VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 293, 5 December 1908, Page 2

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

EXCITING KXI'JiHIKXCKS. ANXIETY OF THE SKiTUUiS. heavy earthquake shocks. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, uist Xight. I'iirthiT particulars in regard to the seismic disturbances on the Bay of I'lcnty coast as experienced to.tlie 'eastward of Whakatauc cmne to hand by the auxiliary ketch Albatross, which put r,i an appearance to-day from ohiwa. The experiences of the crew on the Sundav night wore graphically described by one -f then- number to a Tress rcpresentaivp. "The iirst heavy shock came just s we bad got into bunk on Sunday ight," he said, "and it startled us eoniderably to feel the boat jumping about longsidc the wharf 0 n a calm night, letween Sunday night and Tuesday here must have been about a dozen hocks, but nothing .further of much aelount happened until Tuesday. Just ibout breakfast-time I was looking over :lie side, at the time to sec' if there was ,'iiough water for us to go out. Then ill of a sudden the boat lurched heuvilj on the water and began m rock about violently. The wharf seemed to me

looking up at it, to he coming right down on the ship. The vessel creaked loudly and .everything on board was badl'v jerked about."

In reply to a question as to the apicarauce of Whale Island as observed >n the homeward voyage, the reporter mis informed that passing between the island and the shore, the vessel went through it lot of curiously-colored water such as might come from springs. "We could see it bubbling up violently in one place, just for all the world 'like the

crude oil at the Taranaki wells —all thick and of a dirty brown. When we were going up to 'Ohiwa on Saturday White Island was very active, and was spouting out clouds'of Mack smoke. Generally the smoke is all white, with a thin streak of vlack, but this was r almost all black."

The s.s. Tasman arrived from Wliaka- ; tane this afternoon, and brought addi- ' tional particulars of the disturbance on Whale island. The clouds which have been observed over Whale Island are generally believed by all who voyaged round the. island on. the Tasman yesterday to have been due to landslips and nothing else. The residents of Wliakataiie are stated to be .somewhat nervous as to the result should further earthquakes ;oecur. No damage has yet been done, but the heavy shock of Tuesday morning last aroused anxiety to a fairly high pitch. Another sharp shock was experienced on Tuesday evening, and' throughout the night the residents scarcely had a chance to sleep. On the voyage back to Auckland yesterday afternoon the discoloration of the water was very noticeable, but this is put down to the slips on Whale Island. At 11 a.m. yesterday another heavy yellow cloud, supposedly of dust, was observed hanging over Whale Island. Tuesday morning's shock is stated to be the heaviest felt in the district since 18G0. WHAKATANE STILL BEING SHAKEN Auckland, December 4. A message to the Star, despatched from Whakatane at II.IS a.m., states: The earthquakes this morning have been in quicker succession than previously, but they have been decreasing in strength. Three sharp shocks bfive been experienced within the last hour. NliiU) Island, which for the last few days has been practically inactive, was unusually active again' this morning. . This is reassuring, as White Island is ' considered a vent for volcanic activity.