The Penn's Grove record., 1905-02-10
BIG VOLCANO IN ERUPTION
Renewed Outbreak Of Nicaragua
Mountain Causes Devastation.
Steamship City OF Sydney Brings Report
of the Disaster to San Francisco, Cal.@
Earthquakes Preceded Explosion.

San Francisco, Cal. = After being
quiet for fifteen years the great volcano
of Momotombo, on the northwest shore
of Lake Manugua, in Nicaragua, sud-
denly burst into tremendous fury at
$50 o'clock on the afternoon of JAM
uary 1G.
The first news of the event came the
other day by the Pacific Mail steamer
City of Sydney. She was i'll the port
of Corinto, Nicaragua, at the time of
the eruption, and until 8 O'Clock that
night and from her decks the volcano
and is appalling display of pent-up
fire and smoke were plainly visible.
1t is believed there has been great
destruction of property and the loss Of
many lives among the natives around
the base of the volcano.
MomotOmbo is thirty r"iles in the
interior from COrinto, and is a Shapely,
conical peak 1000 feet high. somewhat
resembling the famous Fujiyama of
Japan. 1t is higher than any of the
other mountains in the chain that runs
from Lake Managua northward, and
on a clear day it's outlines form an at
t~ractive picture for many miles.
For the past year a hazy line of
smoke has been issuing from the peak.
a sign that the slumber of the giant
might terminate. Planters, however,
were reluctant to abandoT their rich
fincas, and the poems remained in the
little pueblos that nestled about the
base of the mountain.
nGHoa ~ an1 r4,,c ~ 4y,a Gs1-
of Sydney say the day was clear and
there was no wind blowing when a
tongue of fame shot out of Mono
tombo's apex. The flame appeared to
be 500 feet long. With it, mounting
straight up to the sky. arose 4 cloud
of jet black smoke. rolling up i'll fast
whirling convOlutions. as though forced
from mighty bellows. The whole sky
was soon overcast.
But the black smoke did not obscure
the tongue of fame that stood like a
golden pillar. 1t seemed like some solid
thing. The roar of the eruption was
heard across the valley and mountain
! range clear to the sea. People in the
streets of Corinto heard it, but the
sight was more terrifying than the
sound, and the Nicaraguans did not
hide their anxiety.
A few minutes after the eruption
started kilograms began to be received
at Corinto from Leon, twelve miles
from the volcano, saying that hundreds
of natives were fleeing in all directions
from the neighborhood Of the volcano.
No particulars could be obtained. hut
the authorities at Leon expressed the
belief that a vast amount of damage
would result from the eruption. No
lava had begun to flow so far as was
known at Leon, nor had pumice stone
fallen, as was the case when Santa
Maria, in Guatemala was active two or
three years ago.
There were violent earthquakes just
before the eruption.
The City of Sydney left Corinto at 0
o'clock that night. and until almost
morning was within sight Of the mag
nificent spectacle of the eruption.
The sight was more terrifying than
during the day, for flames had broken
out from the apex to the base and
spread like a sheet over the cone, until
the mountain looked like a pyramid
FURNISHED to the brightness of the sun.
And still the tongue of fame reached
out toward the sky.