TARAWEBA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XII, Issue 1735, 16 June 1886, Page 2

TARAWEBA.

Mr R. G. Palmer has sent the Foxtdn paper the following :— . A grand distant view of the Tarawera volcano was witnessed on Sunday, June 13fch, from Okau, Mouto?. The sky being perfectly cloudless during the day, an immense column of steam or^ smoke could be plainly seen rising high into the sky, and carried by the wind to the eastward. Just before sunset the column attained m a few moments a height exceeding that of Mount Euapehu, and as that ihountain is'about half the distancefrom Taiawera, and being 9195 feet high, 'would give the height of the smoke cloud four or five miles. The shape of the cloud was at one time a perfect cone, and being lighted by the setting; sun and of a lovely rose tint, was a beautiful and fascinating sight.

[Special Correspondent of Wellington paper.] Rotobua, Monday. The inquest on the Hazard f auuly was held at the Palace Hotel, Ohinemutu, before Mr Brabant. Mr Blyth deposed : —I am a Government road surveyor m the field. I remember the night of the 9th inst. and morning of ltiEh. v I was al| Wairoa, Lake Tarawera, staying with' 1 the Hazard family as was my custom. We went to bed at the usual hour, and J was awakened about ten minutes to 2 by Miss Hazard asking if I felt the shock. The house was thei shaking. I got up m ten minutes' time. I found Miss;. Hazard's two sisters dressed. Mr' Hazard was < also dressed; We went on' to the yerandah and saw an immense volume of, smoke m an 'eastern direction, charged with what seemed to me to be electricity. The edge of the cloud . wad framed with flame. There was then a loud; rumbling, which continue^ soine tiine.^l then saw on the northern end of Tarawera Lake some red lights, which I thought were Te Ariki natives coming: from Botomahana. Mr Hazard proposed to light a fire m. the drawing-, room and we would all go m there. .It was now about 3, and the noise outside was tremendous, and there was 'a great rattling oh the iobf as of stones failing. There were shocks of earthquake every 10. minutes. We all kept the centre of the room, thinking fiat its ridge was the strongest part to. resist the stones; Mr Hazard and -myself kept walking to the windows' to* see it we could make out what the trouble -was. It, wa^ very dark, and we could see nothing but the lightning. We' felt that; the door was J being pressed out of shape inwards, and we noticed some dirt at the bottom of it. About the last thing I remember there wa<t when there Wa3 an earthquake shock at half-past three.; I am sure it was that time, as I. looked^ at my watch. Without any warning the roof fell m. The last I saw of Mr JSazard and^'mily. they Were m the midcUfr-ofth'e room. I have forgotten- "to mention Mary Te Mputi, Mrs May's servant. The last I saw of her she was leaning against the doorpost of Mr Luinsden's bedroom. I was between the organ and the door as shown m the plan. I then heard Lums-

d6n call out, "Who is there?" He was m the corner with myself and Mrs Hazard. He kicked out the window

with his foot. During this time I found

1 Miss Hazard alongside of me. The ceil- [ ing was pressing: on my . head and shoulders, so that I could not stand up for the weight. Mr Lumsden then dropped Miss Hazard out of the broken sash, and I called to him not to forget me. He reached up and pulled me through the sash,- and asked if/I was hurt. I said, "No ; make forrthe old house." A great quantity of blue clay was falling, and it was very darfc. We -got into the old house and stood m the doorway. [The remainder of Mr Blyth's evidence related to the finding of the bodies, and simply corroborates accounts we have already published.]' The bodies recovered were— -Charles Albert Hazard, aged 47; Adolpiius Charles Edward Hazard, 10 years';*Edua" Winifred Hazard, 6 years ; Mona Ivia Henrini 5 years ; the nephew, Chas. Sutherland Barfqrd, 5 years. A, .verdict was returned m accordance with the facts. At the inquest on Mr Bainbridge the:evidence given by Mr M'JRae was identical with his statement as already given! Deceased, he stated, was about 20 or 21 ysars of age, athletic, about sft llin m height ; hear he came from Newcastle-on-Tyne. His relatives are drapers, there. Samuel Goodall, Inspector gif Police m charge of the Thames, district, deposed as to the finding of the body. The iury expressed admiration of the heroic condust of Mr M'Bae during the disaster at Wairoa, and belie yed that to his exertions many Europeans owe their Kyes. . ■: ■:•■' •>