TERRIBLE VOLCANIC ERUPTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1518, 12 June 1886, Page 2

TERRIBLE VOLCANIC ERUPTION.

GREAT LOSS OF LIFE,

At about 2 o’clock on Thursday morning the inhabitants in the vicinity of Taraweru and Rolomahana were awakened by fearful noise which they soon ascertained to be caused by volcanic eruptions. The nows to hand is as follows

Wellington, June 10,

The following telegram has been received by the Under Secretary of Crown Linds, from the officer in charge at Rotorua

8.52 n.ro.

We are in tbe midst of a terrible convulsion of nature. The extinct volcanic cones, Tarawhera and Ruawahia, burst into activity between 1 and 2 o’clock this morning, and there has been a constant succession of earthquakes until about 2 o’clock, and now thunder and lightning is almost incessant and still continuing, Immense volumes of flunes and smoke from the cones, and steam from the locality of the white Terrace, as well as showers of dust and grit, reached here a little before six o’clock, but fortunately a shift of wind since has diverted them. People are greatly excited, and many have cleared out for Oxjord and Tauranga. The lake has risen considerably, acd many new springs have burst out.

9.18 a,m.

Buggies have just returned from Te W airoa. There has been a terrible catastrophe. The Native schoolhouse was strnck by lightning, and, while burning, was overwhelmed with torrents of hot mud and stones, Mr Hazard and family are all dead except his two eldest girls, saved by Mr. Lundon pulling them through a window. Mcßae’s hotel is demolished, and one tourist staying there is missing. The servants, and also Mr Humphries, who have come in state that the fulling mud nearly knocked them down. Messrs Mcßae and Humphries are still out there. Buggies cannot get past Tekatapu Bush, Several Natives are known to be killed, and there is no hope for those at TeAriki and Morea, Wairoa is covered with 10ft of mud and s'onea and ashes, though six miles as

the crow flies from tho crater. At Ngae, one mile distant, 20ft depth of mud is reported. No hopes are entertained for the Natives at the settlements of Ariki and Tahaioro.

Another telegrnm, timed noon, says ; Mrs Hazard was rescued, bat is injured. Four of the children are dead alongside one another. The hotel is in ruins. Two families were luckily away. Fourteen Native bodies have been recovered at Wairoa only.

At 2.10 a.m. there was a heavy quake, and then a fearful roar, which made every one run out of their houses, and a grand yet terrible sight for those so near as we were presented itself. Mount Tarawera, close to Rotemabana, became suddenly a volcano, belching out fire and lava to a great height. The eruption appears to have extended itself to several pieces southward, A dense mass of ashes came pouring down here at 4 a.m., accompanied by a suffocating smell from the lower regions. This immense black cloud extended in a line from Taheke to Paoroa Mountain, one continual mass of electricity, all the night, and is still the same. The roar of the thunder, the roaring of two or three different craters, and the stench and continual quaking of the earth so terrified several families that they left their houses in their nightdresses with whatever they could seize in their hurry, and made for Tauranga. Others more lucky, got horses, and left for Oxford. Hundreds of new boiling springs have broken out all round here, some io the middle of the road.

Rotorua, June 10th, 5,30 p.m. 1 have just returned from Wairoa, and brought in Mra Hazard, who has bad a miraculous escape. A tailing beam rested on a chiffonier, and Mrs Hazard was dug out by Messrs Mcßae and Blytb, comparatively uninjured. Two children beside her were dead, Mr Hazard and the other children are not yet dug out. We had to carry Mrs Hazard on a stretcher about five miles, as a buggy could not get through. About a dozen are supposed to have been killed, A tourist was staying there, whose name has not yet been ascertained. Mr Mcßae got him out, but lost sight of him in the darkness. It is supposed he was struck by a fire ball, and covered by the mud. All the survivors unite in according the highest praise to Mr Mcßae, who did his beet to look after all hands. 1 found him working with Constable Maloney and Mr Blyth, and bad some difficulty in persuading him to leave the place. Everything at Wairoa is ruined. The whole surface of the country is changed, being covered with mud about five feet deep. The eruption appears to have spent its force, but dense volumes of smoke and steam are still issuing and enveloping the whole eastern horizon, and an awful gloom has prevailed here all day. Mr Rolfe, Railway Surveyor, says ho counted twenty distinct shocks of earthquake this morning, besides continuous vibrations. A TAUPO ACCOUNT. Napier, June 10. The special correspondent of tho Hawkes Bay Herald As far as we can learn here, three seeming extinct volcanoes near Wairoa, Lake Tarawera, called Euawhia, Terawera, and Wahanga, suddenly burst into eruption this morning, about 2.15, sending enormous showers of mud, and throwing lava and hurling large burning rocks around to considerable distances. The dead bodies of fourteen natives have been found, but it is feared that many native settlements along the line of eruption are destroyed. FromTaupo a large ball of fire was seen to be ejected to an immense height, and burst, sending out a shower of sparks and dense volumes of smoke. This was followed by a cloud rising above our horizon, mushroom shape, and densely thick on the top, lighter towards the horizon, scintillating and sending out sparks of an apparently electric nature in every direction. The lower part occasionally opened into flame, but the whole mass was in incessant fiery agitation. LATEST NEWS. . Te Aroha, June 10, 8 p.m. Earthquakes and volcanic eruption at Tauranga have not affected the To Aroha hot springs. Rotorua, June 10, 8 p.m.

Mr G. Cook, Assessor of the Native Lands Court, has just arrived from Te Hehe. He reports all well, and that only a few inches of deposit reached there. We have just had another heavy shock of earthquake

June 11, 10.45 a.tr

A beautiful morning and everything all right hne. Families are returning to their homes. The volcano is still throwing out dense volumes of smoke, and steam can be heard occasionally. Mr Edwards got a glass, and stated that the mountain appears about 300 feet higher than formerly. He could see two distinct enters, from which flames were issuing. The Natives have sent out reports that the terraces are uninsured, but Rotomahana has subsided, and is now a body of mingled fire and water. He also states that the hill at the back of pink terrace is showing signs of activity. There is no hope that any one could have survived at Te Arihi and Morea and settlements in that district. No one could venture there yet to ascertain definitely. It is supposed that there were about 40 natives at Te Arihi, and 30 at Morea. Eight were killed at Tarewera. The Europeans killed are Mr Hazard, his two children, and a young nephew. The tourist is still missing, and no hopes are entertained of finding him alive. His name was B. A. Bambridge, of New-castle-on-Tyne, England. He was a friend of Messrs McArthur, Auckland. Working parties have now gone out. The Tuhouranga tribe are loft utterly destitute, many of them have not sufficient clothes. Rapata behaved like a true chief. His i home was destroyed by a fire ball, but he remained with his people and saw them all away before leaving himself. The interruption of the wires at Rotorua is more serious than at first thought, and the break is not likely to be repaired till to? night. Men on the spot report that £be wires are clogged in places with mud to the thickness of candles. Dr Hector is of opinion that the eruption may culminate at Meyer Island outside Tauranga.

Lateb.

Further telegrams from the scene of the eruption state that au'heartrrendjijg scene occurred at the Native settlements, where the loss of children was very great, No confirmation has beep received of the safety of (he terraces. One telegram

Bays simply that they have not been destroyed, but the[genera)Jbslief here is that it is almost impossible they can have escaped without injury.