Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-03-14
RUIN In COSTA RIGA.
THE DESTRUCTION OF FoUR TOWNS.

THE DESTRUCTION OF xOUB TOWNSs
An Appalling Calamity Reported From the
Central ADeriaon R0pobHc BY Which
Th0usanos OF Lives Woe0 Lost.
The Costa Rican consul in New York on
being asked for particulars in regard to
the reported earthquake in Costa Rica, by
which. as reported in yesterdays tele-
graphic advices the towns of Alajuela, San
Ramon, Grecia and Heredia, were des-
troyed and several thousand lives were
lost, said that he had received no despatch
from the government of Costa Rica, nor
was it probable that he would receive any
unless from private sources. tie said that
it would not surprise him to learn that the
report was true, as the region mentioned
in the dispatches was a nest OF volcanoes.
Costa Rica is the most southern Of the
five small Spanish republics which pass
collectively under the title of Central
America. With an area of 21 495 square
miles, it has an estimated population of
200, 900, made mp of people of Spanish,
Indian and mixed descent. Although
mountainous, with many volcanoes, the
country generally has temperate climate
never subject to extremes, and having no
other changes than those Of the dry and
wet seasons.
Costa RIGA, in common with the whole
Central American district, is subject to
earthquakes, and the houses are generally
built in the est'way to avert danger from
such phenomena they cover large area,
and are but one story in height. Some
times a volcano bursts out and the earth.
quake accompanies it with almost un-
heard-of violence, as in the great eruption
Of Cosiguina, in Nicaragua, in 1885, when
ashes were thrown all over Central Amer
ica, and the shocks were felt over an area
having 3 radius Of 1890 miles. Hitherto,
however, there have been no seriously de-
structive earthquakes recorded i'll the
Costa Rican section.
San Salvador the smallest Of the five
petty Central American republics, has
been most frequently visited by these con
vulsions of nature III the past. On April
1G, 1854, the capital, San Salvador, which
is situated at the base of 4 volcano. was
completely destroyed by an earthquake.
TIE city at the time contained 80, 600 in
habitants, but as the catastrophe happened
by daylight only 100 lives were lost,
although the whole population was made
homeless. On March 4, 1873, it was Wis,
tied by fresh disaster, which resulted in
a loss of 500 lives and the destruction of
$12, 100000 worth Of property. In De-
cember, 1879, the republic was again Wis
tied by a series Of earthquake shocks, but
they were not as destructive to life and
property as those previously reported.
The whole Central American district is
Of Il volcanic formation. In fact, there is
no other place on the surface of the globe
in which SO many volcanoes, both live and
extinct, are crowded together within SO
small a space as they are in Central Amer
ica-that is, in tue region between the
lsthmus of Tehuantepec aud the Isthmus
of Panama. The most recent volcanic
eruption Ofnote occurred Oil June 20, 1880,
when the Volcano del Faego, in Guate
nala, which lies to the north Of San Sal
vador, sent forth vast mass Of hot ashes,
which caused considerable destruction Ol
property and the loss of numerous lives.
On September 3, 1874. Guatemala was a!ss
| visited by an earthquake which ruined
several towns and inflicted considerable
loss of life.
Guatemala has also been the scene o.
the most destructive earthquake recorded
in Central America, Tho town of L:
Antigua, near the Volcano del Fuego, wa!
on that occasion. ruined by one of thu
most terrible earthquakes Of which WI
have ony record in modern times. Th'
effects of the tremendous commissions o
July 20, 1918, were felt as far as Mexico
1t left La Antigua q mass of ruins.
The town of Alajuela, where thousands
of lives are reported to- have been lost b!
the recent earthquake, was one of tn
most important and prosperous places il
Costa Rica, and had a population of abou
| 5000 souls 1t stood in tho mouutainou
region in the centro of the republic, TWEEN
ty:nile miles west by south of Cartago
with which it was connected by 4 railroad
kuilt by Henry Meiggs Keith, nephew o
Henry Mciggs, tho Peruvian magnate, ant
opened for traffic on January 1, 1878.