THE ERUPTIONS.

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 156, 12 June 1886, Page 2

THE ERUPTIONS.

TE AROHA HOT SPRINGS NOT AFFECTED. HEATY EARTHQUAKES LAST NIGHT. .-'■'■; THE VOLCANO" STILL ACTIVE. TERRACES REPORTED TO BE C UNINJURED. ENORMOUS LOSS OF LIFE. MOUNTAIN APPEARS TO BE LAKE RiTDMSANA A BODY OF MINGIiED FIRE AND j WATER,.. jBRAVERT GfTmAORI CHIEF. HEARTrMdINGSCENE AMONG THE "CUTIVES. . rA] [PER U3WTED PRESS ASBOCIATION}f '•*'.-' Wellington, June 10. The following information regard ing the scene ef the eruption has been supplied by members of Parliament conversant with the district affected: "'-*s -—Tarawera Mountain,- the scene. >pf ; ; *• ■the volcanic^ eruption, lies north, and south, rising from the south end of Tarawera Lake, — miles from ßßot- r mahana, about 2800 feet nij;h, with three table tops, separated I>y^ two extinct craters, the formation of which is beyond the memory of man. Its surface of bare volcanic rwk contained: no vegetable except near the base. .For fifteen generations the natives living near the spot "have oarried their dead to the top, where thousands of skeletons lay exposed, a sort of "Tower of Silence." The spot was very VTapu," and the Maoris have always held that any strangers goiing there would - bring about a storm. Thoy will probably now attribute the eruption to tins cause. Although there; are (or were) two craters sin the te_> cifthe'mount, there have been ho eruptions within tho memory of man, and"' 'the Maoris had no traditions whatever respecting this mountain, though there are innumerable traditions, respecting other eruptions in the North. , Mount Tarawera is about ten miles frcTni the settlement of Te Wairoa village, which \ , lies between Rotbkakehi Lake and Tarawera Lake, about 200 feet above the latter, connected by. the Wairoa stream. It may here be mentioned, incidentally, that, according to Maori' tradition, Tarawera was the home "ofthe last mea iv the North Island. The Tuhourangi tribe, numering ; about , 250 natives, lived at Te Wairoa, which settlement 'contained a. number of substantial wooden dwellings, occupied 1 iby Europeans and Mawie. 4 l * vi I Whakari, on White Island, has re- ■ Gently been' noticed to be in violent ■ eruption^ aud tho workfuea employed in obtaining sulphur fr^m that island have been unabfoto work there"; owing to the great activity of the crater, and | {vessels have been una We to effect*- ( landing, through stones and" debris* , being hurled a thousand- feet into the i air," while blouds of red volcanic dust I have envoloped the isUtid. '&"*> , - 'Tongariro was remarkably lively on • the 6th of July, 1 871y at which tim* | flames were eeen issuing fromr thi" 1 crater, and violent ejcplosiens' were heard ac far as T&uranga. "■■-'■" ; only eruption inHhe Hot Lake 'distriot which caused .lose life, ia I said to have occurred about 120 years ago, when ! a ;^pLortiion- of the Ohihet mutii pa, called "Uririka, was aub- . merged in a part of the lake which • was heaving.. On that occasion about '-'' 30 natives were'soaiaeaYjto v death.' - * H 1 is feared that thY Pjhk and Wliite ' Terraces of Rotomahana 'wffllSi' -dci- ' troyed. The Maori mea-ung of Tara- ,- wera is " Burning Peak." ; Ai '" r? : The rery latest v that Rawhhv and . Taravfer* hills are quieter, but Okom , is tremendously active. ' . ' Rotpkua, June 10, 5.30 p.m. > A Justreturaedfrom Wairoa. Brought i in Mrs Hazzard, who had a miraculous • escape from a falling beam which rested on a cheffonier. Two <mildren ' beside her were dead. MrHsssard and the other children are noi ;yet ( dug out. It is proposed to pnti on t men t^morrow^ to dig out the ibodiee i^ and clear the fallen trees on Tikatapu road, to enable vehicles ito passer About a dozen are supposed to havo <heen killed. A tourist wlas staying :^iere whose* name has not yet been ascertained; Mr Mcßae got him ouV-hut lost sight of him in the darkness. It is supposed he was struck by » fire hall and covered by mud. All .tho' survivors unite in according tho. highest praise to Mr Mcßae, who did his best to look after all hands. Everything is ruined. The whole surface lof the country is changed. A fortunate shift of the wind, which blew wi h hurricane force, saved the township of Rotorua and the western portion of the district from all; but a sprinkling. The eruption appear*; to have spent its force, hut dense volumes of smoke and steam issuing iand enveloping the -whole eastern horizon. There 1 ; was lawful gloom all day. It has been a terribly anxious time here. Large numbers hire' stampeded, but numbers" are how returning. Wsllikotok, Junr 11, 1.30 p.m. Telegrams received from the scene of the eruptions aro :— Tb Akoha, 10th, 5 p.m.— The earth- - quake and volcanic eruption at Tarawera have not affected Te Aroha hot springs. Rotorua, 10th, 8 .p.m.^-Mr G. Cook, Assessor -of the Native Lands Court, has just arrived from Takeke. v He reports all well ; only a few inches of deposit reaohed there. "We have just had another very heavy shock of earthquake. Rotobua, June 11, 10.45 a.m.— »■ A beautiful morning, and everything all right here; and families are returning to their homes. The volcano ii still throwing out dense volumes of smoke and steam. The roaring can be heard occasionally. Edwards gqt a glimpse through his glass and states

the mountain appears to be about 300 feet higher. He could see two distinct craters, from which flames were issuing. The Natives sent out rep»rt T - * that the terraces are uninjured, but the; Rotomahana lake has subsided and is now a body of mingled fire and water. They also state that the hill at the back ofthe Pink terrace is showing signs of activity. It is considered there is no hope that any could have survived at Te Ariki and Moara settlements, but could not venture there yet to. ascertain definitely. It is supposed that there, were about forty Natives :at Te Ariki, •nd 30 at Moara. Eight were killed atTarawera. The Europeanakilled are Hazzard and two children and a young nephew. The tourist is still -missing and there are no hopes of finding him alive. His name was E. A. Bambridge, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, England. He was a friend of Messrs McArthur & Co., of Auckland. Working parties have now gone out. The Tuhouranga tribe are left utterly destitute and many of them have not sufficient clothes. " Ropata behaved like a true chief. His weatherboard house was destroyed by a fire ball, but he remained with his people, and saw them all away before leaving himself. *' '*' Welukoton, June 11, 2.30 p.m. Further telegrams from, the scene of die eruption state that heart-rend-ing scenes occurred at the native settlement,, where the the loss of children was very great. No confirmation has yet been' received of the safety of terraces. One telegram says simply they have not been destroyed, but the'generai belief here among the people who know the place is that it ts almost impossible they can havo escaped without injury.