Evening journal., 1900-03-27
PUREsT FLOWER IN THE WORLD
HAS BEEN DISCOVERED BY PROS
PECTORS IN CENTRAL AMERICA.

HAS BEEN DISCOVERED BY PROS
PECTORS IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
Les Angeles, March 26.-Two pros
pectors. just returned from a long and
fruitless search for gold among the rug
ged mountains of Central America, are
the discoverers of what is pronounced
by naturalists who have seen the re-
markably fine specimens brought here
by the finders to be the strangest and
rarest flower in the known world Itl
grows in crevasses in the sides of
Mount Aqua and around the scared
edges Of the crater of the towering vol
canO of FuegO Guatemala, and has
been named the Rose of He'll" because
OF a legend of the Guatemalan Indians
which attaches to the place Of its ma
tivity. 1t is really a beautiful flower,
despite its rough appearance, and the
half dozen specimens exhibited here
have attracted wide attention and in
/ terest among scientists and educational
institutions, several of which have en-
deavored to purchase the valuable Curl
osities. The University Of Southern
4 California is about to acquire the
choicest ones. President Silver, Of the
City Council. is owner Cf one OF the
8 best of the roses"
The newly discovered blossom, il
such it may be called, is a puzzle to
all. 1t. is composed Of four distinct
4 petals, cOncaye in shape and arranged
much like the petals of a half-blown
rose The outside Of the petals or di-
visions of the flower is covered with
thick bark, like an ordinary tree; in
side of these divisions the hard surface
is indented with lines that follow each
other in the most delicate tracery, like
the veins in the petals of some flowers.
The stem, which is usually about a foot
long, is of solid wood, not dissimilar
from the ash or ironwood of the for
ests of the United States except that the
fiber is more porous and the wood much
lighter, though equally strong Ie is
covered with a heavy bark, and is
cracked in several places, as thought by
heat. The flower and the stem are
dark brown in color and as dry as
tinder It grows on a tree of immense
size and great strength, which, covered
with flowers and viewed from a dis
tance, looks not unlike a bush laden
with common roses, though there is
lack of bright colors. And there is no
fragrance.
Nothing like the Rose Of He'll" is
known to exist anywhere else on earth,
and its discovery by Gray and Ivers,
the two prospectors, was brought about
by chance and their desire to scale the
high volcanic mountains. The ignorant
natives who inhabit the jungles at the
base of the ranges regard the flower
with awe and superstition, and have
been taught through countless genera
tions that to touch il Intentionally
would bring an everlasting curse upon
the luckless one who thus tempted the
hends supposed to dwell within the great
mountains whence it springs. The In
iians regard the crater Of ofsteamingFuego
as the doorway to hell and this Won
derful flower grows near its mouth,
hence a strange legend which holds
hat 1t is the only flower or ornament
produced where evil spirits revel in
urious fire. The superstition which at
ributes the origin Of the flower to the
lemons Of hades is hard to trace, but
he Indians have known the prodigy Of
nature for long time. it appears, and
have always associated it with the
iery vengeance Of the subterranean re-
sions. They look upon the curious
lower as the most deadly Of poisons,
md experiments made by boiling the
park and placing a small quantity OF
he fluid in water for animals to drink
lave proved it to be such, deaths re-
ulting quickly and apparently without
pain.
A nest peculiar Characteristic Of the
Rose OF Hell" is that it grows only
pom the two mountains above men
Toned and only on the sides facing the
own of Antigua, which ranks as the
fifth city in size in the republic OF
guatemala. Over a years prospecting
by Gray and Ivers among the noun
aims failed to reveal a single tree OF
over of the strange species anywhere
lse, and it seems altogether probable
hat not one could be found on the face
the earth out OF sight Of Antigua
nd even there they are extremely rare
here being probably not more thar
fly trees.
1t would seem that no more fittine
lace for the revelation of such a won
er could be found. for the town oi
ntigua is probably more peculiarly
tuated than any ether in the eworld. be
lg constantly threatened with utter
estruction by two elements, fire and
M ater On the one hand is the Aqua
water" volcano, 22.360 feet in
Eight, and ON the other Fuego, ol
ire' volcano towering 1920 fee
bove sea level. Each of these has
id the city in ruins. Aqua has for cen.
lries been extinct, and in 1541, aftei