Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-09-27
~ I'D. II ! -

Yzalcos in the little republic Of San
Salvador, is in many respects the most
remarkable volcano on earth, first, be-
cause It's discharges have continued so
long and with such great regularity;
again, because the tunauIt ia the esrth's
bowels is always to be heard, as the
rumblings and explosions are constant,
being audible for a hundred miles, and
sounding like the noise which Rip Van
Wrinkle heard when he awakened from
his sleep in the Catsdlls; and. finally.
it is the only volcano that has ORIGINATED
on this continent since the discovery bv
Columbus. It 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 Balthazer 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 plantation had, without his
knowledge or consent, been EXCHANGED
for q drst-clsss volcano.
In December, 1859, the poems on the
hacienda we're alarmed by terrific
rumblings under the ground, constant
trembIings of the earth, and frequent
earthquakes, 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.
returning a week or two later. 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 occasion
ally flames were seen to come out of the
ground. Some brave vaquerOs or herds
men remained near by to watch devel-
Opments, and February %, 1870, they
were entertained by a spectacle thatnO
other men have been permitted to wit
ness; for about ten o'clock on the morn
ing Of that day the grand upheavaI took
place, and 1t seemed to them, as they
fed IN terror, that the whole universe
was being turned upside down First
there was a series of terrible explosions,
which lifted the crust of the earth sew
eral hundred feet, and out of the cracks
issued flames and lava, and immense
volumes Of smoke. An hour or two
afterward there was another and grand
er CONFUSION. which shook and startled
the country for hundred 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 three thousand
feet, and the internal 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 sew
eral days at irregular intervals, accom-
panied by loud explosions and earth
quakes, which did much damage.
throughout the entire republic: the
disturbance was perceptible in Nicara-
qua and Honduras. In this mannerwas
a volcano born, and it has proved to be.
a healthy and vigorous child. In less.
than two months from a level field
arose mountain more than four thou
sand feet high, and the constant dis
charges from the crater which opened
then have accumulated arOundits edges
until its elevation has increased two
thousand feet more. Unfortunately
the growth of this monster has not
been scientifically observed or accu-
rately measured, but the cone of lava.
and ashes, which is now two thousand
five hundred feet from the foundation
of the earth upon which it rests, is
constantly growing by the incessant
discharges Of volcanic matter