Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-07-22
NEW ZEALAND VOLCANOES.

NEW ZEALAND VOLCANOES.
Intcrestlng InFormstion Concernlnx tn.
Esrth's Great Volcanic System.
Only few weeks ago Mt. Etna'i
eruption threatened Nicolisi and th,
surrounding fertile valleys and vine
yards of that region. Now the new.
comes of volcanic disturbances in Nov
Zealand, the antipodes of Etna, and Of
great loss of life resulting therefrom.
New Zealand is, by the fastest ocear
and railroad communication. about
thirty days removed from Chicago. The
steamship lines run from Auckland tc
San Francisco, and soma twenty five
days between these two points is con-
sidered good time, or nearly three
tines longer than the modern trip
from New York to Liverpool. The
group or cluster of islands composing
New Zealand is divided into two main
parts, known rs North Island and
South Island, The well-known CITY of
Auckland is on the North Island, which
with its fine harbor is on every chart.
The islands are quite mountainous, SO
that the most intelligent and obscrvant
travellers and writers agree that one
tenth of the surface of the North
Island and four-fifths of the South
Island are occupied by mountains.
Among the extinct volcanoes of New
Zealand are Ruapehu that is 8, 100 feet
high, and Mount Egmont that is $500
feet high. Tongariro, which is $500
feet high. is occasionally active. When
Mount Etna began to pour out smoke,
ashes, scori@. lava, etc., the first to
suffer severely were those who cult
waited the vineyards that produced the
rich fruitage that grew on the hillsides
and in the valleys there. So the first
in New Zealand to feel the terrible
rains and torrents from the suddenly
awakened crater have been those who
inhabited the districts in the immediate
neighborhood of the disturbance. The
mountain peaks of New Zealand arc
about the same altitude as some of the
great Rockies back of Denver and
Cheyenne, and would hold their place
beside Cloud Peak. the crest of the Big
Horn range, and thus the valleys are
easily commandea by them.
The natural wonders of New Zealand
suggest a parallel with the National
Yellowstone Park New Zealand has
not been visited by any serious earth
quakes or volcanic eruptions for some
thirty years. The last severe earth
quake occurred january ., 1856. but
it was not attended by any fatal results.
Three prominent pEOces ON the earth
are mentioned where. geyserS exist with
characteristics. Thessare Ice
land, the North Island of New Zealand
and tine National Park in the Rocky
Mountains. GeyserS may be described
as volcanoes in which heated water,
instead of molten rock, is forced out
f;om the vent by the escapings.eam.
snd they occur in great abundance in
districts IL which subsarrrnean action ,
is becoming dormant 81 extinct. The
of the parallel will 1p seen !
when it is stated that there are three
active volcanoes in New Zealand
The Theory of advanced scientists is
that there are great bands or systems |
Of vslcanoes, which are ranged 1long |
ines of assures; and some also hold .
hat die great linear bands of velca- |
1oes,. which, stretch thousands of miles, !
nave. andi their positions determinedby
great lines CT assures in, the ea.pth's
rust. The greatest offthese Eands ,
the Arctic Circle at 1ehr-
ng's Straits, to the Antarctic Circle at
South Victoria, and this:includes more !.
han hnff the active volcanoes of the
World. The great focus or center of
his>intanse volcanic action may be- re-
.nrded aslying in the district betwee
3erneo' and New Guinea. A large
If lines radiate from this CEN
err .one.of which embraces Soutnisyic.
1ria. New Zealand, the New HebsIles,
Santa; Cruz. the Solomon Islands. and
New, Bfiasim Related. IS it is seen to
BE-. to tine great volcanic system.Tt is
not surprising that earthquakes axe re-
corded shaving visiteGNhese islands.
as already intimated. there
serious shocks felt 5here
anee 1885,. yet in 1882 alone twenty
sight shocks are men toned, ten of
which. arornecordeda as smart" and the
,smaindez rs only slight trermzs.-
Chicago RRer Ocean.