ERUPTION AND TIDAL WAVE AT NEW BRITAIN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1717, 29 March 1888, Page 4

ERUPTION AND TIDAL WAVE AT NEW BRITAIN.

Oooktow.it, March 27.

N'=ws has just reached hern of a terrible erap ion and tidal wave at Now Britain. The Gorman steamer Otillie left Finschaven on March 3rd last, for New Britain. Hb- left a party ol twenty-two on the Island to select and take up ground for coffee planting. The steamer returned to the Inland on the 15tb, but as none ot tho party appeared on the shore to answer the steamer’s signs s, the captain landed and found the Island a scene of great; devastation, large uprooted trees fliating about the harbor, From the indications on the shore it eam d as though an eruption had token place, fol owed by a wave forty (eat high. There were great fissures in'many places and ai! the building material and stores for the projected operations had disappeared. Later on five kanakas were found in a very 'emaciated condition. All tippy could b> induced to say was that they had bo'll up trees for Uir.-e days during wtiich time they had b i n without food. A search party discovered some collies and boo s, hut nothing else belonging to ihe expedition, the members of which ;r.‘.* supposed to have all perished, At Finschaven on March 131 h a wave five feel high rolled in and did considerable damage, [Finschaven is the poit of German N w Guinea, and is about seventy miles distant from the sene ot the (lisas er.]