A Tragic Loss

By Hannah

June 10th, 1886 was a terribly tragic day for the Haszard Family, for people in the village of Te Wairoa, and villages around them.

Mr. Haszard, the school teacher, his family and two guests were all sleeping in their beds when there was a tremendous rumble below them. Surely it must have been just an earthquake. Mr. Haszard, his daughter Clara, and a guest had all gone outside to see the inky black cloud over Mount Tarawera where lightning and fireballs were shooting out.

“It's the most wonderful thing I've ever seen,” said Mr. Haszard. (The New Zealand Chronicle, 1886). And they all went back inside.

The Haszard family went into the living room hoping that it would be the safest place in the house because its roof was made of iron. Mrs. Haszard sat in the middle of the room with her children gathered around her. Soon everyone became very scared as mud and fireballs hit the house. Clara left the house with the two guests while everyone else stayed in the house. Not long after, the house went up in flames. There was nothing anyone could do. By this time mud was flying from the mountain so were ashes. Mount Tarawera had erupted.
After the eruption, survivors went to look for missing people. Over 120 were found dead in over 3 metres of mud. Under the beams of her house Mrs. Haszard was found alive. Beneath her, her four year old daughter was found crushed and smothered in mud. Sadly, Mrs. Haszard had crushed her. Beside her they found her son, who Mrs.Haszard had her arm around.
She said she remembered her son saying, “Mama I will die with you.” (New Zealand Chronicles, 1886) Her six year old daughter cried out, “Oh, my head!” (New Zealand Chronicles, 1886) and was believed to die shortly after. Her husband also died but was never found. Her other daughter had been found and saved by a Moari girl. They had been hiding under the washer when the house had collapsed. Later they were found and saved.

Only the mother and two daughters had survived the eruption. It must have been the most tragic day of their lives. And today, one hundred and thirty years later, we walked through this buried village to see a dozen homes half-buried in hardened mud. I can not imagine the grief that mother and her two daughters felt.