New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-01-25
CENTRAL AMERICA.
EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES IN The
YEAR 1854.

61ltiBu honHuss~
The earthquakes which have devastsseo PAf~
II Ceo.r.l Americs since the month OF Apni last
A.,e ceased since the month Of SePten Der.
WE reisns on 81 sssin, in the beautiful tropical
t.h,..lspd from Costa Rca to the frontiers Of
Mexico, an updisturbed quietude OF nature; asd
the inhabitants of Guatemala, who, on account OF
the repeated return Of severe earthquakes 10 the
months Of June and August last, ware fearful OF
sharing the fate of the population Of San SALVADOR
have happily e.csped with everything "or'e tSan
terror. The inhabitants of the capitai OF Co'''
RicA, Oh the night from the osh 70 'ae ~" VI
.ust also became so much terrified by convdi-
lions of the earth-crust, OF uncommon sIeng'n
Ia Snrst;on that they encampcd for several days
:: .ba onen air. while the town OF Carriage stu
80 hut a few leagues east from San jose at the
Got Of the volcano Trazd, felt scarcely anything
from the same volcanic disturbance. In the neigh
boring States attempted to get a. many particu-
lars as possible about the extent OF the great
earthquake, which on Easter Sunday destroyed
the capital Of San Salvador. The direction was
from the high plains of San Salvador toward the
Gea of the Antilles. The undulatiDg motions were
felt near Izabal Omoa and Truxillo, while, on the
contrary they were not felt in Istapa, on the Pa
ciic Ocean, although much nearer to the center OF
the subterraneaD forces. In S0ns0nate the snakes
we're but weak. My travelling companion, Dr.
Charles Scberzer, who spent the same night IN
Gracias bios. in the state OF Honduras, about
50 Spanish leagues 15O English nles) In straight
line distant from San Salvador, told me aiterward
that be felt a severe shock about lVI cloch'
p. NJ, but did not perceive any shakes afterward
In n southeastern direction the CONCLUSIONS ala
mot extend above FOnsecs Bay. In Nicaragua, the
earthquakes have been much rarer this year than
ia the other parts Of Central America.
No uncommon changes have, however, been per-
- 81, xnln nj a
trial America in the course OF the earthquakes OF
fbisyear The famous jsdico, which has risen with
in the last century. and is the only volcano in the
world known to be in permanent activity continues
TO throw out lava in uDdlminshed quantity, with
glowing cspilla and yapOrs A few weeks after the
earthquakes in San Salvador, spent three days
upon this imposing volcano IN hopes to reach its
crater Although this attempt failed, on account
of the cowaroice OF the Indians who accompanied
me, notwithstanding succeeded in arriving at
about 400 feet below the summit crater, and was
able to observe pretty near the fearful phenom-
ena Of the truptive activity oil TINS youthful
Gre.mOuDtain. The explosions Of lsalco are,
however, by no meaus so regular to the minute
a. has been frequently stated. Sometimes the
mountain makes short pauses, from TO hours,
when neither the glowing ''g,rdndola" is visible,
over its principal crater, nor can any defamation
be distinguished; but lava is continually stream
ing from the crater as well from It's sdeclefts.
The spectacle seen near, especially on clear
nights, is above all description sublime and mag
nihcent. Beside the volcano lsalco, there Is but
one FIRE mountain in the Republic of San Salvador
IN activity. This is san Miguel the eruptiODs of
which are very devastating. This year its activity
has been limited. In the Republic of Guatemala
the high volcano of FuegO, near Guatemala An
tgua, was pretty active although to a much less
degree than curing the last three centuries when
Spanish eye-witDesses furnish 30 many accounts OF
its devastating eruptions The great volcano OF
Paeayai 10 yet sending forth weak yapOr. clouds
over the lake Of Amatitlan. All the other nume-
fOus FIRE mountains OF Guatemala are in state OF
quietude, like all the volcanoes of Mexico, where
even the famous YorulO 70 cOpiously described by
Humboldt, does not at present give any sign OF
internal life. In the State of Costa Rica three
volcanoes are in activity The volcano of iliradura,
there, continues its fearful " relumbOs" (groan-
mgs.) The volcanic range of the Morabas. III the
State of Nicaragua, Las during this year been
entirely quiet and silent. Even the new crater of
Las Pilas which Mr.. Squer saw in the pro-
cess of formation, has entirely ceased 10 smoke.
On the contrary, the little volcano OF Massaya,
which Mr. Squer believed to be extinct has,
since the month Of September 1893, reawakened
to very powerful activity. and its mighty vapor-
clouds are visible at many miles distance. who
ever has read the primitive historOgraphers of the
Spanish conquest knows the singular legends
which the Spaniards relate concerning this noun
tain, whose glowing throat the conquerors believed
~ be full oil melted gOld.
The Cosinguina, on Fonseca Bay, in the State
of Nicaragua the most fearful OF all the hre-moun-
faps Of our planet whose thunder-discharges
ut the great eruption in 1885 were heard at ,OOO
Spanish leagues around, and which threw Its
ashes to Jamaica, Cuba, Vera Cruz, Carthagena
and Quito in a circumference OF nearly 1000
leagues, at present gives but few weak signs OF
kfe | asccnded this volcano on the 2ch OF Feb
ruary, 1854, from the side Of Fonseca Bay. Its
crater-the largest in size which have ever
seen on all active volcanoes more than league
In circumference, aud is extremely steep. From
many cletts, thin, white clouds are rising which,
however, can scarcely be seen from the sea-shOre.
A more minute examination OF the eruptive forma-
tions of this fre-mountaiD, since its last great
explosion contributes TO the explanation of many
geological problems in other countries where ex-
tnct volcanoes exist tho activity OF which belongs
to those ante historical times, in which the volcanic
activity was no doubt much more energetic than
now. The appearance of strata of volcanic tuf at
a great distance from volcanoes and upon the ter
races and slopes of other mountains, can be east
ly accounted for on seeing in the vicinity OF the
lake OF Managua, more than thirty leagues distant
from the crater of Cosnguina, stratum OF eight
inches thickness, consisting entirely Of ashes and
elections, OF which il is quite certain that they
originate from the eruption OF CoslDgulna, and
Not as one might easier suppose, from Mono
tombo, or other nearer fre-mountains, and which
were thrown down within three days, That
horrible eruption seems, however, to have some
what exhausted the former activity OF Coslnguina
1t has at least since that epoch discharged smoke
enough, but no more stones or streams of lava.
The volcanoes in the Peruvian chain OF the An
des, as to which, since Humboldt, We have exact