The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-08-02

one story, the walls Of loan mud pos
sessing considerable elasticity and covor.
cd with flexible canc-no better con.
struction being possible to meet the case
Everybody fed into the open air. An
hour passed without further motion, yet
most of the people resolved to put up
their couchcs i'll their court yards iD the
open air. The shocks continued more
or less violent at intervals during the
whole night In the course of the twen-
tyfour hours VIC counted fortytwo dis
tinct ones. On Saturday morning it be-
came quiet again
The Capital of the State of San Sal.
vador is situated at an elevation of g.
100 Spanish feet above the Pacific upon
most fertile plain about square
leagues in extent, on the northwest side
of which rises the volcano, hardly q
league from the city. Seen from tho
town the old fire.mountain forms NEST
beautiful cone with gently sloping sum.
NIT, crowned to the highest peak with
thick forest. The crater is perfectly
well preserved, moro than haifa-leagno
in circumference and partially filled with
water. 1t rises about 900 feet above
the table'land on which it stands. Tho
other hills, both those which belong to
the volcanic range south, and those of
the semi-circle above mentioned rise
not more than 600 feet above tho lev.
el of the plain
There is no historical account of any
period Of activity in the volcano of San
Salvador. There is tradition, however,
of an eruption of lava having taken
place in 1869, which is said to lave de-
stroycd and covered with ashes the
pueb(0 Of Nchapa on the northwestern
side. According to other traditions this
was no eruption of fire, but an overflow
of mud from the crater.
Easter Sunday was welcomed BY the
discharge Of rockets and the music of
the military bands, while the multitude
moved in festive procession to hear High
Mass in the Cathedral. Most of tho
houses were beautifully decorated with
pisang leaves and ranches fpalm trees.
The Sanctissimum" was carried in tri-
umph through the streets. A long pro-
ccssion followed, and the Sonoras and
Scnoriias displayed their most splendid
toilets. In the afternoon the grand pro.
ccssion Of Saints took place Colossal
statutes Of Saints. carved in wood, and
most luxuriously equipped in costly silk
dresses. were carried from the Churches
through the streets, and whenever they
chAnccd to meet, the professions stop to
give the Saints all opportunity to en-.
brace. The multituIcs greet these
scenes with oxtravagant delight, and
rockets by the hundred are sent rushing
through the air. The good Catholic
people devote themselves upon Easter
Sunday, first to religions exercises, then
TO cheerful enjoyment, and so the day
concluded with music, fireworks and ban.
quoting.
Soon after Q o'clock in the evening
came severe shock. more powerful than
the scvercst on Good Friday, accompan.
led, during its entire continuance, by
bollow, rumbling noise Walls tottcr-
ed to their foundations, bricks and tiles
fell to :hc earth, and many houses were
rent with fissurcs l was lying in bed
suffering under an attack of aauc, and
had fallen into q fcvcrish slumbcr. from
which the noise awakened me. At that
instant n portion of the ceiling of my
room fell, beating mo upon my head and
face, and for some minutes binding me
with dust. | sprang from my bed and
gropcd my way in the darkness to the
door, which was unfortunately locked =
| succeeded at length in finding it, and
reached the courtyard in safety where |
found all the other inmates Of the house
assembled crying and raying in breath
(C0nclHacd ncrt ,cceh)