The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-10-17

earthquakes in the last three months. l"lce'
once in July and once in August, the shocks De-
came so heavy that they practically depopulateu
the city for nearly week each occasion.
Seven scientists headed by Prof; Ramon Leon
of the seismographic branch of the National OD
servatory have just finished report on lhe
quakes and their causes. They declare Inat
Guadalajara with it's 100000 inhabitants, Is bullt
in the crater of giant volcano which was actlVe
about 1900 years ago. Below the city, they auu
is the center of this crater, in which new crater
has formed, likely to break out at any time.
They warn the residents of Guadalajara that be-
meath them is an enormous caldron Oh 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 or that at least the inhabitants
abandon it Immediately. The center Of the crater
is located trife west of the main plaza and
practically under the state palace or capitol OF
the state of Jasco.
Scientific measurements, soundings with dia-
mond drill and experiments with the gases which
have been pouring through cracks in the earth
in the city are given, with detailed results of the
study. Professor Leon and his associates deduce
that as surely as 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
will burst forth
They infer that the destruction will come with
in year, for they say that the volcano, whose
caIdron is placed 300 feet below the surface Of
the earth, is what Is known as 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 over the crater of
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 no change between sum-
and winter.
Tnar al no nntiP In ri oft oils
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
fssures.
Fullest publicity is being given to the report
here and government officials seriously con-
sidering 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 7O00-
900 pesos. It fronts on the main plaza or public
square and occupies 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 it in wealth, being second only to Merida
Yucatan, in this respect. 1t is the market place
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 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 if the removal idea is car.
ried out. The cathedral, which ia 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
been almost destroyed by an earthquake in 1850
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-
tion 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 sacristy 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