The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-23
Gtn ~GateIiqneer
omool Nos, 70 nnd " Fourtoenth Street.
TAHAWERA's II
A Vivid Pen Picture OF u CONFUSION o
Nature In New Zealand.

AAlkA EHtA's lLulIltUh'
A Vivid Pen Picture OF II ~CouyulslOn q
Nature In New Zealand.
The earthquake and eruption at Noun
Tarawera, in New Zealand, which hal
lately been recorded, has, according to thu
latest sdYiCes, caused a terrible destruC'
ton Of property and loss Of life. Mount
Tarswera and the region surrounding the
Lake Rotorua has been the scene Of many
awful commissions, and from It's beauty
and many yicissitudes 1t Is called "thu
Wonderland" II is the home Of the
MaOris and by them regarded with q sorl
oil reverence and horror.
A tourist at Brent's Hotel, Rotorua, al
the time Of the CONFUSION, gives the fol,
lowing vivid description OF IT; Looking
through the windows Of his room he saw
9 vivid light arising from the direction oil
TaraWera, Every one dressed and went
10 the front Of the house, where they stood
watching the flashing light, A little be-.
tore2 a. M from pickering flames the light
condensed into a vast and massive pillar
oil tire, rearing itself high up in the heay-
ems, This gradually extended laterally
along the range until 1t presented an APP
parent diameter OF about hall a mile, The
pillar OF fire, which was accompanied by a
continued terrific roaring, seemed gradu-
ally TO be- eClipsed by a dense black cloud,
which settled omit, hangingli like a pail over
the flames, which were hidden but not ex-
tinguished,
The black cloud pillar rose straight in
the air, and then came continuous explo.
slons and roars which seemed to give way
before the terrific thunder, accompanied
by vivid ilashes Of lightning. at first,
starting from the pillar, the storm seemed
to extend and settle down over the whole
face OF the heavens. The lightning was
both iorked and sheet, and flashed inCes.
sanity. The thunder roared from every
point, the whole atmosphere being filed
with air peryaded with sutIoCating sulphur
stencil. All along the road springs had
broken out in every direction, bubbllng
and boiling. During the whole Of this
time q gale of wind was blowing across
Rotorua and toward the seat OF the erup.
ton, which probably proved tho meana Of
saving the township. AT about 4 A, NJ,
however, tho wind suddenly dropped, the
smoke all I'VE Rotorua became denser,
and then a thick and heavy shower Of
ashes began 10 fall continuously.
The darkness became thicker, no one
knew which way to turn, and dawn was
earnestly prayed for. AT about 6 A. NJ.
day began slowly to break. Below the
jetty canopy o thin blue line was seen on
the Northern horizon, and gradually the
surrounding objects became dimly Visible,
and 1t was seen that all tho surrounding
hills and the whole face OF the country
were covered with white ashes. Still the
black pillar rose from Tarawera, but the
sulphur gssscg were less oppressive.
When day began to break tho thunder.
storm absted, and Boon the sky became
comparatively clear, except in the vicinity
OF Tarawera, whence the inky pillar still
elevated itself. But at y o'clock the pail
again spread Over tho heavens and dark.
ness began to set in. Daylight had now
the. popularity seen In a total eclipse OF
the sun.
The scene from q hill 9 fow miles south
Of Mount TRraTera and tho lake, W 1t ap.
peared two days alter the eruption, is
thus described: ut looks like an active
Arctic scene, There were apparently hum.
mouks OF ice and mountains covered with
snow. All these were from a fine white
deposit which had Issued on that fatal
night from the now crater. There had
been q green hill which had burst out in.
to q fearful volcano. A large part OF the
hill had fallen In, and there was q crater
much larger than Mount Eden. A con-
slant column OF steam wa rising from tho
mighty caldron, aud ut intervals there is.
sued great showers Of cinder1 and huge
rocks driven far into the air. There was q
continual roar, varied at intervals with q
loud boom. II Tas u magnificent sight
and one never to he forgotten"
A New Zealand book thus describes
TrawCra:
"rhcre isS strange fascination about
this curious truncated mountain. ItlOoEg
bare and tCarred, It's RGeep walls rlsing up
black and terrible as II blasted with
lightning, the very suhIimity OF deaola.
ton. No wonder that the Maori magma.
ton invuats thisspot with q sacred horror.
1t is to them q city Of the dead and may
not lightly be approached, and when
clouds gather round Its summit and roll
in heavy masses along It's aides, driven by
the fierce winds that play about tho crest,
it requires no active Imagination to people
II with weird and spiritual terrorS."
Tho lake lying to the North and West
Of the mountains and partly enCirCling its
base Is described by the same writer as a
splendid sheet OF water, ChangeSble In
expression as the human face. "When
all Is clear overhead tho lake shimmers
and glistens in the sunlight aud reflects
from itH motionlesa depths the cloud iieCk
blue OF. the rEies. Every breath OF wind
sets the surface dimpling into o thousand
ripples, and the tiny wGVelets break upon
the shore or on tho outstanding boulders
with a gentle tapping cadence very pleas
they play upon the surface Of the lake, as
cloud chaseB cloud; II is like the play Of
the wind on q barley field. In close and
sultry weather, when the clouds hang low,
the water, still responding 10 the influence
Of sky and air, takes Oh q leaden color and
becomes dull, placid and heavy. Large
tracts, smooth and unctuous, like Ia sur
face Of oil, are Curiously broken by ruff ed
patches, which for no perCeptiblo reason
Quiver and ghiyer as II with some agita.
ton beneath. In this smooth state the
water gives back very perfect reflections
Of objects on It's banks or floating on its
surface. About a year ago the water oil
Tarawera suddenly changed color and be.
came nauHess and unwholesome. There
was some corresponding disturbance on
Rotokakahi, ta0T and the creek between
rose rapidly TO such a height that the
natives were alarmed, and, apprehensivo
Of a flood, they swsrmed up tho bills and
waited till they subaided again, Tarawera
water remained unuSable for nearly q
year, It's color during that space being Of
q dirty green. Then it changed to perfect
purity again.
IJnu, rb,v dn n In N,rrtu.