CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 June 1922, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

’S’IIE TAUPO TREMORS. A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION. (To the Editor.) Sir, —I notice a good deal of commotion is being made regarding shakes at Taupo and Wairakei, and it may interest some of your readers to learn of my experience of a somewhat similar time about 24 or 25 years ago, when I cycled through from Napier. On my arrival at Taupo it was reported that the place was in convulsions and a large number of nervous people were thinking of leaving as soon as they could get a coach. However, I felt none of the shakes until about 9.30 in the evening, while sitting in a room at Wairakei, talking to a Mrs. Wilson, who then looked after the hostel. I was not of course charmed with the visitations, but, being very tired, I went to bed at about 10.30. The shakes, although mild, were continuous, and being myself nervous, as this was my first experience of these disturbances I did not go to sleep easily. Having nothing to read I took my pencil and note book and marked each tremor until apparently I dozed off and in the morning I counted ©3 marks or shakes and of course there may have been many more that I did not feel while asleep. I was up very early, however, about 5.30 and had a bath in. a hot pool adjacent, by which time the cook, “an Irishman,” had some tea ready, after which the guide took us round the sights (by the way, I think these are the best in the thermal regions), returning about 8.30 for breakfast. We did not feel any shakes while walking, but the blowholes were very active and angry looking. We all sat down and were just about in the middle of our breakfast when a heavy shake took place, swaying the wfiare from side to side, sufficient to make us think it was going down. It did not do so, but it made most of us all feel like being sea sick. So your readers will understand it was “some roll.” I must say that none of us finished breakfast and the cook prepared to leave by first coach. I, however, had a look around and did not leave until after lunch, and during all this time small tremors took place at about 15 minute intervals. Just prior to my leaving a great earth swell took place, like the rolling of the sea, and the telephone wires tightened and slackened several feet as if some heavy pull was being made on them and all of a sudden the wires would slacken and drop again. The bottles in the office and storeroom rattled as if they were being carted over a rough road in a cart that had no springs. I may say that .1 was not satisfied to remain any longer, so left for the next place where I intended to stop, which was “Atramuri,” on the jbanks of the Waikato River, a rather pretty place with nice rapids in the river. When I had proceeded about 4 miles from Wairakei I came across several men who were working on the road, and I asked them if they had felt the shakes. To my great surprise they informed me that they had felt none at all, so that the trouble must have been local and centred around Taupo Spa and Wairakei. Some miles further I came across some Maoris and I asked them about their idea of the shakes and the disturbances that were going on. They replied that it was caused by the snow on Ngauruhoe slipping into the crater and preventing the steam which was being generated below getting out, and when the steam was powerful enough it blew the snow up, just to slide into the crater again, this being repeated at intervals. These natives maintained that there was nothing to fear. I went on to Rotorua and Auckland for several days, returning again via Wairakei, where everything was quiet and undisturbed. I also talked the matter over with others who had lived there and who gave similar experiences and that there was no danger at all, so probably rather much is being made of the present earth pressure no doubt caused by the heavy coat of snow on the mountain. —I am, etc., SPECTATOR.