THE APPEARANCE OF WAIROA. [BY TELEGRAPH-OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2174, 15 June 1886, Page 2

THE APPEARANCE OF WAIROA. [BY TELEGRAPH-OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Roto&ui, Saturday, 12.20 p.m. The beautiful and picturesque Tikatapu bosh ift a wreck and sceno of desolation, high trees lying across the road, which renders it impossible for the considerable amount of navigation which it necemry for one to pilot their way through. There is

tarewera Lake UnchangedA correspondent wiring on Saturday states :— Owing to the smoke c'eariiig off Tarawera ranges this morning the moantain is to be seen. I started again to Wairoa, returning at seven to-night. The lake is like a mirror, and a dingy could go to Te Ariki. The shpes of the ranges facing us and likewise those seen from Ciptain Way's residence are unchanged, saved by vast deposits of mud on the lower slope of the Wahanga, and the forrst is on fire, as also on the northern side of the lak«. For miles on the northern shore and up to the outlet at Hangitiki it covered with immense mud deposits. On Tarawera proper I counted about twelve differcut points or cones in eruption. Two in the outer rim appeared as if composed of black solid columns, evidently clinkers of ashes, but the whole range, away to the end of Wahanga, was active. The volcanic action was not at the front but in the country at the back of the ranges. In the evening, just as I vras leaving, there was a great outburst of cloud and smoke all along the line from Wahanga to Rotomahana, which presented a spectacle. The natives intend to abandon Wairoa and are taking everything away.

No Hope for the Terraces. RoTORtTA, Sunday Night. A party, headed by Mr James Stewart, C.E., started to reach the Terraces on Saturday. Some of the party returned to-night, and report that they got nearly as far as Kakaramea, to a position where they could obtain a view of the country between them and the PinU Terrace. They are of opiuion that the Terrace has collapsed. They could not see Te Tarata, the White Terrace, but they are fully, persuaded that it has disappeared Several boating expeditions have been organised, and there is an evident determination to reach Rotomahana, in order that the fate of the Terraces an/l the natives in the various settlements adjoining may be determined.

The Inquests and Funeral. The inquests on the bodies of the Hazards and Mr Bainbridge, whose body was discovered terribly bruised under the verandah of Mcßae's Hotel, was held Jat the Palace Hotel on Saturday. A verdict ot accidental death was returned. The remains were interred iv the Rotorua cemetery on Sunday.

The Experiences of the Hazards. The following statement of Mrs Hazard has beeu supplied to the Press :— My two daughters, Clara and Ina, escaped in a detached portion of the house. While sitting in my chair, with my three remaining children around me, I was pinned to the floor by the leg through the roof falling in, and I believe that it was at that time my husband was killed. I had my youngest child, Mona,*a girl aged four, in my arms, a boy aged 10, Adolphus, on my right, and a younger child, a girl aged 6, on my left. Mona, who was in my arms, dried to me to give her more room, as I was pressing her against the beam, but the load of volcanic mud pouring down on me prevented me from being able to render auy assistance, and the child was crushed, and smothered in my arms, and died. Adolphus said to me, " Mamma, I w ill die with you," and I think he did shortly after, as he did not answei again. The little girl, I think, died shortly after, as she said, "Oh, my head," as the mud vras beating down on her, and she spoke no more. During my entombment I

thought a search paity would come to search the room. I" c> jed "to the li 8t people I hearrl about the place Mr Blythe and others got me out, on hcirng my call, after being entombed fui seveiul hours. My injuries consist of bruises and cuts about the head and limbs, and the leg which was jammed by the beam has not had the cit eolation restored to it yet. Many of the injuries wvrp sustained by cndea\ourini( to protect ni) head from the falling lax i. The cldiit Miss Hazard (Claia), who ii .i!)'<ut 21 yeais of age, narrates the dtc.idful e\ periences of the night as follows :— We were all in lied at ek-voii o'clock At a quarter piht one I was awakened by ,i rumbling noise, and father askod me if I felf the earthquake. I said '"Yes," and it kept on a long tune. Mr Blythe was awakened, and father said, "It is the most wonderful sight I have seen," and we went on the verandah to see it Tlienwas a large, inky-black cloud hoseriug over the truncated cone of Taiavvia, with lightning and balls of file shooting out of it. Mr Blythe siid it wni i cloud charged with electricity. We all dresstd and went into the sitting-room, thinking it was the safest part of the building, as it was constructed of corrugated iron. We lit a fire in the stove, and mother sat down in the middle of the room, with all tha children lound her. Looking out of the window, it was like a great sheet of fire. Father, and Lundins, and HlytliP were looking out of the window. I sat down at the organ and played and sang hymns. At three o'clock we heard a rattling, &% of stones falling on the top of the house. The noise was so great that we could not heir each other apeak. We afterwards found it to be caused by fall-. ing lava. When that came on father want out into the middle of the room, leaning on mother's chair. Mr Lundins picked up a piece of the lava, when we all came to the conclusion that Tarawera had broken out into a state of emntion. The volcanic shower continued to pour on the house for about an hour. A tremendous gale of wiud arose, and then came down the chimney with such force that we were nearly suffocated with the binoke and had to cover the stove with a mat, and pour all the water we could get on it. 'J his being not sufficient to put out the fire, my father took the pipe off the stove. At about four o'clock we were all, except Messrs Blythe and Lundins, assembled in the middle of the room, believing it to be the safest place, as the walls were bulging and threatening to come in. I walked over to the door, seeing it bulging, to lean against it. Messrs Blythe and Lundins yew standing at the same place, when suddenly there came a tremendous crash, and all was dark, the roof falling on top of us. I put out my hands, and grasped on one side Mr Blythe's hand, and on thp other Mr Liuidiu's instinctively for piotection. Meanwhile quantities of lava fell on our heads. Mr Lundins jumped up and smashed the window, cuttinti his hand very much. Finding he coul.l not do it so well with his hand he used his foot and got out. He then snid "I'm out, come out, Miss Hazard," and he pulled me out. Mr Blythe followed, but on getting into the open air we were stiuek about the head and body by lumps of lava. We shut the door, but finding the roof bulging down, and being unable to get into some of the other rooms, we opened the door and stood in the doorw ay, so as to be ready to escape. 1 was perishing with cold, and Mr Blythe got some blankets to pioteet me from the cold. Just then the house appealed to be struck with lightning and burning lava, and it took file. We all mined <ut into the garden, when the portion of t!>o house in which we ueie took lire, and burst into flames. We endeavoured to find some other shelter, and got into the paddocks, stumbling over .some uprooted trees in the darkness. Seeing by the light of the burning apartment that the henhouse was stauditig, we went there for shelter, and remained there till daylight watching the piincipal buddings burning. The corrugated iron budding remained untouched, o'ving to the quantity of volcanic mud around and above it. We waited in great anxiety, being under the apprehension that all the house was on fire. When daylight arrived, Mr Mcßae and the two Buds, his brothel s-in-law, came up from the hotel tosee how we had faied, and we all went down to the corrugate 1 poi tiou of the dwelling-house to see about the rest. and found a Maoii woiiMU, old Mary of the Mu, with my sister Ina. It appears that when the building fell in, old Mary snatched my sister into the bedroom, and they had craw led under the was>lis>tand. and after a \\ hile, finding no more mud fell on them, endeavoured to push away the stuff which was covering them. In this they succeeded and raised themsches upright, waiting their fate, and continued there, iv the dark, till half-past six o'clock in the morning. At daylight we were 're-united through Mr Luudins breaking the window, and getting the native woman and my sister out. The whole party, including Mr Mcßae'B people, listened for any sounds to show that any of the rest ot the family were alive in the collapsed corrugated building, but hearing uone, and seeing at least 8i feet of mud on the debris of the fallen roof, we all weut down towards Ohinemutu, everybody leaving the settlement. When we got inside of Tikitapu bush we met Mr Robertsons coach. which brought us to Mrs Breut's boarding house at Rotoru-i. Mi Blythe and Mr Luudius went back t> Wairoa.