The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-08-31
A MOUNTAIN TORN A
AN AWFUL CONFUSION OF MA
TURE IN NEW ZEALAND.

AN OF Ma
TURE IN NEW ZEALAND.
HAVOC Wrought by Volcanic Erup-
t~ions-Vivid Description OF the
Convulsions Of Nature.
Mount Tarawera, which was torn
asunder by the recent commissions in New
Zealand, has been regarded, says tho
Neu York San, with y sort of horror by
cording to their traditions Tarawera was
the home of the last moa in the North
Island. Its top, somewhat moro than
1000 feet above the level of the lake,
was barren, and was divided into three
rocky tables by two volcanic craters.
The natives of the neighboring Maori
villages have carried their dead to the
mountain top and left the skeletons on
the rocky tables to whiten in the sun. 1t
was n superstition with them that any
stranger going to the mountain top would
bring on a storm. The Maoris awe no
traditional account of the eruption which
the conformation of the mountain proved
to have taken place. 1t is believed that
any CONFUSION which had occurred
| within 500 years would have q place in
the existing traditions. It is said that
the only previous eruption in the Hot
hAhS "hkAn WOO Y
loss of life, and of which any account has
been preserved, occurred some 100 years
ago. when q part of Ohincmutu-a dozen
miles or so from Tarawera-was sub
merged in Lake Rotoruu. The tempcra-
ture of the lake at the time of this con-
vulsion rose above tho boiling point,
and thirty natives were scalded to death.
The lake district was visited by many
tourists and was called the Wonderland.
In a book entitled ''Maoriland,"
printed in New Zealand, is the following
mention of Tarawera: "'Therc is a
strange fascination about this curious
truncatcd mountain. 1t looks bare and
SCARED, its steep walls rising up black
and terrible rs if blasted with lightning,
the very sublimity of dc:olatioa. No
wonder that the Maori imagination in
vests this spot with n sacred horror. It
is to them a city OF the dead, and may
not lightly be approaches; and when
clouds gather round its summit and roll
in heavy masses along its sides, driven
by the fierce winds that play about the
crest, it requires no active Imagination to
people it with weird and spiritual ter
rors."
The lake lying to the north INT west
Of the mountain and partly encircling its
base is described by the same writer as a
splendid sheet of water, changeable in
expression as the human face.
a vivid description of the eruption, as
seen by a traveller in the town of Roto-
rua, 40 miles distant in a straight line,
is printed in the Otago New Zcalandi
daily Times. Through the windows of
his room he saw Il vivid light arising from
the direction of Tarawera. He at once
exclaimed: ooh, it is an cruptionl"
Every one then dressed and went to the
front Of the house. where they stood
watching the flashing light. A little be-
fore 2 4. NJ, from tickcring flames tho
pillar of fire. rearing itself high up in the
heavens. This gradually extended liter
ally along the range till it presented an
apparent diameter of about half a mile.
AS he left the hotel the pillar of fire,
which was accompanied by a continuous
terrific roaring, seemed gradually to be
eclipscd by a dense black cloud which
settled on it, hanging like a pail over the
flames, which were hidden but not extil-
guished. The black cloud pillar rose
straight in the ar, and then
came continuous explosions and
roars, which seemed to give
way before terrific thunder, accompanied
by vivid flashes 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 forked and sheet, and flashed inces-
sanity. The thunder roared from every
point, the whole atmosphere being filled
with air pervaded with ~sutfocating sui
phur stencil. All along the road springs
had broken out in every direction, bub-
bling and boiling, rendering walking q
task Of extreme dancer. Ry this time the
inhabitants were aroused to q sense of
the imminent danger OF their position,
and, sallying forth from their houses,
were departing toward Parekoi through
the deep darkness, unillumined except
by lightning flashes. and picking their
way with the aid Of lanterns. During
the whole Of this time a gale of wind
was blowing across Rotorua and toward
the seat of the eruption, which probably
proved the means of saving the township.
At about 4 A. NJ. however, the wind sud-
denly dropped. the smoke all over Ro-
torua became denser, and then a thick
and heavy shower of ashes began to fall
continuously. Then Rotorua people gave
themselves up for lost; the darkness be-
came 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 jctty canopy a thin
blue line was seen on the northern hori-
zon, and gradually the surrounding OBJ
jects became dimly visible, and it was
seen chat oil the surrounding hills and
the whole face of the country were
covered with white ashes. Still the black
pillar rose from Tarawera, but the sui
phur gases were less oppressive, and peo-
pie began to breathe more freely.
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