News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-06-27
BIRTH OF A VOLCANO.
The Process Has Been Observed at
Yzalco, in Salvador.

Yzalco, in the little Republic of San
Salvador, is in many respects the most
remarkable volcano on earth, first, be-
cause its discharges have continued SO
long and with such great regularity;
again, because the tumult in the earth's
bowels is always to be heard, as the
rumblings and explosions are con-
slant, being audible for hundred miles,
and sounding like the noise Rip Van
Wrinkle heard when he awakened from
his sleep in the Catskills; and finally, it
is the only volcano that has originated
on this continent since the discovery by
Columbus. 1t arose suddenly from the
plain in the spring of ITO, in the midst
of what had been for nearly hundred
years the profitable estate of Senior Don
Balthazar EraZo, who was absent from
the country at the time, and was greatly
amazed upon his return to discover that
his magnificent coffee and indigo plan
tation had, without his knowledge or
consent, been exchanged for trst-class
volcano.
In December, 1869, the poems on the
hacienda were alarmed by terrific rum
blings under the ground, constant trem
blings of the earth and frequent earth
quakes, which did not extend over the
country as usual, but seemed to be con-
fined to that particular locality. They
left the place in terror when the trembl-
lngs and noises continued, and, return
ing week or two after, found that all
the buildings had been shaken down
trees uprooted and large craters created
in the fields, which had been level earth
before. From these craters smoke and
steam issued, and occasionally flames
were seen to come out of the ground,
Some brave vaqueros or herdsmen, re-
manned near by to watch developments,
and on Feb. %, ITO, they were enter
tanned by a spectacle that no other men
have been permitted to witness for about
ten o'clock on the morning of
that day the grand upheaval
took place, and it seemed to them,
as they fled in terror, that the whole
universe was being turned upside down.
First there was series of terrible explo-
sions, which lifted the crust of the earth
several hundred feet, and out of the
cracks issued flames and lava and i'm
mense volumes of smoke. An hour or
two afterwards there was another and
grander CONFUSION, which shook and
startled the country around. Rocks
into the air, and fell several leagues dis
tant. The surface OF the earth was Gle
waited about three thousand feet, and the
internal recesses were purged of masses
of lava and blistered stone, which fell in
heap about the hole from which they
issued.
These discharges continued for seve-
raj days ut irregular intervals, accompa-
MED by loud explosions and earthquakes,
which did much damage throughout the
entire Republic; the disturbance was
perceptible in Nicaragua and Honduras.
In this manner was volcano born, and
it has proven to be hcalthful and Wig
orous child. In less than two months
from n level field rose a mountain more
than 1000 feet high, and the constant
discharges from the crater which opened
then have accumulated around its edges
until its elevation has increased 1000
feet more. Unfortunately the growth
of the monster has not been scientfical-
ly observed or accurately measured, but
the cone of lava and ashes, which is now
$500 feet from the foundation4-ef the
earth upon which it rests, is constantly
growing by the incessant discharges of
volcanic NATTER "The Capitals OF
Spanish America.