The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-21
STRANGE VOLCANIC EFFECTS.
Intense Cold and Furious winds Following
an Eruption in New Zealand.
From tie Windsor MoOdrn..

From tie Windsor Md0drn,.
The white terraces Of Rotomahhna rose up
in a series Of twenty platforms in the form Of
a gigantic stairway Each terrace was per
iecuy horizontal and Of dazzling Wilderness, The
top step was vertically 80 feet above the base
and sat 800 feet back. From every platform
buhhled copious clouds Of steam. 4 stream
II boiling water continually flowed from the
geysers. and as il fell slowly from tier 10 tier the
silica,es with which the water was heavily charged
became deposited, on it, exposure to the air, and
wonderful lace-wOrk designs Of infinite variety
and Of dazzling whiteness and purity were formed
Not far from the white terrace was another termed
the Pink Terrace, where, owing TO some coloring
subsnncs In the silicious waters falling from
the geysers, the deposits were u A delicate pink
hue, from which was derived the name Pink
Terrace"
Unfortunately New Zealand no longer pos
sesses this unique spectacle, for the terraces ore
no more. The various agencies Of nature which
originally built up such curious orms served
in turn to destroy them. Mr Falconpr gives
o graphic description Of the event He was re-
siding at that time about forty miles distant from
Tarawera. In 1856, on June 10, the night was
clear and calm Heavy Wmhline sounds ike
rolls Of distant thunder filed the air, hut there
was no very great alarm. The next day dawned
dun and gloomy. About : 80 q clock the morn
ing grew darker and hight gray ash, very fine,
began ~ fan. lie says that although they sur
missed an eruption was taking place in the Hot
Lake district, there were no definite tidlngS 20
that effect SO that he could only wait to see what
would happen, by the aid q a lantern he sue
cesled in grouping his way 10 the telegraph Of.
fice, and there he learur that a serious disturb
ance was taking place at Tnrawera and Rotp-
mahana About IL o'clock the darkness lifted
All round the ground was covered with a thin
flmy pail Of fine ash to the depth Of half an inch,
and it was Hiterward found that the intense
darkness was caused by u thick cloud Of dust
blown out by tie volcano 10 a hclghth 50 ire
menduus that II passed above Iauranga and
dispersed over the country Some niles away.
The manifestation was accompanied by in
tense cold, the thermometer registering , degrees
OF frost THIS Is explained by the fact that the
columns of steam as they cam" Kissing ont of
the Crat'rS expanded as they assembled and alb
Slrbed their own heat, which became latent, 50
that the heat was abstracted from everything
near. \ day or two later the Government grul-
oyist arrived at TaurHnga and prrparatuua
O. inspect the seat II the disaster were pushed
rapidly forward On the fourth day after the
eruption the party arrived at " arud, the Maori
village. There was scarcely n vpSt.gr Of the
settlement ,o be- seen. the whole village had been
crushed beneath volcanic lava ana the CHARGED
and battered romans ui The little village church
and other buildings prutrudrd above the surface
81 the deposit, which AZ first measured four feet
in thick ness, but afterward settled down g. half
that depth. one young Englishman was killed.
rs we'll as tie MAurls who lived m the district
and exaCted tolls from visitors I the Hot Lakes
The scene was the widest Imaginable The
air rushed over the land with Cyclunlc fury, up.
roofing, tearing and breaking trees that had
survived the hail oi rocks. leaving here and there
a gnarltd and Jagged trunk, denudcd Of branches
and stripped Of its bark.
The next day the party set on for Rotomahana
As they approached the Hot Lakes huge cracks :.
extending hundreds IL yards in length and about
n foot in width, were seen IN all dire tons The
scene was one II the strange grandeur Of absolute
desnlatIon. The upheayal # nature had blown
the wonderful terraces g. atoms, steam was tIsing
in dense clouds from one end " the area H. the
other, a diStaG"e 81 about nlnr miles ltutpma
hama Lake was n ydNnlng CaldTn from which
rose n majestic column Of steam Tho ground
wac completely stripped Of vegetation and covered
With lava rom the mountain The lava was
reduced g. the consistency u flour So that the
explorers sank in II nearly ~ their knees Thus
in the space II time was North Island suddenly
Shorn 81 it, most peculiar natural features In
six hours the whole aspect # the country Nfl
changed, and what wa. an" u the most beautiful
spots in IN" world was transformed into . barren
country cGrpetnd in lava aud covered witt drh.-.
The gevSers, however, Ntll! abound lu p~rliuslun
and il is possible IN time other terraces may be
formed.