St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-10-02
A RUINED WONDERLAND.
Its Destroyer Being q Most Ter
rife Volcanic Eruption.
New Zealand's Volcanoes Send Forth
Oceans OF Molten Lsva-The Roman
tic Hot Lake District Destroyed
death and DesoIation.

The recent volcanic eruption was
the most terrific ever known i'm the
history of New Zealand. Mount Tara
vera and its twin cone Ruawahia, in
the Hot Lakes district of the North
Island, which have hitherto been
classed as extinct volcanoes, burst sud-
denly into activity. Immense volumes
of flame were projected to great
height. Dense clouds of smoke and
steam obscured the sky. while vivid
flashes of forked lightning played
through the pail of smoke in all direc-
tions. Several violent shocks of earth
quake added terror to the scene. More
shan one hundred natives perished.
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
1awera lake, two miles from Roto-
mahana. 1t is about $500 feet high,
with three table tops separ ated by two
extinct craters, the formation of which
is beyond the memory of man. Its
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
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 a most remarkable phenom-
enon. as the lake was always cold be-
fore. There was also a very strong
outflow down the Wairo valley into Ia
rawera 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 darkly
blue. The lake extends some seven or
eight miles lengthwise, and is five or
six miles in breadth. The three fiat
cones of Tarawera mountains loom
loftily to the southeast 1000 feet above
the sea level, and eastward. through
gap in the ranges, the towering peak
of Mount Edgcumbe is plainly visible
Through that gap in the ranges runs
Tarawera 4 outlet Ava o te Atua (river
of the gods). past Edgcumbe and away
on to the bay ofplenty. At some dis
tance from its source the river forms a
magnificent waterfall
The Rotonabana was one of the
smallest lakes of the lake district. 1t
is now 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 rs 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 Te Tarata at the
northeast end of the lake, with its ter
raced marble steps projecting into the
lake, the mos: marvellous of the Roto-
mahana marvels. About eighty feet
above the lake. on the fern-clad slope
of hill from which i'm various places
hot Vapor was escaping, there lies the
InmpnSa hniltnv nolJr.~ 50
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 a |
beautiful blue, like the blue turquoise.
The fiat-spreading foot of the ter
races extends far into the lake. There
the terraces commence with low shelves,
containing shallow water basins. These |
small wafer 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 steamng cascades may occur.
At ordinary times but very little water |
ripplcs over the terraces. and only the |
principle discharge on the south side
forms 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 a temperature of 90 to
40 degrees Fahrenheit. In the middle
of the platform arises. close to the
brink Of the basin, . kind of 4 rock