Terrible Volcanic Eruption IN THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 176, 30 October 1886, Page 3 (Supplement)

Terrible Volcanic Eruption IN THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS.

■On Sunday last;- the- 19bh of September, the French manl-.of - war, Decres arrived at Nukualofa, Togatabii, and reported that a great .volcanic eruption had] taken place at JNiuafoou, one of the most distant islands wf the Friently group j that the eruption, consisting of steam and black sand, was ejected thousands of feet high in the sky, tnat far put to ?e» it was covered >by»a black film, a»d that gravest doubts existed as £o the *afety of the inhabitants. On the arrival of the U.S. Co. 'a s.e. Suva in* port, the Premier immediately chartered her to proceed at once to the island and ascertain the facts of the case. On the Tuesday morning* accompanied by his wife, and the- Lev. J. B. Watkhi, he sailed via Vavau for Niuafoou, and they arrived there on Thursday evening. The poor people were delighted beyond extreme, and, strange enough, that was the firat evening the' volcanic eruptions aeem to have ceaeed, no earthquake or volcanic action having taken place that day. Two vessels __ had passed the island and had sailed away, much to the sorrow of the poor natives. One was a thrrenmsced schooner, the other the French vessel of war. The native?, afraid lest -a greater eruption might take place, had already built a native boat (and it was almost finished), and when completed had intended to send her to Tonga to report their case. The eruption, it appears, took place on the night of the 31st August, about 2 a.m., in a peninsula called the Alice Peninsula. The daughter of Mr Baker, the Premier, many years ago planted a casuarina tree on the spot, it being the eite of an old volcano which burst out some 70 years ago. When theeruption took place, reportslike the tiring of A heavy cannonade wet* beard, and flames burst out, reaching some 2,000ft high, together with clouds of sand and steam. The tbunder and lightning were most terrific, and many cf the natives were more afraid of the lightning than of theeruption. Flash after flash succeeded each other, and in the fury ted-hot stones were ejected thousands of feet high, and then falling into the lake with a terrible hissing] sound, made the scene one never to be furgotten. ' - The poor natives, afraid that it might end in a flow of boiling lava, carried their sick to the top of the ranges ; but when the eruption took place they found they were in a greater danger thuc from the amount of sand and mud thrown up they were likely to be entombed alive. The eruption continued from the night of the 31st of August to the 13th of September, when its force seemed expended During this time it covered mont part of the island with sandy mud or wet sandy soil — in some places to the depth of some 10 to 22 feet, tiotne four towns have been completely buried — that is, the beat part of them, and many of the houses were broken down by the weight of the sand. (In the principal town, though the sfuid only poured uponitduriogacharge of mud for some two houre, there is hardly a tree that has not been destroyed. This is'and for years has been known for its extensive cocoa-nut groves, and hundreds , of thousands of trees have been destroyed. The, weight of the wet sand was such that it has completely broken down the branches of the trees — in many instances snapping the tree in two. In one of tho towns that have suffered no less than 30,000 trees have been destroyed The f cua of eruption eventually formed itself into two large craters and several smaller ones. Tho two cratera were east and west. The easterly one belching forth dry sand for the most part ; the westerly one, with an entrance on the southern side to the lake, ejecting wee aand, and it was this crater that did most of the damage, it ia said. The natives, however, preferred tho wet sand to the dry. The dry, they said, nearly suffocated them, but the wet Band, coming down in a direct line, they were able to protect their heads from its effects. It U remarkable that the premonitory signs of the volcanic eruption presented themselves in repeated shocks of earthquake on the nights of the 9th and 11th of June, or according to true time, on tho night of the 10th, the same time that the eruption of Tarawera took place 1 in New Zealand subsequently. Everything was quiet until the arrival of tho Premier and his family in August, when on the night of the 12th a most tremendous earthquake took place, rending a part of the cliffa in two that were adjoining the lake. Several eruptions have taken place in this island in former times, one about 19 years ago. which was simply a small flow of boiling lava, and very local ; the other about 40 years ago, a little beyond tho otder but both on the west side of the island. The damage done, however, was compara tively small, but this one, from the peculiar nature of the eruption, has done irreparable damage, and ruined the island. The Tongan Government are making arrangements to provide the people with food, aDd to remove most of the inhabitants. Great sympathy has been expressed with regard to the poor Niuans, wfcich will be shared in by all who are acquainted with the facts of the case.