Gilpin observer., 1912-10-17

earthquakes in the last three months l~ice'
once in July and once in August, the shocks De
came heavy that they practically depopulateu
the city for nearly week each occasion
Seven scientists headed by Prof Ramon Leon
of the seismographc branch of the National ID
servatory have just finished report on .he
quakes and their They declare tnat
Guadalajara, with it's 10000 inhabitants, Is but
in the crater of giant volcano which was active
about ! 800 years ago. Below the city, they add
is the center of this crater in which new crater
has formed, likely to break out at any time
They warn the residents Of Guadaajara that be-
meath them is enormous caldron or molten
stone and burning coal and sulphur combined
with gases which come from still further down
in the bowls of the earth. The report urges that
the city be moved, that at least the inhabitants
abandon 1t Immediately. The center of the crater
is located trife west of the main plaza and
practically under the state palace capitol Of
the state of Jalisco.
Scientific measurements, soundings with dia
mond drill and experiments with the gases which
have been pouring through cracks in the eartn
in the city given with detailed results of the
study. Professor Leon and his associates deduce
that surely science can forecast the city
will be destroyed by this buried crater, which
they say is enormous, though they admit that
they cannot with accuracy foretell when the vol
cano will burst forth.
They infer that the destruction will come with
in year, for they say that the volcano whose
caldron is placed 300 feet below the surface Of
the earth, is what is known ripe for the ex
plosion. The report goes to say that this is
the first instance in the history Of the world in
which a city has been located over the crater OF
a volcano and that the heat from the buried bowl
of fire accounts for the warm climate of Guada
lajara which, while 5000 feet above the sea, has
the temperature all the year round of coastal
resort, with practically change between sum
mer and winter.
Increasing heat noticed In this part of Jalsco
for the past year and recorded by the local branch
OF the government weather bureau first gave Pro
fessor Leon the idea that subterranean fires were
responsible for the climate. Then came the earth
quakes the opening of assures in the main streets
of the capital of. the state and the escape of
large volumes of sulphur laden gases from these
assures
Fullest publicity is being given to the report
here, and government officials seriously con-
sidering the removal of the capital to Juanacat
Ian on the Santiago river.
The removal will follow the taking away OF
all the government papers, which have been
transferred to Mexico City already. The state
palace capitol in Guadaajara is one OF the
largest and most beautiful OF all the buildings of
its kind in Mexico and cost approximately 7OOO-
900 pesos. 1t fronts on the main plaza public
square and occupies one entire end. being nearly
three hundred yards in length
Guaralajara is the second city in the republic
ranking next to Mexico City In population and
above 1t in wealth being second only to- Merida
Yucatan, in this respect It is the market place
OF two of the richest states in Mexico Jalisco and
OF the Occident" while the surrounding territory
is known as the granary Of Mexico
For these reasons the people who live here are
loath to leave the city. The Catholic church will
be especially hard hit II the removal idea is car.
ried out The cathedral which is one of the fin.
est In Mexico. contains more gold and silver orna.
ments than any other church save the cathedral
OF Pueba, and has In addition the distinction of
having been completed in 1918 and Of having
been almost destroyed by an earthquake in 175O
1t was severely shaken In 1918. and cracked in
three places by the first series of the $40 quakes
Of the past three months, in June 1912 The
towers are 200 feet high Byzantine in construc.
ton and the structure occupies one of the most
valuable pieces of land in Guadala1ara
The most precious art possession OF the entire
republic is contained in the sacrsty of the cathe.
dral. 1t is Murillos painting OF the Assumption
Of the Virgin" and It hangs directly above the
entrance. In point OF color and freshness this
painting is better than any Murillo now known
to the art world OF Europe or America while the