The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-11-22
Fearful Stories Tod Of by
the Refugees.
MANY LEFT STARVING
Most of the Dead in Guatemala
Are Indians.
OVER RADIUS CT THIRTY NILES
The Real News as to the Extent Of ,hs
Disasters from volearic Eruptlons
is Suppressed by the Govern.
men1Ono Man Tells What
He s-w on His Way
Back TO His Home.
OVER RADIUS OF THIRTY NILES
Special Dispatch to The Zines,

Especial Dispatch to The ~ImeA)
PORT BARRIoS. GUATEMALA. No.
vemher Is, via NEW ORLEANS, La. No
Eemher .1.-Reiugses who have arrived
here from Western Guatemala report q
terrible state of affaiss as the result OF
the eruption OF the SaEtl Maria so,cano.
Ine country for a radius oil over thirty
intles has been made into a deso.ato
waste and every vestige OF life destroyed.
The loss Of life is estimated at over
seven thousand. the great maj jori,y OF tho
victims being Indians.
Ten Indian villages, each with a pops
alation of from fifty TO five hundred in-
habitants. were wiped out. the rude huts
being buried beneath tons of Volcanic
debris. All Of the coffee Plantations IN
the volcanic zone are ruined. and their
owners left peuniiess. The coffee planta.
tions in this region were the most vai,i-
able in the country. nd their destruction
is severe Blow to the republic.
FACTS CoNCE4s LED.
The government has been making the
most strenuous Efforts to conceal the facts
5e"uSrsf.4..s The catastrophe. but the facts
are gradually reaching the towns on the
eastern coast through the refugees who
are fleeing from the country. All cable
messages containing references to the
eruption of the volcano are vigorously
censored. and e.en the mails are closely
inspected by government officials. The
government hopes by conceaiiag the facts
to prevent Guatemala 5 credit from being
ca a:nagetl abroad. The effort TO minimize
the disaster abroad. however. has tailed
10 relieve the situation at home.
The greatest distress prevails through
out the central and western portions Of
tie republic. anc even on the eastern
coast the effects are felt in the scarcity
-. -.x a.. Z -
famine prevails at Quet1altenango. anJ
ten thousand people are starving. #
Even in Guatemala City, the capital
the inhabitants are suffering for food.
llcur is selling in Guatemala for 20
ba.rsi In gold, and rice OF an !nferior
quality is quoted at twenty cents pound
L, gold.
TIE government IS ut cry urable TO
relieve the distress ard suffering. and
tire people arr on the vsrgs Of revotu-
ton. TIE only th.Z needed to start
g forTnid abis uprising is the appearances
OF a Isadsr.
FROM EYE. WITNESS
IF Ferfie Herrera wiIo OWNS. Z. va1uab!0
coffee plantation Sc en- miles from tho
Santa Maria volcano was among tho
refugees who arrived here to-day and
sailsd for NicaFasua- Senor Fl rrera In
an interview desGri3ins the sitult.ou.
said:
ter my pus. mss interests wh II tie ter
risle erEpti OF N5vember eth occurred
The sho lss { ON TIE expf ST Of the
voscan, were p ly felt In the capital.
causing graat excitement among tho
peap.e. The* next Cay the news Of tho
ttightful havoc wrought BY Santa Maria
reached tire city rad Il stsrred a { once
for my pia nation I r.a1hed q point
four miles fr8m m me on New mber
Sth but I wa uiabls 70 90 any furrh =
en account of the stiftng fumes ana
gases from the volcano. which was still
active and emitting huge columns Of
ire ard ash $. The errp Il ceased on
the norrIng of y versbec 9th. when
venturat! TO my partation and found
II b.frisd heneata ten feet OF a hes mud
aud sand hurled from the vorcano.
Everything at tne pace was In ruins.
Nv residence vas dsstro- ed, and cut OF
IL iab rers erp4oy@f Or the p!anta ton.
all sxce { seT en- rerSh5d-
The seven who esraoet1 happened to
be visiting q farm eight m les turther
from the vo'caro that dav and wan
theys say the Danger tfos refuge witt ot
OF others IN a cave Ny family was In
Guatemala City and ther. fore esca
tre terrible fate VIII cil befeil those eft
at home TIE fiery blast fro.n the vol-3s
cauo destroyed the leaves and bark on
the trees and the giant trunks stand
like blact, sentinels IN the desoiate coun.
try On the trip to my plan att
passed number of ether coffee farms
which had shared the same fate as my
own.
MANY. DEAD BODIES.
The scenes along the route was
frightful. The dead hodez OF In-
ans and animals who had been sutro-
Gated by the deadly fumes wee VS. bio
everywhere and the strcnch was awfll.
1 passed through ore indian village where
over $50 had rerlshed.
IAN OF the bodies had their hards 70
their nostrils. showing ola NY what
caused death. The features were hsrri.
bly, distorted and the suffering Of tho
unfortunate must have been terrible.
The damage 70 the country Is beyond
repair. The new craters had been formed
In the monnta n side and were In erup-E
tion at last accounts.
Even IL tire esuprions cease now ard i
no further damage Is done. raa.,v years
will elapse before the lard can be re-si
claimed and paced in cultivation asa n.
I have given up my estate and will try
my fortune IN Nicaragua.