Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-27
CARRIAGES DISASTERS.
Giimpses Of Costa Riean City Just
DevastAe by an Earthquake.

Devastste by an Earthquake.
Cartago, the Costa Rican city OF
which large part was recently de-
stroyed by powerful earthquake
shocks, with great loss Of life, is one
of the Oldest towns in Costa Rica. On
til 1923 it was the capital OF the re-
public. It lies about twelve miles to
the southeast OF the present capital,
San Jose.
1t is built upon the Carriage river,
dangerously near the base Of the vol
canic mountain called Irazu, which is
probably the cause of. the present dis
aster. Irazu is a more or less active
volcano, and the town OF Cartago has
been evacuated more than once In its
eheckered history on account OF the
eruptions Of its restless neighbor. In
the year 1871 Carriage was complete
~ wiped out by violent earthquake
in sympathy with Irazu's eruptiops.
A number Of people were killed.
The city was partly or in greater
part destroyed also in 1923, 1909, 1925,
1851 and 1854. On April Is last q Sc
ries OF earthquakes, varying in in
tenSity, swept over Costa Rica, doing
considerable material damage, but
practically without loss Of life. San
Jose suffered most severely, while both
Carriage and Port Limon felt the force
Of the disturbances
The town, or "city," as It has always
been called, is a very picturesque
old place. Like its younger but more
beautiful and wealthy sister, San Jose,
it is situated on lakeland about COO
feet above sea level. 1t is Joined with
Costa Rica's greatest port, Port Limon,
by a railway which, passing through
Cartago, goes to San Jose and right
across to the Pacific port Of Punta
Arenas. Carriage had some very fine
old buildings, including the municipal
palace, the Quartet and the College of
San Luis, which was at one time con-
sidered the finest building In the re-
public. There are also the College del
Carazon de Jesus and the very ancient
Church of the Angels. Besides this
church there are about dozen others
OF various denominations, at least six
of which are built Of stone.
CARRIAGES streets suggested ancient
Spain, and on a busy day they present
ed a motley Of race and color. Me-
groes, Hindoos, Indians, Chinese and
Americans mingled in the straight
paved streets and in the plazas. Beg
CARS were like flies. They sold native
fruits and Indian crrios, an amazing
number of the latter including little
gold images that had been unearthed
from time to time in the Indian tombs
in the vicinity.
The Carriage collections Of Indian
relics are about the largest and finest
known.
Mention has been made Of the
Church of the Angels CLOS Angeles).
1t is not improbable that this old
church has withstood the earthquake,
as it survived many another. There
is a strange story attached to Los
Angeles
In the middle Of the seventeenth
century, IN the latter part Of which
the church was founded, an Indian
woman. going to spring for water,
found a little golden image ON rock
where the church now stands. She
took it home and placed It In safe
place. Next day upon going for water
she discovered similar image on the
same rock. Taking it home and being
about to place it with the first, she
discovered that the first had vanished.
This happened several times, In each
case the image vanishing from the
niche and appearing on the rock. She
reported the matter to a priest On
der the belief that this was divine
sign. the Church OF the Angels was
founded upon that rock.