The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-09-01
TARAWERA'S HORROR.

Vivid Pen Picture of the Recent Convul'
sion of Nature in New Zealand.
The earthquake and eruption at
Mount Tarawera, in New Zealand,
which has lately been recorded, has, ac-
cording to the latest adyices, caused a
terrible destruction of property and
loss of life. Mount Tarawera and the
region surrounding the Lake Rotorua
has been the scene of many awful con-
WILSON'S, and from its beauty and many
vicissitudes it is called "the Wonder
landn 1t is the home of the Maoris
and by them regarded with sort Of
reverence and horror.
A tourist at Brent's Hotel, Rotorua,
at the time of the convulsion, gives the
following vivid description of it: Look
ing through the windows of his room
he saw vivid light arising from the
direction of Tarawera. Every one
dressed and went to the front of the
house, where they stood watching the
flashing light. A little before 2 a. M,
from tlickering flames the light con-
densed into vast and massive pillar of
fire. rearing itself high up in the heav-
ems. This gradually extended la!era!ly
along the range until it presented an
apparent diameter of about half mile.
The pillar of fire, which was accom-
panied by continued terrific roaring,
seemed gradually to be eclipsed by
dense black cloud, which settled on it,
hanging like pail over the flames,
which were hidden but not extinguished.
The black cloud pillar rose straight in
the air, and then came continuous eX-
plosi6ns and roars which seemed to give
way before the terrific thunder, accom-
panied by vivid flashes of lightning. At
first, starting from the pillar, the storm
seemed to extend and settle down over
the whole face of the heavens. The
lightning was both forked and sheet. and
flashed necessarily. The thunder roared
from every point, the whole atmosphere
being filled with air pervaded with suf-
locating sulphur stencil. All along the
road springs had broken out in every
direction, bubbling and boiling During
the whole of this time gale of wind
was blowing across Rotorua and toward
the sea of the eruption, which probably
proved the means of saving the town
ship. At about four o'clock a. M, how
ever, the wind suddenly dropped. the
smoke all over Rotorua became denscr,
and then thick and heavy shower of
ochoc bar,,, f> foil
The darkness became thicker, no one
knew which way to turn, and dawn was
earnestly prayed for. At about six
o'clock a. IN. day began slowly to break.
Below the jetty canopy thin blue line
was seen on the Northern horizon, and
gradually the surrounding objects be-
came dimly visible, and it was
seen that all the surrounding
hills and the whole face of the country
were covered with white ashes. Still
the black pillar rose from Tarawera, but
the sulphur gases were less oppressive
and people began to breathe more freely.
When day began to break the thunder.
storm abated, and soon the sky became
comparatively clear. except in the vicin-
ity of Tarawera, whence the inky pillar
still elevated itself. But at nine o clock
the pail again spread over the heavens
and darkness began to set in. Daylight
had now the popularity seen in total
eclipse of the sun.
The scene from q hill few miles
south of Mount Tarawera and the lake,
Ss it appeared two days after the erup-
ton, is thus described: sIt looked like
an active Arctic scene. There were ap-
parently hummocks of ice and noun
tains covered with snow. All these were
from fine white deposit which had is
sued on that fatal night from the new
crater. There had been a green hill
which had burst out into fearful vol
cano. A large part of the hill had fallen
IN, and there was crater much larger
than Mount Eden. A constant column
of steam was rising from the mighty
caldron, and at intervals there issued
great showers of cinders and huge rocks
driven far into the air. There was a
continual roar, varied at intervals with
a loud boom. 1t was q magnificent sight
and one never to be forgotten"
A New Zealand book thus describes
Tarawera:
There is strange Ease: nation about
this curious truncated mountain. 1t
looks bare and Scared, its steep walls
rising up black and terrible as if blasted
with lightning, the very sublimity of
desolation. No wonder that, the Maori
imagination invests this spot w tn
sacred horror. 1t is to them a CITY of
the dead and may not lightly be an.
preached, and when clouds gather
round its summit and roll in heavy
masses along the sides, driven by the
fierce winds that play about the crest,
1T requires no active Imagination to
people it with weird and spiritual ter
rors."
The lake lying to the North and West
OF the mountain and partly cncircling
its base is described by the same writer
as splendid sheet of water, chaneeable
in expression as the human face.
when all is clear overhead the lake
shlmmers and glistens in the sunlight
or reflects from the motionlcss depths
the cloud iieck blue of the skies. Every
breath of wind sets the surface dimp-
ling into thousand ripples, and the
tiny wavelets break upon the shore or
on the outstanding boulders with gen.
tie tapping cadence very pleasant to the
ear. If clouds float in the sky, they
play upon the surface of the like, as
cloud chases cloud; it is like the play of
the wind on a barley field. In close and
suitry weather, when the clouds hang
low, the water, still responding to the
influence of the sky and air, takes on a
leaden color and hecomns dull ,laa;I