Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-11-22
Guatemala
Laid Waste.
Second Dsashs Strikes The Country Leaving on The Verge
OF General Panc-Tuo Violent Uolcanc Eaupfions
Tbrosing Rocks, Sand and Ashes for Miles cAround,
Utterly Destroy The Richest Cohee-Zone in That Section

The following letter to the FirstPresi-
dency concerning conditions In stricken
Guatemala, is perhaps the first detailed
information published In this section as
to the extent of the damage done by re-
cent eruptlons. It bears date of Qua
temala, october 80. 1902, and reads as
follows:
Your prophecy contained In your kind
favor of Aug. q, is fast being fulfilled
as far as the republic Of Guatemala is
concerned; for second disaster far
more serious than that Of the 18th of
April OF this year, has struck this coun-
try. leaving 1t on the verge of gen.
eral panic. On the night of the 2Sth of
this month, or In the morning of the
2ith, two hitherto inactive volcanoes,
the one called st. Maria, close to Quet-
zaltenango, and the other Tacaua,
Close to st. Marcos, both situated at
short distance from one another and in
the northwestern section Of the repub-
Id. Violently erupted. and for miles and
miles about them have laid the country
waste, II Is understood-for no official
news has been given out, and the
newspapers Of the capital do not con-
tain = line regarding the disaster-that
the lava flow has not been very consd-
cradle, very little damage resulting
from II; but the cause of the destruc-
tioQ 1s the enormous quantity OF sand
ana ashes, mixed with rocks that have
been thrown out by the two volcanoes,
FrVm private sources we know that
the richest coffee zone Of the country
IN the departments Of ST. Marcos. Te-
talQuien and Qnetzaltenango has been
deatroyed. In a telegram received to-
Qay IRON the consular agent at the
latter place 1t was stated that the So
called Cottas Cucu, Grande and Chuva
wero entirely buried under ashes and
SAND. which cover that region with a
layer OF from one to three yards. The
co1ee crop was just on and of course
IL - completely lost. The plantations,
moreover are totally ruined and
the part of the country that might be
called Its paradise has been changed
INTO barren waste.
EFFECT TREMENDOUS.
ne effect on the people Of the capt.
t4l1aA been tremendous. In speaking
todxy 10 a merchant. asking him about
~ news he had received, he answered
that he had received much, but that
single word Of II was good.
4. rpn eq0t iapaa tho t,rtoao ~ o,,a.,,
III are fairly jumping up. The earth
az ke Of the 18th Of April doubled all
or Dem, as to the present we do not
n ~ where It will place the limit. The
~ ~ market is paralyzed. No gold
or liver 10 be bought. No quotations,
no transactions. The premium on gold
Derc the 23rd was SIS. Ten for one
rs hought a very favorable ratio at
pre>snt
ESTIMATED LOSS.
-2e loss of coffee is estimated at 4OO,-
wy uintals. The loss Of fortune among
!nFich OF the stricken zone is, as yet
pe nd estimation. There will be very
lit left OF the big fortune Of the
ApD1cos, formerly the richest house in
vu1zaltenango, Adolph Meyer, the
dirt of the Occidental railroad. tele-
grned that his family was safe; but
she was In the street. Ex-President
ndo Barillas has lost most heavily
On e present occasion. His plantation
y uated close to the foot of the st.
~ and when the latter erupted.
w wing sand, ashes and rocks all over
n oast region, the general refused to
~ his place although everybody else
uee!ng as fast as they could. He
yea 10 brave the elements at any
co. and understand II was by force
tnqhe was taken to Retalulen. These
rvnly few cases; the details of the
gr majority of them will never be
THE RUINED CITY.
Spnge enough the ruined city of
Qu(dtenango has not suffered as
mu2 as might be supposed
aitugh situated very close TO ST. Ma
Es1put II Is probably owing to the fact
inc after opened his two new craters
on ~ side towards the coast. II is al
20 serted that right about its foot
me oestruction wrought was less than
~ Feater distance, Nevertheless IL