The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1903-04-30
.ALAND OF VOLCANOES
Republic Has an Area Of Only $1,000
Square Miles, with More Than
Thirty Volcanoes.

The recent volcanic disturbances in
Guatemala recalls some interesting his
tory In connection with volcanic dis
turbances In that republic-history
which rivals the most dramatic and
tragic inventions OF the brain Of the
novelist and outriyals the conceptions
Of the most inventive playwright.
There are In the little republic Of
Guatemala, with an area Of but $4,000
square miles, more than 30 volcanoes,
the most remarkable of which are the
volcanoes OF Tacana and Tsjumilco In
San Marcos, Zubil, Santa Tomas, Santa
Clara, Santa Maria I'll ,374 feet high
Quezaltenapgo u0.104 feet high. Att
Ian. San Pedro. Aqua G2.197 feet high,
Fuego (13.4s7 feet high, Pacay 8,2s7
feet high. and Acatenango, in the de-
psrtment Of Chimatenango, which tow
ers over all the others, having an aiti-
tude Of 14.072 feet.
Aqua lwater) and Fuego (nrc) are
twin peaks. and II was upon the breast
OF these dormant monsters that the an
cient capital Of the republic rested.
IL will be remembered that the con-
quest Of Guatemala was accomplished
by that talented but cruel adyenturer.
Alyarado. Leaving Mexico on the 9Th
of December. 1923. with 300 infantry.
120 cavalry. four cannon, several hun
| dred Mexican warriors and thousands
OF slaves to transport the baggage, he
marched through the country, conquer
ing all who opposed him, burning at
the stake kings, and incinerating their
| towns, until. on July Is. 1924, the last
l foe had been subdued, and he proclaim
ed the sovereignty Of the king of Spain
| nfrAfAxrAta Ia. hlfahAA hto
| capital at the native town Of Alnolon-
ga. giving II the name Of The City Of
St James, the Gentleman"
After the work Of the improvement
Of his capital city was well under way.
Alvarado returned to Mexico and thence
TO Spain. where he was loaded with
honors. was made governor adelantado
and captain general Of Guatemala, and
took TO himself a wife In the person Of
Dona Beatrice de Ia Cueve, daughter
Of one Of the most influential families
OF Spain. and a woman as ambitious
as was Aivarado himself.
Upon their return 10 Guatemala. they
found things In a prospering condition,
and Alyarado set out to win new laurels
In the 6eld OF conquest. In 15i1, while
In Mexico. he heard OF the tabled Sew
en- Cities OF Cibola," and was planning
To 20 northward In search of them
when he met with the accident which
cost him his life. When the news ol
his death reached the widow, she sum-
moned the alcaldes and regidors to the
palace and proclaimed herself Goberna-
dora. Then extensive preparations
were made for a most spectacular cere-
mony In memory OF her late husband
II was then that one Of the sleeping
volcanoes awoke and made Tor itsell
the first authentic history We have ol
disturbances OF that nature in Guate
mala. II also produced a most dramatic
situation during the ostentatious cere
monies Of the ambitious woman COVER
nor OF the province. Il was the even
ing OF Sept. 8. l5i1. and the obsequie,
were in progress, when the air becam,
thick and heavy. and dense cloud
gathered above the city. from which
came the voice Of thunders and fire.
quent and binding fiashings Of light
ming. Suddenly the earth began u
heaye and shake with terrible convul
sions. a shower Of rocks, sand, stick
and debris rained down upon the city
! and the panic-stricken populace fed I,
the churches and chapels, hoping Their
to receive protection at the hands o
! the God they pretended TO serve. Thei
came the crowning disaster. The grea
mountain yomited forth-not fire
smoke. lava and ashes, as a well-reg,i
lated volcano is supposed IN do, but al
J avalanche OF water. which tore dow
the mountain side. Carving a channe
hundreds OF feet deep. and bearing tn
, earth and trees and rock before II, 1
, dashed into the city. obliterating tn
/. 1
crushing and drowning hundreds O
, persons.
J, Dona Beatrice, when the first convul
sions shook the city. forgot her ambl
. tions and forsook the pomp and gorge
ousness OF the palace and fed to IN
chapel near by. where. elinging TO tn
crucifx, she was crushed beneath th
crumbling walls. The total loss OF III
/ was placed at 900.
} Not 30 picturesque In It's details, bu
, many times more disastrous. was IN
r second destruction OF the capital, whic
! was removed. after the first disaster, 4
! 4 point about three miles TO the eas
streets, tearing down edihces an
OF the former site. at Antigua. Nor
the city had attained a population G
81, 900 souls and a grandeur second I
none OF the cities Of the New worl,
Fuego, twin To the volcano whic
wrecked the nrst capital. and which rt
eeiyed the name Of Aqua because {
9 the nature OF fits eruption. began I
: beich forth fre. and the earth shoe
/ with the violence OF its retchines an
: q thousandfold more violently than
!, had at the time OF the eruption Q
b Aqua
The great city crumbled beneath IN
!, tremblings OF the earth like so muc
{ dust. and thousands upon Thousands Q
4 her inhabitants were killed A yer
8 small percentage Of the population es
. capped. The dead were never counted @
Q buried, except as they were buried bs
e meath the debris Of the ruined city; IN
| wounded were never rescued. but per
, ished OF their injuries or else died fror
. thirst and hunger. The city was aban
q doned, never TO be rebuilt. and toda,
D I29 years afterward. the ruins lie al
y most unchanged. to tell the tale OF IN
Q terrible catastrophe. From the towe
!, of the old cathedral may be counted th
Q ruins OF as churches. The general seen
o OF desoiation reminds one OF the ruin
OF the Old World. and one feels like e,
claiming. In the words OF Kipling:
I 10, all our pomp OF yesterday
: Is one with Nineveh and Tyrel!"
The demolished city was one OF pom
a and glory, such as only the Spanish I
; that day were capable of producin
\ Half hundred churches. each with II
convent and monastery. gorgeous pa
: | aeaa tha moaf eafehraf al t,utvarottxr n