El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-28

A NTIGUA, Guatemala, Dec. Is
~ You have probably never heard
L = Of Antigua Nevertheless it was
long one Of the great cities Of the North
American continent 1t was famous 100
years before any settlement in the
United States began to be. 1t had its
tens Of thousands when our Dutch an
cesuOrs landed on Manhattan island, and
its colleges and its cathedral when the
boys Of the Pilgrims were first trotting
the cOWpaths Which formed the streets
OF old Boston 1t had palaces and pub
lie buildings when we had only log
cabins, and its ruins show that It far
surpassed any other city Of North
America for zoe or more years after the
continent was discovered.
Old Capital OF Spanish America.
I have seen all the ruined cities Of
the world, but [ know none more in
teresting than those of this old capital
Of Spanish america [ have tramped
through the streets Of POmpeH, and
have explored the ruling Of ZimbabWs
IN northern RhOdesia- ] have explored
Timgad. the once buried capital which
is now being excaVated on the edge of
the Sahara and have wandered about
over the site of old Carthage. A few
years ago 1 was in Baalbel1, that old
ruin in the mountains of Lebanon, and
1t is only few weeks since I wrote to
you about Quirigua, the city of the
Mayans in the Aotagua valley, not far
The ruins Of Antigua lie at the foot
OF two mighty volcanoes. They repre-
sent a metropolis which was destroyed
again and again by earthquake and
eruptions, until the people of Guate-
mala gave up in despair and moved
their capital to where 1t IS now
The site Of the city is 30 miles from
the railroad. and it took me 10 hours OF
hard riding on the back Of a mule TO
reach 1t 1t was situated here in the
mountains on the slopes Of the Volcano
4 Z . H. TrT1 IL
which. translated into English, mean
the noun ains OF fire and water
These mountains are. syu1me trical ' OIL
canoes Each is as beautiful as Full
yama in Japan, or the MoyOn volcano Of
southern LuZon. Euego now and then
rumbles and IT is said that it may at
any time break out in eruption. The
Volcano de Aqua IS now quiet. but Il
years after the old city was started 1t
burst forth IN a deluge of water and
reduced it to ruins Some think the wa
ter came from a lake in the volcano,
which the eruption threw out like a
mighty cloudburst, and others say that
1t came from tOrrential rains, which had
been pouring for seven days and which
rolled down the mountains, bearing
forests. rocks and earth in their floods.
The first city was founded by Pedro
AlYaradO only 80 years after Columbus
first crossed the Atlantic. AlvaradO
sent with an army of ESQ SDaniards 20
conquer the countries of Central Amer
lea. He enlisted great hordes of in
dams, subduing the natives. He reduced
tribe after tribe to slavery, branding
them and selling them in the public
markets. He chose this place as his
capital and architects came over from
Spain to lay out the city. IT was just
about the time Of his death that the
town was destroyed and the indians here
believe that it was largely done as q
judgment upoH his wife, who COM
planned TO the Lord because she had
lost her husband
Seat of Culture and Learning.
In rebuilding the city the Spaniards |
chose site about two miles away and /
Hhere erected their capital. This re- /