The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-22
THOUSANDS ARE DEAD
Mail Advices Telling Of the Recent
i Volcanic Catastrophe in
Guatemala.

New Orleans, La, Nov. t22.-The Plea
yune this morning prints the following
letter: 81. ~ -. ,-v...
Port Barrios. Guatemala Nov. 16.-Ref-
ugees who have arrived here this week
from western Guatemala report a terrible
state of affairs result of the eruption
Of Santa Maria volcano. The country for
a radius Of over thirty miles has been
made a desolate waste and every vestige
Of life destroyed. The loss of life Is es
timated at over 1000, the great majority Of
the victims being Indians Ten Indian
villages. each with population of from so
to 5000 inhabitants were wiped out, the
rude huts being buried beneath tons Of
volcanic debris. All Of the coffee planta-
tons 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 destruc-
ton is severe blow to the republic. The
government has been making the most
strenuous efforts to conceal the facts con-
corning the catastrophe, hoping to pre-
vent Guatemala's credit from being dam
aged abroad. The greatest distress pre-
wallis throughout the central and western
portions Of the republic and even on the
eastern coast the effects are felt In the
scarcity of money and the rise in ex
change. A famine prevails at Quezalte-
mango and 10000 people are starving. Even
Ill HudLSudld Nlly, Lie Cdplldl, Inc lIlHdOl-
tants are suffering for food.
The government is utterly unable to re-
lieve the distress and suffering and the
people are on the verge of revolution The
only thing needed to start a formidable up
rising is the appearance Of a leader.
Porforio Herrera, who owns q valuable
coffee planta ton seven miles from the
Santa Maria volcano Is among the refugees
who arrived here to-day and sailed for
Nicaragua.
Senior Herrera in an interview discuss
ing the situation said:
Il was in Guatemaa City looking after
my business interests when the terrible
eruption Of Nov. 6 occurred The shocks
from the explosions of the volcano were
plainly felt in the capital. causing great
excitement among the people. The next
day the news Of the frightful havoc
wrought by Santa Maria reached the city
and l started at once for my plantation.
I reached point four miles from my
home on Nov. 8, but was unable to go
any further on account of sitting fumes
and gases from the volcano which was
still active and emitting huge columns of
fire and ashes. The eruption ceased on
the morning of Nov. 9, when I ventured
to my plantation and found it buried be-
meath ten feet Of ashes, mud and sand
hurled from the volcano Everything on
the place was in ruins. My residence was
destroyed, and out Of 112 laborers en-
ployed on the plantation all except seven
persisted. The seven who escaped hap
pened to be visiting a farm eight miles
further from the volcano that day, and
when they saw the danger took refuge
with lot Of others in a cave. My family
was In Guatemala City and therefore es-
capped the terrible fate which befell those
left at home.
ION the trip to my plantation T passed
number of other coffee plantations
which had shared the same fate as nv
own. The scene along the route was
frightful. The dead bodies of Indians and
animals who had been suffocated by the
deadly fumes were visible everywhere and
the stencil was awful.
Il passed through one Indian village
where over $50 had persisted. All of the
bodies had their hands to their nostrjls.
showing plainly what caused death The
damage to the country is beyond repair.
Two new craters had been formed in
the mountain side and were in eruption
at last accounts"