The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-18

ish families that ruled Ii have long been
scattered. The monks and friars who
built its splendid ecclesiastical palaces are
dead and there are no successors TO them.
Even the name of Guatemala. once Its
own, has passed from It and II is now
known only at La Antigua, The Old. 1t
has lain for a century dead. The rank
forest growths have filed its stately court
yards and where the priestly companies
chanted their prisons the half-wid pigs
now root In the debris. A few thousand
humble poems live in their little houses
built side by side with the vast ruins.
and that is all that is left OF that which
was once the greatest city except Next
co on all the Western hemisphere, and
which outshone Mexico in the beauty
and splendor of its transpanted civiliza-
ton.
In 1924 Aivarado. ordered by Cortez 70
subjugate the country to the southwark.
founded the city of Guatemala, the city
OF St. James of Gentleman, as he called
II. The site he chose was on the grassy
slope far down the side OF a great extinct
volcano, and was almost overshadowed
by another and an active volcano to the
north. To him he gathered the natives of
the surrounding country and as IL by
magic there rose a great and fair city.
That nightly upbuilding agency, the
Church Of Rome. sent its monks and
friars there and they made II a city
of such palaces and cathedrals as the
new continent had never before seen.
The Spanish king himself took a personal
interest in the city concerning which he
heard such wonderful accounts from re-
turned travellers. Guatemala was des-
tined to be the metropolis of the new
world Such was its future as planned by
the inhabitants.
But the hand Of God was laid on Il
and It fell. to become La Antigua, un-
known today TO travellers who pass within
few miles of 1t without even hearing
of its existence.
Seventeen years elapsed after It was
founded when there came a terrible day.
The rain fell In torrents. the wind blew
with fury, lightning rent asunder the
heavens and thunder pealed forth in ter
rifle crashes; the earth shook and trem-
bled, and muttered strange sounds and
when the heavens were overcast with
darkness there came down enormous
fragments of the truncated mountain:
rocks. trees. stones. mud and water. The
crater OF the extinct volcano filed with
water had burst asunder. and when
the storm had spent its fury, and the sun
arose again. Aivarado's first city was no
more. 1t lay buried with great num-
Der OF Its Inhabitants beneath the noun
tain.
Undaunted by this terrible calamity the
remaining people set TO work to build
new city. choosing a site further down.
in the center of the plain between the
mountains. Word OF the terrible calamity
which befeli the first city went forth and
Mexico poured over her bountiful wealth
and old Spain sent her skilled artisans to
build the new one and there arose the
metropolis OF Guatemala. worthy the
proud name which Alvarado gave IT, the
City of st. James OF Gentlemen. Priests
and friars focked into the valley, and
conquering soldiers with their Indian
slaves, We'd with each other In building
churches monasteres. palaces and homes.
There arose monasteries covering acres of
ground: and there We're beautiful gardens
and fountains. and II is said that wafsr
heated by the fires of the live volcano was
conveyed by an aqueduct to the city so
that there was continual supply OF hot
water as well as cold. cathedral was
erected three hundred feet long by one
hundred and twenty broad, lighted by
fifty windows. Its grand altar stood under
a dome nearly seventy feet high. support
ed by sixteen columns Of stone faced with
tortoise shell and adorned with bronze
medaiiions of exquisite workmanship.
The monastery of San Francisco covered
acres of ground, and at one time sheltered
within its wall as many as three thousand
people, The college of the Jesults rivaled
II In wealth and grandeur OF structure
and there were the religious orders of
San Augustine. the Recollects, Santo Do
mingo. the Capuchins. and the converts
OF La Mercio. Santa Clara. Santa Catarina
and many others, all with beautiful erii-
fees and churches lavishiy decorated and
maintained. Carriages rolled through the
streets OF the city as In Madrid. but
never was there more unholy city or ID
more unlucky site for one selected. The
poor Indian poems were driven as beasts
of burden to their daily tasks, while the
civil authorities auarreled over their
peculstions and the masses OF the people
suffered all the indignties OF slavery.
And all this in spite Of the dire calamisics
and disorders which fell upon the city
from time 10 time as registered by the
old historians of Guatemala.
In 1855 mysterious epidemic attended
with violent bleeding Of the nose, swept
away great numbers Of the people. There
we're many severe shocks Of earthquakes
felt al periods following In 1851 the
people were greatly alarmed by an erup-
tion Of the active volcano and so great
was the quantity Of the ashes thrown our
and spread In the air that the sun was
entirely obscured and artificial light was
necessary IN the city at midday.
The years iss5-s6 are recorded az being
dreadful in the extreme. The beginning
Of the year was ushered In with earth
qgakes, which continued throughout that
and the following year 50 frequently that
not an interval 81 eight DAYS elapsed dur
Ing the whole period without shock
more or less violent Fire issued inces-
sanity for months together from the burn
ing mountain. This period closed with an
eruption that destroyed a great portion
Of the city. many % the Inhabitants being
buried IN the ruins
In lsl a pestIIentlai dsstemper car
rIed or great numbers az the population
ii ragged With such naiigalty that thres
days generally terminated the existence
OK such as We're affected ~ H.
There appears a respite now % half a
century from these spfTersngs, but on the
afternoon OF a suitry day IN 1851 a most
extraordinary sub,ervanean noise was
heard and three violent shocks we're felt
which threw down many buildings ana
damaged others. Masses OF rock de-
tarhsd from the mountains bounded down
the PERCEPTIONS slopes. Wild beasts wxre
SO terrified that they quilted their for
est retreats and sought the haAitatsons OF
man. sinking terFor-stTickcn and terror
iusr3rsrE through the city streets.