New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-12
THE NEU-ZEALAND OUTBREAK.

Dr. Hector, Director of the Geological Survey OF
New-Zeaand, has drawn up preliminary report 10
his Government on tho volcanic eruptions of last
June in the North Island, and while this report
omits details it is interesting 1t shows that the
New-Zealand disturbance tremendous, awe-nsplr-
ing and destructive they were. resulted from no
deep-seated causes but were purely local in their
origin. Dr. Hector after outlining the salient facts
says From the foregoing sketch OF the character OF
the eruption think there can be little question tnat
it is a purely hydro thermal phenomenon but on a
gigantic scale; that it is quito local and not OF
deep-seated origin and that all danger is past for
the present. so far one can venture to form an
opinion on such a subject" Though. however, the
disturbance was local, 1t was upon such scale
that had the region in which it occurred been
settled disaster equal to any recorded in history
would probably have resulted. DR.. Hector does
not express an opinion to the origin of the dis
turbances. beyond that already quoted, but the
presumption s that some large body OF WATERPROOF
haps the adjoining ocean-found It's way into the
heated chambers of the volcanic district which IN
dsrlies the North Island.
All the phenomena point TO such an event as the
probable cause of the eruption. The most impress
sve incident OF the latter was the formation OF
great assure between Tarawera and Okara Lake.
and Dr. Hector says that this assure is not slip
of the mountain measuring 1000 feet by 500 feet,
and 800 feet deep, had been blown out leaving a
ragged rocky chasm. from WI ch steam was being
discharged in rapidly succeeding putts" He thinks
that il or when Lake Okara overlows. its waters.
now only few chains from the end OF the assure,
must make their way into it, and that another eX-
plosion. though less energetic, may occur when
the great explosion took place In June. an immense
quantity of pumice dust. black dust. and gray mud
was first held in cloud form alofs and then dis
charged over wide areas. The mud DR.. Hector
thinks resulted from the encounter between the
hot volcanic dust cloud anC q cold rain cloud In
mil-air. The volcanic dust not precpltated as mud
was buoyed in the atmosphere for eighty-tour
hours, and extended one hundred aud twenty
miles. The energy of the forces producing the ex
p!osion must have been prodIgous. hut the ex-
pIosion was really not very different from that OF
gigantic steam boiler.
No evidence is found of the election of deep
seated volcanic matter. The rocks hurled forth
with the columns of steam and dust are the rocks OF
the district Some of these rocks, however, were
subjected to great heat before being elected or dur
ing the process and if not fused incandese
on reaching the ground The punicestone was
spread over fifty square miles. lying from one foot
to four inches in depth on levels, and filing guleS
and hollows like snowdrfts The great tissure
does not reveal bottom like that of an active vol
cano. but seems to be covered with boiling mud
springs, showing that the energy at work is sol
fateric rather than volcanic. and tending to con
firm the generally accepted theory that geyserite
phenomena Indicate declining thermo-dynamic
process, and not in full vigor. or Oh the IN
crease. The eruptions have also shown that the
sources of many of the hot springs are independent
for the commissions noted hal no effect upon gey-
sers situated quite near the scene of action The
earthquake which accompanied the Woodland
disturbance was obviously caused by the OK plo-
sions. and it not extensive. comparison OF
the seismic effects at Charleston with those IN New
Zealand justes the inference that tho origin OF
the former was far deeper seated than that of the
latter and that Notwithstanding the Formidable
character of the New-Zeaand phenomena they did
not represent nearly so great an output OF dynamic
force as produced the recent earJh-shock felt in
twenty-eight States of the Union.