The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-01-23
/, THE TRIBUNE.
THE NEW VOLCANO.
Column OF Flame Five Hundred Feet
In Heisht--.A Rain Of Sand. -

-. ~-SIR-:---On the l4th of, Noyenlber las
new volcano broke out in Nicaragua
about eight leagues to the East Of The
csfy OF Leon, Jon acrowded line of volcanoe
running through the states, parellel Will
: the Pacific coast. VI
1t commenced about / 0 clock in the
morning with succession or explosions
which were very distinctly felt and heard
at Leon. These explosions opened ifs
sure through the earth crust about half a
mile In length, running from the old assure
In southwestern direction, about mid
way between the extinct volcanoes of Las
Pilas and sOrota, which are two Of the
numerous ones studulng the ancient ifs
: sures cl
Before daylight on the morning of the
18th, fire was seen issuing from the new
volcano in various places. The explo-
sions continued irregularly during the
state of eruption, sometimes in rapid sue
of half an hour. Low rumbling sounds
were heard almost necessarily. In the
course Of few days two craters We're
opened on the new assure, about thou
sand feet apart, the one at the southwest
ern extremity discharging perpendicul-
arly, and the other shooting out toward
the northwest at an angle of forty five
degrees. The flames from these two
craters steadily increased in size and
height, while jets of fame and slighter
discharges were emitted from two or three
other side assures.
On the morning of November 22d, I
went to the new volcano for the purpose
of observing it more closely, though had
seen and heard it very plainly every day
and night from Leon The best view
which | obtained of it on that occasion
was before daylight, from a mountain
summit, about one mile northwest Of the
assure. and at right angles with it. The
main crater at the right was actively at
work throwing out flames and half melted
cinders through circular orifce, about
! sixty feet in diameter, which was con-
stantly hlled to It's utmost capacity with
the ascending masses. A regular cone,
built up entirely by. the falling cinders to
the height of about two hundred feet,
had already formed around the crater
The rim OF the cone was white with heat,
and the outside was red hot for half way
down, while the remainder of its back
ground work was glitterlng with innu-
merable glowing sparks. 1t was putting
quite REGULAR " about once second, with
a stro lg,- constant blast, WHICH kept up
column Of flame filed with flying Gin
ders to the height Of about five hundred
feet above the mouth of the oritice. lr-
regular explosions occurred at intervals
varying from ten to thirty minutes. in
creaslng the force and volume of the dis
charges and sending them far up into the
xlN l.,
up in half-fused blazing masses, from one
to three feet in diameter, and came down
upon the cone hardened, striking with
sclinking metallic sound. After daylight
the red appearance OF the cone changed
to blush black. The left hand crater
was shooting out oblique discharges of
fame and cin1ers OF smaller character
at an angle Of thirty five degrees from
the other, and evidently communicated
with it about thousand feet below the
surface, the two craters being that dis
lance apart and both discharging stimuli
taneouly. This half-horizontal crater
was about twenty feet in diameter.
On the afternoon of the 9th, after
series of explosions, which. seemed to
shake the earth to It's center, the volcano
commenced dischargIng vast quantities Of
black sand and heavier rocks. The col
unn of flame at night was considerably
Increased in height, and bright meteor
like spots were seen ascending in flames
to the height of not less than three thou
sand feet These were large spherical
stones, four and five feet in diameter.
The next morning the streets and house
tnpsof Leon were covered with line black
sand from the volcano, and a vast lumln-
Gus cloud of raining sand overspread the
whole surrounding country. The rain OF
sand continued until the morning Of the
Both, when the volcano died away, ap-
parently smothered by its accumulated
eruptions. The same sand now covers
the whole surrounding country from the
volcano to the Pacific, distance of more
than fifty miles from 1t. At Leon it Is
from an eighth to quarter of an inch IN
depth As we approach the volcano it
gradually grows deeper and coarser. For
q mile around the crater it lies in particles
from three-eighths to half an inch III di
ameter and about foot III depth. Still
nearer to the cone the sand increases to
several feet in depth, and the particles
gradually increase in size until they be-
!, come small broken rocks. Around the
z base of the cone round heavy rocks lie
liltChll SCdLlttGu HUH iOut W HfC iCCC III
diameter, but much the larger portion Of
them have broken into fragments. The
cone itself is two hundred feet high with
the crater on top two hundred feet in di
ameter, and ABOUT the same IN deptn.
The inside of the crater is the same as
the outside, and is covered with hard
broken rocks generally less than foot in
diameter. A long ridge Of black scorla
Ieans out from the branch crater IN &
nn-theastcrly direction. The sluggy lane
like scoria which first issued fro,.i the
main crater is now principally covered by
the hard plutonic rocks which came out
from profounder depths with the last
discharge The forest for leagues around
is scared and MANNED by the sharp cut
ting showers Of SAM. and near the yotca-
noes the trees are cut into fragments, hall
buried under the sand and rocks.
The volcano was an active and inter
esting sight for sixteen days, ant nov, III
its repose. affords an ample and instruct
i've field for the geoiogist- Indeed, NJ
. country in the world presents Il more IN
teresting study than the Pain OF Leon.
Twenty volcano cones are seen Using
from it at single view. Its soil Is eX-
haustless in fertility, as finely pulverlSed
and as eventIy tlistr outeJ as that OF the
Valley OF the Nile Or the Mississippi, not,
however, by water, but by fire Ii ha,
literally rained down from the volcanoes,
richly treighted With tertlllzing materials.
Humboldt regretted before his death
) that men of science had not more fully
investigated this remarkable region OF
country, and it is sincerely to be hoped
that it may not much longer remain neg
lecaed by them.
The recant fall of sand has been follow