The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-13
Those on Shore Were PowerIesS
to Aid and Stood
Aghast.
WATCHED THE BOATS 60 DOWN.
Between Twenty and Thirty Lives
Were Lost in the Fathomless
and Unknown Depths.

SAN DIEGO, CAL, Jan. 12.-Particulars
were received to-day of a terrible con-
vulsion of nature at Lake Chapala, in the
State of Jalisco, Mexico, which occurred
last Wednesday.
1t is an isolated place and has no tele-
graphic communication. The lake is
about fifty miles long and ten wide,
and on the morning OF the 8th instant
was subjected to some volcanic disturbance
which evidently made an immense cavity
in its bottom, as the waters of the lake re-
coded several feet and created whirlpool
in gong down through the hole, which
sucked down several small vessels and
drowned about twenty people.
The region is peculiarly subject to sub
terranean disturbances being not far from
the volcanoes of Colima and Jorullo,
which are in eruption almost constantly.
On the forenoon of the Sth residents in
one of the small settlements near the
western end of the lake were terrified TO
see gigantic whirlpool raging far out on
the water, the cause of which was a COM
plete mystery.
The waters swirled and rose in great
serpentine movements and from all direc-
tions rushed toward common center,
where stupendous cavity seemed to
exist.
The weather was clear and calm at the
time and the Mortified people on shore
could hear a cavernous rumbling far out
in the lake and beneath their feet in the
bowels of the earth.
The mighty action of the waters of the
lake was exactly such as would be pro-
duced in miniature by the pouring of
water into funnel. The whirlpool result
ing from this sinking of the lakes bottom
was of wide extent, and pleasure boats and
fishing craft were sucked into the awful
abyss.
The natives on shore could plainly see
the boats, none of which were near the
center of the whirlpool at first. But as
the rush of waters continued the irreslst-
ible force could not be overcome by the
men in the boats, and their herculean
efforts 10 escape the death that reached
out for them were most appalling to their
friends on the shore.
Now and then some boat would appear
to waver and stand still, but the Niagara
of waters would swell upon it and hurl it
quickly into the chasm.
There was not one boat within reach of
that current that escaped, and the score
of persons in the boats all lost their lives.
The whirlpool continued for nearly
twenty minutes, and when the inhabitants
of the surrounding territory turned their
eyes from the overwhelming sight they
saw that the lake had receded several feet
from its former shore line
AS the lake is about fifty miles in length,
with a width of ten miles, the enormous
amount of water that was swallowed up
by the earth may be family imagined.
After the whirlpool subsidized the surface
OF the lake resumed its placid aspect and
the subterranean rumb lings ceased.
The greatest excitement arose among
people for miles in the vicinity of the west
ern end of the lake, the more ignorant and
superstitious natives being beside them
selves with fear. Years of familiarity with
volcanic eruptions and terrestrial disturb
ances did not serve to reassure them dur
ing this dreadful experience.
The news was received by Professor Ed
win H. Coffey, who formerly lived near
Lake Chapala. He is well acquainted
with its surroundings, having explored
much of its coast line in the year 1888. At
that time he found petroleum and coal in
quantities that proved the existence of
vast wealth in that region.
Since the strange occurrence on the lake
last Wednesday petroleum has been
found running in small streams above the
surface on the southern shore.
The Lerma River empties into Lake
Chapala on the western side and flows out
in west-northwesterly direction under
the name of the Coloton River
Jorulto volcano rose in night from the