Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-22
D[S(QAION N
GOAI { MIL A
Eruption of Santa Maria Vol
cano Causes Terrible State
of Affairs in Guatemala
NEARLY 1000 LIVES WERE LOST
A Majority of the Victims Were Indians
Plantations for Miles in Extent Are
In Ruins and the Government Itself
placed in Serious Predieament-
Refugees Tell Graphic Story.

New Orleans Nov. 22.-The Picayune
this morning printed the following let
ter:--PortBarrios Guatemala, Nov. 16.
The refugees who have arrived here
port q terrible state of affairs as the
result of the eruption of Santa Maria
volcano. The country for a radius of
ever thirty miles has been made des-
olate waste, every vestige of life being
destroyed. The loss of life is estimated
at over 1000, a great majority of the
victims being Indians. Ten Indian vii
lages, each with a population of from
SO to 5000 inhabitants, were wiped out.
their rude huts being buried beneath
tons of volcanic debris. All the coffee
plantations in the volcanic zone are
ruined and their owners left penniless.
The coffee plantations in this region
were the most valuable in the country
and their destruction is q severe blow
to the republic. The government has
been making most strenuous efforts to
conceal the facts concerning the catas-
trophe, hoping to prevent Guatemala's
credit from being damaged abroad. The
greatest distress prevails thruout the
central and western portions of the re-
public and even on the eastern coast
the effects are felt In the scarcity of
money and rise in exchange. Famine
prevails at Quezaltenango. One thous-
and people are starving, and even in
Guatemala City, the capital. the in
habitants are suffering for food. The
government is utterly unable to relieve
the distress and suffering and the peo-
pie are on the verge Of revolution. The
only thing needed TO start q formidable
uprising Is the appearance Of leader.
Peririo Herrera, who owns a valuable
coffee plantation, seven miles from
Santa Marie volcano, is among the
refugees who arrived here today, and
sailed forNicaragua.S Senor Herrera, In an
Interview, discussing the situation,
said: II was in Guatemala City looking
after my business interests when the
terrible eruption of Nov. occurred.
Shocks from the explosion of the vol
cano were plainly felt in the capital,
causing great excitement among the
people. The eruption ceased on the
morning of Nov. 8. When ventured to
my plantation / found it buried be-
meath ten feet Of ashes, mud and sand,
hurled from the volcano. Everything
on the place is in ruins. Out of 112
laborers employed on the plantation, all,
except seven. perished. The seven who
escaped happened to be visiting farm
eight miles further from the volcano
that day and took refuge with a lot Of
others in a cave. My family was In
Guatemala City. On the trip to the
plantation I passed a number of other
coffee plantations which had shared
the same fate as my own. The scene
along the route was frightful. Dead
bodies of Indians and animals who had
been suffocated by the deadly fumes
were visible everywhere and the stencil
was awful passed thru one Indian
village where over 45o perished. All the
bodies had their hands to their nostrils,
showing plainly what caused their
death. The damage to the country is
beyond repair. Two new craters had
been formed in the mountain side. and
We're In eruption at last accounts"