A Strange Incident

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 40, 14 September 1886, Page 4

A Strange Incident

Some doubt (?avs the N.Z. Herald) lias boon thrown hj some of the {Southern journals on an incident which took place at M'Rae's hotel. Wairoa, on the night of the Tarawera eiupf{ on — namely, that water was put on to make coffee for the inmates of the hotel, but although there was a good fire underneath the kettle the water remained cold, and could not be got to boil. Mr George Baker, the cook at M'R-ae's hotel, is at present in town and he vouches for the truthfulness of the narrative. He states that ©n the previous evening at 10 o'clock the kettle was boiling on the range. "When lie went to bed he closed up the range, leaving some dry rata and light wood ready • for lighting in the morning. After the eruption commenced, Mr M?Kae directed him to light the fire in the oven, and prepare some coffee for the inmates. He (Baker) did so at 2 o'clock a.m. Half an hour afterwards the under cook, a Maori lad came to him and said, " Kakino the water," and explained that he could not get the water to boil, and that it was still quite cold. Baker would not "believe this, and went to see what was the cause of it. He was unable to tell, as the fire in the range was burning briskly, but on putting his hand into the kettle he found to his astonishment, the water was still cold. About five minutes to 4 o'clock, just before the roof of the kitchen fell in, Baker went to the kettle again, and found the water still cold, though the kettle had been on for nearly two hours. He says that he cannot explain the phenomenon but that these are the facts which came under his knowledge, and he is desirous of obtaining a satisfactory solution of them.