The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-08-26
A RUINED WONDERLAND.
Its Destroyer Being Most Ter
rife Volcanic Eruption.
New Zealand's Volcanoes Send Forth
Oceans OF Molten Lava-The Roman
tic Hot Lake District Destroyed
Death and DesoIation.

The recent volcanic eruption wa:
the most terrific ever known in the
history of New Zealand. Mount Tara
vera and its twin cone Ruawahia, in
the Hot Lakes district of fine North
Island, which have hitherto beer
classed as extinct volcanoes, burst sud.
denly into activity. Immense volumes
of flame Were projected to great
height. Dense clouds of smoke and
steam obscurod the SKY. while vivid
flashes of fotked lightning played
through the pail of smoke in all direc.
tons. Several violent shocks of earth.
quake added terror to the scene More
than one hundred natives persisted
The district affected by the disaster
is known as the wonderland OF the
world. Tarawera mountain, the scene
of the volcanic eruption, lies north and
south, rising from the south end of Ia
rawera lake, two miles from Roto-
mahana. 1t is about $500 feet high,
with three table tops separated by two
extinct craterS, the formation of which
is beyond the memory of man. lis
surface of bare volcanic rock contained
no vegetation. Although there are, or
were, two craters on the top of the
mountain there has been no eruption
within the memory of man, and the
MaOriS had no tradition whatever re-
specting this mountain. Mount Tara
vera is about ten miles from the settle
ment of Tie Wairo village, which lies
between Ratakakahi lake and Tarawera
lake, about two hundred feet above the
latter, connected by the Wairo stream.
Two years ago Ratakakahi lake, which
is about three miles in length, rose to
nearly the boiling point. This was
considered Il most remarkable phenom-
cnOn, as the lake was always cold be-
fore. There was also very strong
outflow down the Wairo valley into Ia
rawcra lake, lasting for day. Since
then the Ratakakahi had remained at
its normal state. The shores of Tara
vera lake are rugged, and rocky, and
steep; its waters deeply and darby
blue. The lake extends some seven or
eight miles lengthwiSe, and is five or
six miles in breadth. The three flat
cones of Tarawera mountains loom
loftily TO the southeast 1000 feet above
the sea level, and eastward, through a
gap in the ranges, the towering peak
of Mount Edgcumbe is plainly visible.
Through that gap in the ranges runs
Tarawera' outlet AVA o te Atua driver
of the gods), past Edgcumbe and away
on to the bay of plenty. At some dis
lance from its source the river forms a
magnificent waterfall.
The ROtonabana was one of the
smallest lakes of the lake district. 1t
is now n volcano. Its form is very
irregular on the south side, where the
shore is formed by swamp; three small
creeks are meandering and diScharging
themselves into the lake. In many
places of those swamps warm water
streams forth, but mud pools are also
visible here and there, and from the
projecting points muddy shadows COW
cred with swamp grass extend almost
rs far as the middle of the lake. At
its north end the lake grows narrower.
The quantity of boiling water issuing |
from the ground, both on the shores |
and the bottom of the lake, is truly |
astonishing. There are three principle |!
springs TO which the lake owes its fame. |
First of all is the TIE Tarata at the |
northeast end of the lake, with its ter |
raced marble steps projecting into the |
lake, the most marvellous of the Roto- |
mahana marvelS. About eighty feet |
above the lake, on the fern-clad slope |
OF hill from which in various places
hot vapor was escaping, there lies the |
immense boiling caldron in crater
like excavation with steep, reddish
sides thirty or forty feet high. and open
only on the lake side, toward the west. |
The basin of the spring is about eighty |
feet long and sixty wide, and filled to |
the brim with perfectly clear, trans
parent water, which, with the snow
white encrusted basin, appears of
beautiful blue, like the blue turquoise.
The disappearing foot of the ter
races extends far into the lake. There
the terraces commence with low shelves,
containing shallow water basins. These
small water basins represent as many
nutural bathing basins. Some of the
basins are so large and deep that one
can swim about in them. During
violent water eruptions from the main
basin steaming cascades may occur.
AT ordinary times but very little water
ripples over the terraces. and only the
principle discharge on the south side
forms a hot. steaming fall. After
reaching the highest terrace there is
an extensive platform, with a number
of basins, five or six feet deep, their
water showing temperature of 80 to
ITO degrees Fahrenheit. In the middle
of the platform arises, close to the
brink of the basin, a kind of a rock
island, about twelve feet high. decked
with manuka, moses, lyeopodium and
fern. Itmay be visited without danger,
and from it the curious traveller has
fair and full view into the blue boiling
and steaming caldron. Such was the
famous TIE Tarata. 1t is now feared
that nearly all these beautiful wonders |
have been destroyed. The terraces are
buried in lava, and the villages of the
Maoris have been swept away.
As regards Auckland the first intima-