The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1912-10-19

earthquakes in the last three months Twice.
in July and in August, the shocks De.
came 80 heavy that they practically depopuiaeeo
the city for nearly week on each occasion
Seven scientists headed by Prof. Ramon Leon
of the seismographic branch of the National o.
servatoryss have just finished a report on the
quakes and.Gtheir causes They declare tnat
Guadala5ara, With Its 10000 inhabitants Is built
In Stiiescraser of giant We cano which was active
abort 1890 Years ago. ssty they add.
Is the center of this crater in which new crater
has formed, likely to break out at any time
They the residents Of Guadalajara that be-
meath them is an 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
tho city be moved that at least the inhabitants
abandon it Immediately. The center of the crater
is located a trfe west Of the main plaza and
practically under the state palace or capitol OF
the state of Jalsco.
Scientific measurements soundings with dia
mond drill and experiments with the gases which
have been pouring through cracks In the earth
in the city given with detailed results Of the
study. Professor Leon and his associates deduce
that surely science 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 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 on to say that this is
the first instance in the history Of the world in
which city has been located 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-
and winter
Increasing heat noticed in this part of Jalisco
for the past year and recorded by the local branch
Of the government weather bureau first gave Pro
lessor 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.
siderlng the removal of the capital to Juanacat-
Ian 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 Guadalajara Is one of the
largest and most beautiful of all the buildings of
Its kind in Mexico and cost approximately 7,O0O
600 pesos 1t fronts on the main plaza or public
square and occupies entire end, being nearly
three hundred yards in length
Gnaralajara Is the second city in the republic
ranking next to Mexico City in population and
above it in wealth. being second only to Merida
of two of the richest states in Mexico Jalisco and
Michoacan and Is commonly called the Pearl
Of the Occident," while the surrounding territory
is known 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 if 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 Puebla, and has in addition the distinction of
having been completed in 1913 and of having
Deen almost destroyed by an earthquake in 1850
IL was severely shaken in 1918. and cracked in
three places by the first series of the $40 uuakes
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 Guadalajara.
The most precious art possession Of the entire
republic Is contained in the sacrlsty of the cathe
dral 1t is Murillo's 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