THE NATURE OF THE ERUPTION.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 157, 19 June 1886, Page 2

THE NATURE OF THE ERUPTION.

Tiic Scone and its Effects. Tho term "lava," commonly applied here for want of a botler word to the debris thrown out by tho volcano is misleading. Tarawera mountain has not yet been reached, and the exact character of the eruption there remains to be determined, but lhe stuff with which Hazard's houso and the country for huddreds of square miles around is covered, consists almost exclusively of fine du&t, apparently pumice. At Wairoa hard lumps were mixed with this and showcra of red hot stones were seen, some of which fell at Waiioa, but, po far as can be a.-ceituined, at no greater distance. At To 1 1 eke and Te Ngae there is nothing but du.->t. The great weight of this together with the -\iolence of the wind was enough to bear down the buildings. The icsidents at Rotorua described the noises heard as' similar in iho-e experienced at Tamanga— rumbbnp,-, and tremois— but nothing resembling tho cannonading heard in Auckland. The latter noi*e probably arose from the discharges in the upper atmosphere and nas deadened to those neaier Lho scene by the rumblings and \ ibrations in the lov.er atmospheic. At Ohinemutu tho first signs of dis* tuvbance were felt at one o'clock in the shape of lumbling noises, which wcie taken for earthquakes. These continued without intermission. On looking out a dense black cloud was seen in Vr> direction of I\irawcra, but it ap, ' „vi «s if ifc was 'langingover Ohinemutu itself. In this cloud Dccurrcd wondciful elect:' phenomenon, like_ the most brillnnt lightning, but ierrible beyond description, finally the whole population rushed from theix louses, terror stricken, and ran down bhe street, moved apparently by the impulse to get away from the black canopy which swelled as if it Arero about to seal up the aistory of the village and involve all its in a common grave. Some leclared that the clay of "judgment had :ome and the feeling experienced ivas such as we may suppose would be felt ay the inhabitants of the earth on that; lay. None of Hiose to whom 1 have spoken wish to repeat the experience of that ter« :ible night.