Singular Phenomenon.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 265, 12 October 1883, Page 2

Singular Phenomenon.

The astronomical or subterranean ex'plbsion, or whatever it was, which took pjace on Tuesday evening, seems to <have caused a c vague feeling of alarm wherever it waslxperienced, At Maka--Itpku the riojse jre -enabled the sound of a railway collision, and the vibration of the earth for some time afterwards was very perceptible. In the Gorge the effect was most weird, unnatural. an< temfying. y*pn that ijight Mr McMinn was* literally feeling his way ;fopugb;tbe Qprge^ridin^ ftJ - 0 j-p t qo quiet hor^jp. wa.s fkibi-g. 1-pa.v-.ilyand a dense gloom enveloped the ravinesof that somewhatuneanny locality, thei darknesSin^\ie*deep^er-Wce , Bses and windings under the rooks being most » intense, arid rendering any attempts to keep on the road exceedingly difficult. r £te got a little past the water-fall, when 'suddenly tho Gorge'was lit up .mth^'i?* vlurid illumination of the most un- ! ..earthly hue, resembling more than j anything else the coloured fires used m transformation scen.^ m theatres, ahe • gl^re for a few seconds was absolutely blinding, though the progress of its intensity was most gradual. Every surrounding stood revealed as clearly j "as (iu'ihg the daytiit^ was simply awe-inspiring; m the est! tremel The glare gradually , dibd ; a'^yy j leaving the darkness more iriteiise thaiiy before. After an interval of about two minutes br thereabouts, the repioVtof an .ejjpj-lps^o--. 6 v cci-rre4i the tioise of which was deafening, and whicLreverberateji, through the Gorge m- prolonged and I repeated echoes. The termfiedy horse could with difficulty be kept under con**, ! trol, and the moment -was one of con? I siderable danger, and was an experi* ence of which Mr 'MoMinn does ' not care for a tf»Y^o^7%^7^''9k^^ Br|4gO the phenomenon had bee a remarked, and had caused the occupants of the toll-house some alarm. In Wood-.; villethe occurence was the topic ot general conversation, some attributing; it to one. cause and some to another, By sbr4epeppleit -yap thought an earkhqi\al"o hftd tal*en place, and by others tW aieg of blastwg powder had exploded, and by others again that a run-away waggon and team had crossed, a wooden bridge. All admit that the^ noise and effect did not inuoh resemble ' an^earthquake, though some appeared to be under.the impression thajb such had taken place. There was no previous rumblejwhatever, and the vibra-.

.-v. .O, tion or shock quite different from that of an earthqiiake. In Mr Jackson's ne X goods/shbp( ih ; Woodyiile^ the yksesv on the shelves ; .were' Stfangely (|gifcated, th^e pendapt^lbralangV^dis- , cjprdkitiyj|^lji Palmei^ston 'all ; ex|perie|tced\pe shtOck ei^%eiiii^rlV sion m each case as a^oleut concussion against the wall of the hoiiseV--' Tne phenomenpja-was- no^ dqubtr/*a; "ypry c re-t markable- one, and hitherto no -feasible/ explanation has been given of the r caffieslilceTy~to have produced "it, tine further investigation of which must be J.eftJ,Q..scientists to. -deal. with. - -=fDhe» .common t leory is (1) That a ae.w jvolcano had suddenly broken put m the region of Tongariro and C2)^That / phe phenomen6ri' was a 'meteor "or aerolite. The strange feature seems to, |fco be "that the concussion was felt with pqual force scores of mile 3 distant. ."We shall await with very considerable m- ■ terest further apcountsj, the effect of Jihe phehornenon iii: oMer^partti of the colon*-, and the causes to which its ap-, pearahce 'is attributed. • ' ''" ' A