashes came up and'a a great thunderstorm broke over the place, and still further intensified the alarm. The ashes were found to be three feet deep at a distance of seven miles from the township.

IM.e tourist alleges that he himself was not a bit frightened, but gazed calmly on this magnificent sight of the wonderland of New Zealand, and at 4 o'clock, getting tired of looking at tho thing, he lay down and went to sleep. The Coach-driver's Experience. Harry Kent, manager for Carter's coaches, .says he first noticed the phenomenon at 11 o'clock, when 20 miles away from Rotorua. the ashes having actualy travelled that distance against tho wind and met him, the ashes falling softly and noiselessly on his coach and horses ; and tho nearer hs got to the township tho thicker was the fall. When 10 nYiles from Rotorua he mot Mr Burrows, the architect, and Mr Keyes, builder, who fled the scene and .stayed in tho bush till the coach came along towards AVairoa in tho most plucky manner, as it was reported to him that Hazard's and Mcßao's families were killed. While dragging through the Tikitapu Bush on his errand of mercy, "Mac" met four girls. Two were weeping vory bitterly for'tho loss of parents and sister. Tho other two were McKaa's servants, one of whom had escaped with a window blind wrapped round her and a night dresS; The Misses HaSUtrfls Story.—Affecting and Awful Experiences. The story of tho two first mentioned girls, the Misses Hazards was deeply effecting Mr Hazard^ schoolmaster, formerly of Bombay, lived at Wairoa with his family. On Wednesday they colobrated Mr Hazard's birthday, add had not long retired when tho linul act of the birthday drama began, to bo played, and its denouement exhibits a touching instance of tho calm resignation with which a truly Christian family can yield up tiieir lives to tho Creator. Miss Hazard and sister ran into their parents' room upon the ■ first dread shock was felt, but the father said quickly, "You need not bo frightened"; but Mies Hazard thought she had better dress herself and sisters. The rapidity and force of the shocks caused the whole household to rise, and every one felt that thoy were On tho verge of a Terrible Calamity. The noise on every side was deafening, but amid the raging iumult of the thunder, the ioaring fire and tho falling showers of ashes, a hymn was frequently sung, Miss tlazard playing on the harmonium. Just as the sweet cadenc of the tune ceased an enormous shower of ashes and stones smashed in the roof of the dwelling. Mr Stubbing, surveyor, seeing Miss Hazard sitting at the harmonium helped her to escape through the window, and a Maori woman saved the other sister, and the rest were buried alive, the father and two little daughters and a niece said to be a* Miss" Bagnell of the Thames. Mr Hazard endeavoured to improve the moral conditions of the natives, and was much respected. McKao's Kotomahana Hotel, one of the most popular of houses, was destroyed simultaneously with Hazards, and the two servants escaped with their lives but not with their clothes. The old Maori figure which used to do duty as tho advertising board of house is buried. Capt. Way and wife, who resided at the mission house happened to be at Maketu. Their homo was ulso destroyed, aa ia the Mission Church. Humphrey's hotol and Mcllae'a store are likowiso consumed by the forvont hoat. It ia feared that the majority of tho nativeß of the settlement of Te Ariki and Kaurua are destroyed. A pitiablo pcono was witnoppcd by ono of tho Eugliah tourists. He stood on an ominenco at an early stage of tho eruption, and gazed placidly on tho terrific volcano, beciuse, in his ignorance, he thought it was ono of the wonder* ho had come to hotorua to behold, when all of a sudden as he watched a Maori woman hasten along tho rond tho earth opsned and with a phriek the poor woman tiirevv up her arms and went down out of sight. A shower of hot ashes causod tho tourist to gird up his loins and flee fiom tho spot, feeling he hud already hud quite onough value for his money. Among the refugeos who camo into Oxford to-day aro Mr Wilkinson and family, lstnly of tho Carlton Club. Another conch load ia hourly expected. The imprcHeion now ie that fully h'fty pcoplo have perished. As Harry Kerr was driving back, to Oxford, ho met Hazard's brother, and imparted the distressing intelligence to tho poor fellow. As I clo°e this message, everything i<* quiet. Thoro is no glaro visible at Kotorua.