Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-04
YZALCO, THE TERRIBLE.
Sketch of the Birth of Famous Cen
trail American Volcano.
How Mountains Originate and How
They Grow.
The Capitals of Spanish America.

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, being aud
iple for 100 miles and sounding like the
noise which Rip Van Wrinkle heard when
he awakened from his sleep in the Cat
shills, and finally, it is the only volcano
that has originated on this continent
since the discovery by Columbus.
It arose suddenly from the plain in the
spring Of 1870 in the midst of what had
for nearly 100 years the profitable estate
of Senior Don Balthazar Zrazo, who was
absent from the country at the time and
was greatly amazed upon mis- return to
discover that his magnificent coffee and
indigo plantation had, without his know
ledge or consent, been exchanged for a
irst-class volcano. In December, 1869,
the poems of the hacienda were alarmed
by terrific rumbl1ngs under the ground,
constant trembling of The earth, and fire.
quent earthq uakes, which did not extend
over the country, as usual, but seemed to
be confined to that particular locality.
They left the place in terror when the
tremblings and noises continued, and re-
turning a week or two after, found that
all the buildings had been shaken down,
trees uprooted, and large craters opened
in the fields which had been level earth
before. From these craters smoke and
steam issued and occasionally flames
we're seen to come out of the ground.
Some brave vaqueros or herdsmen re-
mainei neer TO watch developments, and
on the 23d of February, 1910, they were
entertained 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 fed in ter
ror that the whole universe was being
torn upside down.
First there was series of terrible ex-
plosions which lifted the crust of the
earth several hundred feet, and out of the
cracks issued flames and lava and immed-
lately volumes of smoke. All hour or
two afterwards there was another and
grander CONFUSION, which shook and
STARTLED the country for miles around.
Rocks weighing thousands of tons were
hurled into the air and fell several leagues
distant. The surface of the earth was
elevated about 1000 feet, and the inter :
nal recesses were purged of masses of
lava and blistered stone, which fell in a
heap around the hole from which they
issued. These discharges continued for
several days at Irregular intervals, &C.
companied by loud explosions and earth
quakes, which did much damage through
out the entire republic; the disturbance
was perceptible in Nicaragua and Hon
duras. In this manner was 9 volcano
born, and it has proved a healthful and
vigorous child. In less than two months
from level field rose mountain more
than 1000 feet high, and the constant
discharges from the crater which opened
then have accumulated round it's edges
until its elevation has increased 1000
more. Unfortunately the growth of the
monster has not been scientifically observ-
ed or accurately measured; but the cone or
lava and ashes, which is now $500 feet
from the foundation of earth upon which
1T rests, is constantly growing in bulk
and height by the incessant discharge of
lava, ashes and other volcanic matter up
on it.