The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-07-29
New Zealand's Volcanoes.

AUCkLASp, New Zealand. June 81 1856
The most terrible volcanic eruption cycl
known in the history of New Zealand occur
red on the 10Th inst. Mount Tarawera and it,
twin cone Ruawahia, in the Hot Lakes district
of the North Island. which have hitherto been
classcd as extinct volcanoes. burst suddenly
into activity. lmmensc volumes Of ilamc-
We're projected to Il great height. Denst
clouds of smoke and steam obscured the sky
while vivid flashes of forkcd lightning PLAYED
through the palI of smoke in all directions
Several violent shock, of earthquake added
| terror to the scene. More than one hundred
natives pcriShcd.
TIE SCENE OF TIIECALAMIII.
The district affected by the disaster is known
is the Wonderland Of the world. TaraWera
Mountain, the scene Of tie volcanic eruption
lies north and south, rising from the south
end Of Tarawcra Lake, two mile, from Roto-
mahaMa. It i about two thousand eight hun
drcd feet high. with three tabla tops separated
by two extinct cratpr>, the formation Of which
Is hcNond the memory Of man. IT. surface of
bare volcanic rock contained no vegetation.
Although there are. or We're. two crater~ on
the top Of the mountain there has been nU
eruption within the mcmory OF mJI, and the
Maori> had no tradition whatever respecting
this mountain. Mount Trawcra is about ten
miles from the settlement Of Tr Wairoa vii
lace which lies brt1yr,n R,t,LaE.bi I Axe anI
Tara\ycra lake aI,u,u tlyo hundred feet above
the latter. connected by the Warua stream.
TWO wears ago Ratakukahi Lake. which is
about three miles in length. rose to nearly
boiling point. This WIS considered Il most re-
markahe phenomenon. n. the lake was always
cold BEFORE Tbprr ,yas also :, worry stro,,,r ont
flow down tL,. Nairna Valley mo T,rawrr,
Lake. I,>till,r fo,. = tty since tLnp n1t.,L,L,hi
had It emaiucd in lis normal >t4tr. 'rhr -hnrrs
of Tarawrrn 1k,. are ,.Ii,,,erJ ,uI rocky ,pl
steep; lis waters drrr,Iy and l1rkIv hlur, Thn
lake extends some seven or ciyld mile, iruuth-
wise. and is five ol. six milo, i'm brradth The
three fiat cones of T1rawrra Mountain. loom
l0ftiIv to fine SoiIthcost } ono feet above tlr So,
level and eastward, through 4 rnp in the
ranges thr towering peak of Mount Ed,srlImbc
i, plainlv visible. Thrnuoh thnt onn in tbr
ranges rims Tarl,yrro'. nl,tIrt N,v. - T.. \tI,
driver of the (4d,). past Edec,lnbr and away
on to the Bay of PLENTY, At some distance
from IFS source tI,r ,.iypr form. q ,un.nitirnut
Waterfall.
,.,.,.,,.,..,,
me '2i"ih3ii1la wa one oi tine smallest
W. 'ii' i'N' ':>,I l,'; ~ y 'i'N d NI''!i"'
,tr .''.H j. ErlE. 'SHi'5 "'' t'o No'I'l sue
Nn'u' 'lc >i'"'' Is l"r''l %! Il swamp liftc
>'ih'' 'i''No gre ,HP3i,'iHlG aihl Nl''hli4l'l%
ti"'h>'iNcN lh'o 'ie idh'' IN hGilV pilfr> OF
t'lpS' HNiHhl'S "afM Nai'f NtFrathI lofih' bht
@ tiui i'}oi> "If ">o N'>i"' mere t.fH iif'F', ana
llo"' 't'' Pig'Vi'l9 l"iNtH hllhuH rilill"N>
toNclcI ""h HNatnli 3f">' cN'FnH a'llo>' ~
m lar tN ne Nnld"i" "l the laN'. ~ ltN north emit
5ilt LIhr grows narrower 'hr I"anlIty O
"Il'l1 wafer i>>oiii@ rom Tue GfV'llm. pom ON
'ht SHORES AG lhe "oI"ln OF 'ilc 'akr' Is Truly
astonishing. mere are tiiftr lifhTlpal springs
10 Niliti lllr iaht owes Us lame. FIRST "f All
l. li' lt arata at the northeast end Of Tn"
Iak' Wilh It> lrrrarr'l marble steps rrUlcring
hlo the lakr. lir most marvellous Of the Rotu-
maEana marNelS About eighty feet above The
lakt. ON tile lcltl-.lad Slope Of Il hill from
Wlll'h III various places hot N1p"r was r,rap-
me-. thcif IlcS the immense boiling cadron in Il
rfalri-t!hr rNraNatl" Wtih steep reddish sides
thirty or forty feet high, and open only OH the
lake side toward the west. The basin of the
spring Is about eighty feet long and sixty wide.
and llilrd to the hrlm with perfectly clear,
Transparent water, which. with the SHOW white
tnrrl>ted BASIN, appears OF Il beautiful hur,
like the blue turquoise.
The disappearing foot of tic terraces cN-
tends far into the lake. There the terraces
commence with low shelves containing shallow
water basins. These small water basins rrprc-
sent as many natural bathing basins. Some of
the basins are 50 large and deep that one ,'an
easily swim about in them. During violent
water cruption> from the main basin >tcamu"
cl>catlr~ may occur. At ordinary time. hl,t
very little water lippcS over the terraces ana
only the principal discharge on the south side