The Volcanic Disturbance.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2327, 22 June 1886, Page 2

The Volcanic Disturbance.

Foolliardy Expedition to Wairoa. Party Hemmed in. Gallant Struggle for Relief! United Press Association. Rotorua, this day. Important "news was received from Wairoa last night, r Arthur Warbrick having arrived here after dark in an .exhausted' condition, states that he cut his way through from Wairoa. The following narrative will explain the state of affairs. On Sunday ..Captain Way obtained an order to proceed from hare, to Wairoa,' with a view .to endeavoring to recover and bring out p. portion of his personal effects at his residence, and obtained horses. The party'consisted of six, with three spare horses, the names of the party being Captain Way, Mrs Way, James Foley, John Clark, and Messrs Fisher and Warbrick. They took as provisions a dozen loaves, five bottles of water and provinder for two feeds for their horses. The party left Rotorua at eight o'clock on Sunday morning, and as spectators saw the cavalade tiding out • remarks were made generally that the expedition was foolhardy, and it was simply insanity for a lady to brave such perils which were terrible enough for men.. Warbrick informs us that one party went to Kaiteriria. Finding the Botokakahi truck absolutely dangerous he guided it by a track only known to himself over the hills, coming over the ranges at the south east of Mcßae's. They reached' Wairoa at two o'clock on Sunday afternoon. A North-easteily gale with rain then caught them, and nothing could be done to recover effects from May's residence. All rested that night at Sophia's whare. The rain pouring from the hills s>ot through the sand, and avalanches came down from all quarters, from Kuinete, and from the ranges opposite Mcßae's across the flat, the thunder of their falling effectually preventing sleep as they poured over Wairoa 1 alls and down the old bed of the river to Tarawera Inlet. In the morning Humphries and five others who had left Kaiteriria by canoe, reached Botokakahi bridge and got into Wairoa, Shortly after, the "party loaded up three' packhorses with their most valuable effects and started from Wairoa with the intention of reaching Botokakahi bridge, and taking the track along the Jake. The rain of the previous afternoon had made Wairoa flat, where the sites of Native settlements used to be, a lake of mud. Skirting it, they reached the first Wairoa bridge where the horses got buried to the girths. After tremendous exeftiana the men unloaded the pack hursts and gob the whole nine horses out, and returned to Wairoa between 9 and 10 o'clock. Humphries and the natives dissuaded the party making a second attempt to get out and to wait for better weather, but they declined. Mrs Way was left at Wairoa in charge of Foley, and the* remaining men of the party started at one o'clock on foot for Rotokakati bridge. Stripping their trousers off they reached it, but found the canoes swamped at the inlet tothe Wairoa river, and a strong gale blowing, in which the canoes could not have ljved. The Rotokakahi track along the Lake was found to be in a frightful state with landslips, threatening to project the party bodily over the slope into the lake.' He came back to Roto? kakahi bridge, but Arthur Warbrick, being a splendid athlete, determined, to try and break through to Rotorua to pro* cure assistance fsr the party, _ The gemmed in cqrprade? begged him to return with them to Wairoa as he would only sacrifice his life. He refused and paine on, the rest going back. Several times on the traak he had landslips in front and behind him, and expected ta he shot bodily into the lake, but escaped. His intention, if this had happened, was, as he is a splendid swimmer, to swim past landslips and get up on the bank again by the aid of trees. The tremendous exertions he had. to make to get through the track to Kaiteriria exhausted him, but he pushed through to Rotorua, arriving here as stated above after dark dead beat. The Government are sending a party to relieve those hemmed in at Wairoa.