Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-07-17

Fearful Earthquake Shocks In New Zen.
land. Great Devastation of Pronertv
Attended with Loss Of Life.
SAX FRAxo1sco, CAL, July 12.-Furtbe,
details of the New leland earthouafes anJ
volcanic eruption received BY the steame,
alameda" state that the most violent dis.
turbances were felt in the neiQhborhood o1
ROTOR. The violence of the esrthouakes led
the people to think that the Island had bIovn
ND and would sink in thesea. The sensafione
experienced are said to have been fearful
and almost beyond description. Immedi-
ately after the inhabitants rushed about
frantically in all directions. When the sec
ond one vas felt the entire country for miles
around was LIT up By glare from the volcano
which had suddenly burst forth. The scene
was as grand as it was awful. Huge volumes
of smoke, illuminated with flames Stimuli
taneously, burst forth over the range of
mountains over sixty miles in length,
and above the flames could be Distinctly
seen, the balance of fire presenting the an.
pearance OF meteors chasing one another
along the e1pans OF the bay. The natives
who escaped clustered in groups, frightened
to death, and held religious services, and
then, az another earthquake would make it.
self felt they would fall With their faces to
the ground shivering with fear. As soon az
the news was received at Auckland the gov.
eminent agent made immediate prepara-
tons to 60 to the relief of the sufferers.
Wagons wore chartered and filed with pro-
visions and clothing. johnson, the govern
ment agent, on his arrival at ROTOR, sent
back the following account: The scene
among the mountains, as viewed from the
Wairoa road. was terribly grand. The
flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, and
shocks OF earthquakes were incessant.
A white dnok woo fo11inn IN Aonao
showers, In addition to this the roads over
the entire country are covered with several
feet Of blue clay mud, elected from the vol
cano. ALI vegetation is destroyed. The as
pect OF the country is entirely changed.
Blue lake and Rotadakahi have been trans
formed into mud patches. The outlet of
the latter lake Is blocked up. and the
bridges which cross its lower end are COW
cred with mud. Nearly all the bulldings
that have noticed are smashed in b. fall
ing mud. At this place the new temperance
hall and the two principal hotels are, ss
are nearly all the other buildings, wrecked.
The house occupied by Mrs. Hazard and
family was borne down by the weight of the
debris. Mrs. Hazard was dug out alive, but
four OF her children we're found dead
beside her. Her husband is also missing
Detailed reports of the killed of the
foreign residents at other points had not
dia's" sailing. The captain of the steam
ship Southern Cross" who arrived at
Auckland on the 18th, reported having felt
at sea the effect of the earthquake and vol
canic disturbance. He said that on the
morning of the 18th of June, the day follow
ing the earthquake, he experienced down.
fall of dust which Continued during three
hours. From ten in the morning there was
darkness, with balls of fire playing around
the rigging and masthead. A terrible gale
suddenly sprang up, which carried away all
his canvass before it could be taken in. The
men on board were unable to stand the
blowing showers of sand, and tho captain
ordered the vessel about and stood away to
the north, but not until II o'clock of the fol-
lowing day did he get clear of the dust.
Telegraphic reports received from nearly all
points in New Zealand show that earth
luakes were generally prevalent during the
same period.