182 



CArT. F. W. HUTTOJST ON THE 



steam which out-topped that from Mt. Tarawera and obscured it. 

 No shower of red-hot stones accompanied this explosion ; the cloud 

 appeared quite black except where relieved by lightning-flashes from 

 the column and electrical coruscations round the margin. 



The sounds now were frightful ; even at Potorua, 15 miles distant, % 

 it was necessary to shout as loud as possible in order to be heard 

 two yards off. Mixed with the deafening roar of escaping steam 

 were loud explosions from underground, and long rolls of thunder 

 from above, as well as a hissing noise caused by the solid particles 

 in the air rubbing together. So continuous were the lesser noises 

 that, near the scene of eruption, the louder explosions were not noticed, 

 although the earthquakes caused by these explosions are said to have 

 occurred at Wairoa very regularly every ten minutes. But while 

 the lesser noises were soon dissipated, the loud explosions travelled 

 far, being heard at Auckland and even at Blenheim, 230 miles away. 

 The red-hot stones ejected from Mt. Tarawera were distinctly seen 

 at Gisborne, 75 miles off, and must therefore have risen more than 

 1500 feet above the top of the mountain. At Wairoa hot stones 

 and scoria began to fall at about 2.30 a.m. At 3 a.m. icy-cold mud 

 came down, the weight of which caused the roof of Mr. Hazard's 

 house to give way at 3.40, and that of McPae's Hotel at 4.30. This 

 mud fell until past 5 a.m., and was followed by fine, dry, flour-like 

 ash, which continued until 9 a.m. 



Meanwhile the black cloud swept away to the east and to the 

 north. Prom 7 to 9 a.m. total darkness prevailed along the east 

 coast from Tauranga to the East Cape, while ash continued to fall 

 until the afternoon. 



The crisis was over at 5.30 a.m., the most violent period lasting 

 for three hours only ; but the rapidity of the decline differed much 

 in the craters on the mountain and those on the plain. 



At 10 a.m. on the 10th of June, the eruption from the mountain 

 was confined to the south end, or Tarawera proper, and this con- 

 tinued very active until midnight; but on the morning of the 11th 

 all was quiet, small steam-jets only issuing along the ridge. The 

 eruption from the mountain, therefore, lasted less than 24 hours. 



The craters on the plain, at Potomabana and Okaro, continued 

 throwing up immense volumes of steam with some stones and mud, 

 although with gradually diminishing force. On Sunday the 13th, 

 the column of steam was calculated by Mr. Humphries, Surveyor, at 

 !New Plymouth to reach 22,000 feet above the top of the mountain 

 and to be If or 2 miles broad ; but this of course does not accurately 

 measure the violence of the eruption. Sufficient energy continued 

 in these craters to enable them to eject stones for about ten days, 

 although most of them were thrown to small heights and fell back 

 again into the craters. Since then they have slowly decreased, but 

 large volumes of steam are still emitted from Potomahana and can 

 be seen for many miles around. 



No steam was noticed from either Puapehu or Tongariro on 

 the morning of the 10th ; but on the 12th and 13th Tongariro was 

 steaming as usual. No change whatever appears to have occurred 



