Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-09-15

ness-like way. and some five years ago
drainage canal costing s2o,ooV'voV
was lnaugurated by him. The taxes
adjacent TO Mexico City have dwmo-
LED to three, Texcoco. Chalco ana Aoc'
hlllco, and they are slowly DRYING up,
put still an unusual rainfall Wouiu
cause them to overflow and send taeir
waters sweeping over the city. ne
drainage canal built by Diaz is design
ed to carry on this water without per
hitting 1t to do any serious danlags
Tin addition to it's regular work OF
drainage OF the city but SO Tar lts ca
paclty for doing SO has not been Jest
ed.
Foundations Still Watery.
After 800 years of existence the
foundations of the City Of Mexico are
still somewhat watery. At any point
in the city it is only necessary to dig
three or four feet into the surface OF
the ground in order to strike water.
Its massive old stone buildings, with
walls six feet thick, look solid enough,
but it is only necessary to look along
| their sides to see that one end, or one
corner or perhaps the middle has sunk
six to ten feet. The cracks have been
plastered up and nobody thinks OF
danger. There is probably not a
house or building of any consequence
in the City of Mexico built more than
five years ago whose foundations nave
not settled unevenly from one to 10
feet. The modern steel frame build
ings are being built on foundations
of steel beams and concrete. 1t is out
of the question to sink foundations
deep enough to be secure. All this
has led to the general belief that Mex
leo City is built over great subter-
ranean lake, and that the crust is
likely to break through at any time
and engulf the city. This belief is
erroneous, of course, and it is only
necessary to dig deep enough to strike
terra firma, still there is nothing tC
prevent good-sized layer between
the surface and bedrock being washed
out at any time and letting the city
drop into the slush.
Z Valley of Mexico a Crater.
Humboldt's theory was that the val
, ley of Mexico is the crater of a huge
volcano, which is likely to break ou
at any time and blow the city sky
high, and there is plenty of evidence
, to- back up this theory you may b.
sure. Humboldt was too great scien
fist to evolve unsupported theories
). The south rim of the valley is form
$ ed by the Ajusco range of mountains
p all volcanic and active as late as Ill
!. A. D. Molten lava from AjuscO tn
A last time he was on rampage ran dow
e to within seven or eight miles of tn
!. present City of Mexico, forming tn
!. great Pedregal. About two miles cas-
!. of the city are the hot springs of Pr
'. non, rising out of hill that was one
n crater and themselves heated by vo
4 canic fires. Since the Pelee eruptio
!. they have been hotter than ever b.
X. fore.
If The Xico volcano. near Lake Cha
+. co, to the east of the city, burst int
n. violent eruption in ITO. Only 5
# miles to the southeast Of the city al
IS the great snow capped peaks OF Pc
i. ocatepetl and IXtaccihautl. They al
ri the peaks one thinks of first when tn
# volcanoes Of Mexico are mentione
a Popocatepetl, towering 11,O0O fe
te above the City of Mexico and 1890
il feet above sea level, still emits clout
g Of sulphur smoke at all times, sho'
ra ing tnat us nreS are not uedu.
II late as 1852 Popocatepetl was in cru
IS. tion throwing stones and ashes ov
no the Aztec city on the site of the pre-
On ent City of Mexico, doing great dal
SO age and terrifying the people In IS
"a. there was series of seismic distuI
afr ances in the valley of Mexico whi
al were attributed to lXtaccihuatl, t
rn Woman in White.
he Mount Orizaba, between the CT
MT of Mexico and Vera Cruz, called c
ma laltepetl, or Mountain of the Star
NV the ancient Indians, rising even his
er than Popocatepetl, the Smoki
Mountain, has been particularly bu
be in modern times, though he has be
in resting for nearly 800 years. He W
Id active in 9s7, 1915, 1859 and 1887.
he Colima is the newest volcano of
nd first class in Mexico and has ne,
sh. stopped muttering and grumbling
-en his sleep since the last time he VIC
If up, a little over 200 years ago.
In is considered to be the most lik
ast of all volcanoes in Mexico to st
wv something in the near future.