Arizona daily citizen. (Tucson, Ariz. Territory [i.e. Ariz.]) 1884-1901, 1901-01-12
TERRIBLE UPHEAVAL
Volcano in New Zealand Which Is.
Equal to Vesuvius.
Its Eruption In 1856 Left Some Strange
and Beautffui Effects-Chnngea
the Whole Country in the
short Time of Six Hoars.

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The white terraces of Rotomahana
rose up in series of 20 platforms in
'he form of gigantic stairway. Each
terrace was perfectly horizontal and OF
dazzling whiteness. The top step vas
vertically SO feet above the base and sat
o9feet back. From every platform bub-
Dies copious clouds of steam. A stream
Of boiling water continually flowed
from the geysefs, and as 1t fell slowly
from tier'to tier the silicates with
which the water was heavily charged
became deposited, on its exposure to the
air, and wonderful iace-work designs of
infinite variety and of dazzling white
ness and purity were formed. Not far
from the white terrace was another
termed the Pink Terrace" where, ow-
ing to some coioring substance in the
silicious waters falling from the gey-
sers, the deposits were of a delicate
pine hue, from which was derived the
name Pink. Terrace
Unfortunately New Zealand no long
er POSSESSES this unique spectacle, for
the terraces are no more. The various
agencies of nature which originally
built up such curious forms served in
turn to destroy them. Mr.. Falconer
gives a graphic description of the event.
He was residing at that time about 40
MES distant from Tarawera. In 1886,
on June 10, the night was clear and
calm. Heavy rumbling sounds like
rolls of distant thunder filed the air,
but there was. no very great alarm.
The next day dawned duh and gloomy.
About 1889 O'Clock the morning grew
darker and light gray ash, very fine,
began TO fall. He says that, although
they surmised an eruption was taking
place in the Hot Lake district, there
were no definite tidings to that effect,
so that he could only wait to see what
would happen. By the aid of a lantern
he succeeded in cropping HI. way to the
telegraph Office, and there he learned
that serious disturbance was taking
place at Tarawera and Rotomahana.
Abort II o'clock the darkness lifted.
All round the ground was covered with
u thin. filmy pail of fine ash to the depth
of half an inch, and it was af.erward
found that the intense darkness was
caused by thick cloud of dust blown
out by the volcano TO height so tre-
mendous that it passed above Tauranga
aud dispersed over the country some
miles way.
The manifestation was accompanied
by intense cold, the Thermometer regis
tering five degrees Of frost. This is ex-
planned by the fact that the columns
Of stram as they came Kissing out Of the
craters expanded as they assembled and
absorbed their own heat which became
laent, so that the heat was distracted
from everything near. A day or two
later the government geolegist arrived
at Tauranga, and preparations to in
spect the seat of the disaster were
pushed rapidly forward. On the fourth
day after the eruption, the party ar
rived at wairoa, the Maori village.
There was scarcely yestige Of the set
Element to be seen, the whole village
had been crushed beneath volcanic lava,
and the charred and battered remains
of the little village church and other
buildings protruded above the surface
of the deposit, which at frst measured
four feet in thickness, but afterWard
settled down to half that depth. One
young Englishman was killed, as we'll
as the Maoris who lived in the district
and exacted tolls from visitors to the
Hot lakes. The scene was the widest
imaginable. The sir rushed over the!
land with cyclonic fury, uprootiugs
tearing and breaking trees that had
survived the hail OF rocks. leaving hera
HAS A RIGHT TO QUIT.