The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-11-20
WHOLE COUNTRY
Is LAID WASTE
Latest From the Devastated
Lands of Guatemala.
NO HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
REFUGEES CONFIRM EARLIER
STORIES OF DIRE DISASTER.

CAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1s.-The first
of the refugees from the devastated
lands of Guatemala arrived today
on the Pacific Mail steamer city Of
Para. They came from the districts
far inland from the sea and Travelled
over a country laid waste by sand,
ashes and pumioe before reaching a
railway station. From the latter places
they made the journey by rail to Cham
perico and there took the steamer TO
San Francisco. They sailed on Nov.
Z, and the volcano was still smoking
and rumbling of thunder and flashes OF
lightning gave evidence of more erup-
tons 60 come
These people fed from their planta-
tions in fear for their lives They es-
capped to the seaside with little more
than the clothing they wore, transpOr-
tation being so difficult as to preclude
the carrying of baggage The refugees
confirm stores of loss Of life They
say that the victims are for the most
part Indians. They had not heard of
any white people being lost Thousands
of Indians We're asphyxiated or buried
in the sand. Miles Of plantations are
under ashes, and absolute ruin is the
lot of many planters, whose all was
invested in the fncaS. One refugee
comes from within half an hours ride
Of General Barillos and brings informa-
ton that the general and his family
are safe. A cablegram received here
when the first eruption occurred stated
that General Barillos had been asphyx-
lated.
TIL. refugees state that it is not the
crater of Santa Maria that is in action,
but smaller mountain rising from one
OF the western slopes Of Santa Maria,
called Il Rosario.
Bands Of Robbers.
Bands of Mexican robbers are now
swarming the desolated regions, rob-
bling and numbering refugees on the
road and Iooting the abandoned and
desolate plantations.
The people left behind on the plan
tations, 1t is said, are in danger of
death from starvation, for the food
supplies have been cut off and there is
no way to send in supplies to the af
hicted districts.
Those who came on the City of Para
were the Bardwell family and Miss
FlOrissa Nero. The BaFdwells consist
of Ferdinand, his mother. his sister
Julia and brother Albert. Another
brother Augustine, remained behind to
save. if possible, some of the coffee.
The BardWells owned the Magnolia
plantation, near L'Argentina, and about
thirty miles south of Quezaltenango.
The steamer City of Para met evil
dences of the volcanic eruption soon
after leaving Ocos- Great quantities of
pumice were found floating on the wa
ter and some of the pieces were about
the size of a mans head. The sea was
covered with the stuff. When the YES
sci got up off the coast of Guatemala
the shore was seen to be covered with
a light ash. At Champerico there was
about half an inch of ash over the roofs
of the houses and the ground was COW
cred as though there had been snow
storm. Ashes were falling, although
il was then sixteen days after the first
eruption of the mountain. During the
night of Nov. g. just a few hours be-
fore the City of Para sailed out of
the port, loud umblings of the earth
were heard, and heavy reports as of
distant thunder came from the direction
Of the volcano.
Ashes and Lava.
Word had been received from Maza-
tenangO. on the outskirts of the ruined
territory, stating that on Friday, Oct
"A, at about 5 o'clock in the evening
Santa Maria opened a crater or the
west side, near its base, and not far
from Helvetia, and all that night it
belched great volumes of ashes and
lava over Xolhuitz and Costa Cuca On
Satur 7ay morning it was noticed that
several more craters in the neigh Dor
hood of the mountain had opened up,
and they were all pouring volcanic de-
bris over the plantations OF The dis
trict- These fresh eraters were further
to the west, and for over twenty-four
hours they We're in constant eruption.
The earth was in continual connection
shaking down buildings and causing
much destruction from the qualxing. All
the territory about Palmar San Feline
Pueblo NuevO and Rtalhuieu was
buried under ashes.
Many OF the plantations were bur-
led u der from five to seven feet of
debris and all hope of ever reclaim
ing them had been given up. The whole
neighborhood for miles was a burning
wilderness.
At Mazatango. on the south side of
the volcano, only ashes had fallen, and
not then 70 such a great depth that
IL was not possible to save some of
the plantation property. News from
that town said that hundreds of refu-
gees were collecting there and many
more were pushing on to places fur
Their away from the volcano fearing
further destruction from Il. Many of
the refugees were without bread or
shelter and their condition was pitt
able. At that place most of the build
ings had been badly damaged. if not
completely destroyed, by the fierce
earthquakes that accompanied the
eruptions Of the volcano. When the
last word came from MazatenangO ff-
teen days after the first eruption of
Santa Maria, the earth had been in
constant trembling.
At Champerico Il modest estimate of
the loss &c the coffee crop places it at
400. 900 quiutals.
Ferdinand Bardwell, in telling the
story of the eruption and the expert
ence of himself and his relatives dur
ing the awful time of the eruptions
of the burning mountain, said:
Smoke and Fire.
"a great column of smoke and fire
rose seemingly from the peak of Santa
Maria. That was on the night OF
Oct. "A about 5 D. m. All that night
the earth shook in almost constant
vibration and the next morning the
sky was envelOped in q thick cloud
of smoke.
Ashes much like coarse sand fell
in a heavy shower. That continued
for several hours, and then the ashes
became lighter and drifted about in
clouds OF light dust. Breathing was
difficult and the atmosphere was SO
hot that it seemed as though the skin
would De peeled from a persons body
For three days" said Mr.. BardwelI
eve were in almost total darkness. on
the fourth day, with a light breeze