Imperial Valley press., 1913-12-22
Volcanoes of Central America

Edward Perry in Engineering Mag
azine: Beginning with Irazu, in Costa
Rica, which several times shook into
ruins the city of Cartago that dared
to sit on the skirt of the volcano,
one may count half a dozen standing
on the very edge of this plain that
have been very much alive within a
few years. A few miles from Irazu
the living volcano of Poas looks down
on coffee fincas and other farms, on
the cities of Heredia and Alajuela at
it's feet, and on the capital city, San
Jose, a very few miles away. Poas
sometimes puffs smoke and dust
enough to cover all it's sides, even
so far as the tracks of the Northern
railway of Costa Rica, at its foot.
Like many if not all these noun
tains, Poas seems to be big pile
of comparatively loose materials;
therefore it is not amazing that they
shake from their sides large areas of
country that plow their way down to
the plains at their feet.
From Poas northwest is volcano
after volcano, most of them dead or
sleeping. One of these is Omotepe,
rising high from the bosom of Lake
Nicaragua. A little way farther along
the line Momotombo raises its head
1000 feet above sea level. 1t has
covered it's head wide and deep with
ashes, for its many sins. 1t waves
white plume of steam far out over
the plain, toward the southwest and
the city of Leon. Many time has
old Momotombo awakened the folk
I~x,s{ &c h. ri
shaking, and fires that lit its plume.
Then pious ones have lugged crosses
as far up as they could go, with de-
sign to awe or to- appease the old
fellow.
Almost under the outer end of that
plume stands hollow cone which they
named La Pia-The Font. 1t is not
a piece of church furniture. 1t may
be about 1000 or 1000 feet in height,
so it is not difficult to go to its top.
At bottom it's heart is fertile green
and flowery plain, saved from intru-
sion of the vulgar mob by overhang
ing or at least upright walls of rock
scores of feet in height. One may
scramble down that barrier at one
spot, if he uses agility, care and cour-
age. Or if he would rather he may
crawl through the fire SCARED and
black tunned by (which that crater
poured out much that filled its heart.
What home that hollow might make
for one of retiring disposition!
Farther along the file Ell Vijao holds
it's head we'll up in the world-6OO0
feet up-within plain sight of the re-
publics of Honduras and Salvador.
Half a dozen other cones of goodly
size are in the line. Then comes Co.
siguina. 1t is not vastly imposing
pile, but is noticed by visitors when
they come in from the Pacific because
it stands guard at the edge of the
south side of the gate of the Gulf
of Fonseca and the extreme north
western point of Nicaragua. Cost
guina was noticed more, one Septem-
Der day in 1885, because it made a
noise. That sound was heard in Bo-
bota, some 1900 miles away. The hill
had blown it's head off. The explosion
covered all this part of Central Amer
lea with pail. Black darkness COW
cred all the country round about for
forty-eight hours. The dust settled in
a blanket thick and warm over much
if not all of Honduras. 1t carpeted
the Pacific to a width of 1000 miles.
1t laid down on the ocean a rug OF
pumice so thick that ships 700 miles
out had difficulty in working their
way across it.