The Elbert County tribune. [volume], October 18, 1912, Image 11

About The Elbert County tribune. [volume] (Elbert, Elbert County, Colo.) 18??-1920

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GUADALAJARA'S
DOOM is NEAR
B
ECAUSE the crater ol a boiling,
seething volcano is directly beneath
this city of 150,000 souls, in all prob
ability Guadalajara, which is the
k state capital of Jalisco, will be mov
ed to a point some distance from
what scientists say is to be one of
the most active volcanoes on the en
tire American continent. The sub-
I terranean volcano has caused 340
earthquakes in the last three months Twice,
once in July and once in August, the shocks be
came so heavy that they practically depopulated
the city for nearly a week on each occasion.
Seven scientists headed by Prof. Ramon Leon
of the seismographic branch of the National Ob
servatory have just finished a report on the
quakes and their causes. They declare that
Guadalajara, with its 150.000 inhabitants, is built
in the crater of a giant volcano which was active
about 1,800 years ago. Below the city, they add.
is the center of this crater, in which a new crater
has formed, likely to break out at any time.
They warn the residents of Guadalajara that be
neath them is an enormous caldron of 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 a trifle west of the main plaza and
practically under the state palace or capltol of
the state of Jalisco.
Scientific measurements, soundings with a 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 can forecast the city
will be destroyed by this buried crater, which
they say is enormouß. though they admit that
Vhey cannot with accuracy foretell when the vol
cano will burst forth.
They infer that the destruction will come with
in a year, for they say that the volcano, whose
caldron 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 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 5,000 feet above the sea. has
the temperature all the year round of a coastal
resort, with practically no change between sum
mer 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
fessor Leon the idea that subterranean fires were
responsible for the climate. Then came the earth
quakes, the opening of fissures in the main streets
of the capital of the state, and the escape of
large volumes of sulphur laden gases from these
fissures.
Fullest publicity is being given to the report
here, and government officials are seriously con
sidering the removal of the capital to Juanacat
lan 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 or capitol in Guadalajara is one of the
largest and most beautiful of all the buildings of
its kind In Mexico and cost approximately 7,000.-
000 pesos. It fronts on the main plaza or public
square and occupies one entire end. being nearly
three hundred yards in length.
Guaraiajara 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. It is the market place
of two of the richest states in Mexico. Jalisco and
Michoacan. and Is commonly called "the Pearl
r 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 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 1618 and of having
been almost destroyed by an earthquake in 1750.
It was severely shaken in 1818, and cracked in
three places by the first series of the 340 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 or the entire
republic is contained in the sacristy of the cathe
dral. It 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 ine art world of Europe or America, while the
GUADALAJARA
orG£WZ >
work is one of the best examples of the famous
master.
The beauty of this canvas has attracted thou
sands, and not a few offers have been made to
purchase it. one of $250,000 coming from a New
York financier. Seven times thieves have at
tempted to cut it from its frame, but each timo
they were foiled by the vigilance of the priests.
Four of the would-be robbers were captured and
are now serving terms or have died in the pris
ons of Jalisco.
In June, 1818, when the cathedral was nearly
destroyed, the section of wall on which this
painting is fastened stood through all the quake.
In June, 1912, when a crack more than a foot
wide was opened in the top of the wall above this
painting the gash ran downward almost to the
end of the mahogany frame and then divided
into two cracks or fissures, encircling the can
vas. but never touching it. The Indians believe,
and the priests aid them in this belief, that noth
ing can harm "la santisstraa Virgen de Guada
lajara.” and so far the terrific tremblers have
failed to Injure it In the least.
The canvas was given to the Guadalajara dio
cese by the king of Spain shortly after the Penin
sular war as a mark of gratitude for the large
sums of money turned over to the crown by this
branch of the church in Mexico and it was hid
den ten years in a niche in the cathedral to keep
it from the French at the time of the occupation
of Mexico.
"The top of the bowl of the critter beneath
Guadalajara.” said Professor Garcia while here
"Is approximately 1.600 feet In diameter, but the
actua) bowl Is much wider. I should say It Is
a quarter of a mile In width, and how deep no
man can say.
"The composition of the escaping gases indi
cates that they are coming from burning coal
and sulphur in a molten state, precisely the com
bination which causes the eruptions of Mount
Colima, the only active volcano on the North
American continent, about 90 miles due south of
Guadalajara Undoubtedly Colima, which blows
off in a regular eruption about the middle of
every September, is connected in some unknown
manner with the hot springs, miniature geysers
and many dead volcanoes which cover the ter
ritory reaching from the southern end of the
Sierra Nayarit, about 60 miles north of Guada
lajara, to the sea at Manzanillo.
“I would not care to prophesy, but I believe
that the annual fall eruption of Colima will see
some sort of disturbance here, though it may be
only heavy earthquakes and not the breaking out
of the volcano. We ran diamond drills so deep
Into the earth in the center of Guadalajara that
they came back almost red hot. no matter how
slowly we operated them. We lowered the best
thermometers into the holes made by these drills
and they recorded heat beyond the melting point
of lead.
"We analyzed the gases coming from the fis
sures In various parts of the city and we found
that they were not surface gases, coming from
pockets in the earth and released by the earth
quake. but that they exhibited all the character
istics of gases which have been taken from the
vent 3 of Colima and Popocatepetl volcanoes.
"Lastly we traced the scores of earthquake
shocks which were felt here during the ten days
of our stay and we found that every one was
volcanic in its origin and not caused by the slip
ping of faults in the earth, as are some of the
coastal quakes of this country and the United
States. All were trepidatory, that is to say up
and down quakes, usually local in character and
not oscillatory, as are most earthquakes which
extend over a large section of the world’s sur
face.
“This was our first hint that the quakes were
volcanic —the confined area over which ihe
tremors were felt. Then the seismograph, which
was brought hero from Mexico City and set up.
indicated with itß needle finger that the source
of the shocks were almost beneath the city.
"We knew the quakes were volcanic and con-
larTZiZfr 01x3:70*
fined to an area not more than 100
miles in diameter. Neither Colima
nor any other volcano in Mexico was
in eruption. We had to look closer
to Guadalajara for the cause. We
made a trip through the surrounding
country and discovered that the city
lies In tho center of what was once a
volcano.
"The walls of this ancient crater
are fully 16 miles on all sides from
the city. From the character of the
stone composing these walls, their
evidences of fire and the condition of
the lava fragments which litter the
bowl of the crater, I should say It was
last active from 1.800 to 2.000 years
ago
"The mountain range
which surrounds tho
city on all sides is tho
wall of this ancient
crater. On the north
and east, you know,
the plateau of Mexico
slopes downward to
these ranges; on the
west and south the an
cient volcano wall
slopes i(way 6.000 feet
downward through
some 70 or 80 miles to
the Pacific ocean. This
was an Ideal location
for n volcano, and pre
cisely similar to tho lo
cation of Colima, still
active. and Orizaba,
which, while still smok
ing. has not been ac
tive for 400 years.
"Now, in the center of this ancient crater, which
must have been larger than any volcano of which
we have knowledge at the present day. was the
blow hole, or vent. Over this blow hole the
Spaniards who conquered Mexico set up the city
of Guadalajara, little thinking that they were se
lecting a veritable death trap for their settle
ment. Slowly through the eighteen or twenty
centuries since it was last active this central
melting pot of the old volcano has been forming
a new and equally powerful mnss of molten ma
terial, which sooner or later will blow Guadala
jara off the face of the earth.
"An earthquake, landslides, cloudbursts or
other elemental disturbances filled the opening of
this ancient crater with a cap 300 feet in thick
ness. This cap, much thicker than that which
any other volcano has had to blow off. Is the only
thing that has saved Guadalajara from destruc
tion years ago. How long it will protect the city
now is a question no man can answer and prove
the answer. It may be years; to rny mind it is
a matter of months; in any event, I believe that
the only way to save the capital is to move it
bodily and move it while there is time to do so.”
Aside from its scientific interest, and from the
unique situation of a city built on a volcano,
there remains the very practical problem which
confronts Guadalajara—the Job of moving a city
of 160,000 souls to a new location. So far, Juana
catlan is the most likely candidate for the honor
of being the capital of Jalisco, but there are a
number of other towns out of range of the buried
crater, all of which will be considered before the
change is made.
All sorts of wild propositions to tap the crater
and draw' off the menacing fires have been made
to the authorities of Guadalajara, but the men of
science say there is no way to curb the demon
of fire caged by nature below and that the city
must be removed or it will be destroyed. One
man proposed to turn the waters of the Santiago
river into a huge tunnel, driven to the heart of
the crater, but tne earthquake specialists quick/y
informed the city officials that this merely would
cause an immediate and more terrible explosion
than if the crater w'ere left to Itself.
Another man offered to tunnel into the crater
from a point five miles outside the city, and on
the slightly lower or western side, and let the
contents of the crater flow out. He was disap
pointed when informed that his tunnel would
have to be about 500 feet in diameter and that
the heat would be so great a hundred feet from
the inner end of the tunnel that human beings
could not endure It.
Thus it appears that unless a "surgeon for
earthquakes” appears, and that very shortly.
Guadalajara will have to pick up her houses and
move to a new location. The result to real estate
ow’ners and men who have bought or built some
of the fine blocks which mark the main streets
of the Jalisco capital will be financial ruin.
Some of these men profess to doubt the word
of tbe scientists and to believe that the city is
BOjfe. They will throw their influence and their
votes against moving the city unless they can be
convinced that there is a very real personal dan
ger for themselves and their families.
PATERNAL WISDOM.
"Son. are you really determined to get mar
ried?"
"Yes. father.”
“And you feel that you can support a wife?"
"Oh. yew."
"Well, Just remember that the dlctonary says
•to support’ also means 'to endure.' ”
A PROFESSIONAL TRICK.
The Young Lawyer—How do you expect to
prove that your client is mentally irresponsible?
The Old Lawyer—Easy enough. His wife has
preserved all his old love letters and I’m going to
read 'em to the Jury.
SHARP PAINS
IN THE BACK
Point to Hidden /S
Kidney Trouble. fjA
Have you a jfiV
lame back, ach- ffz tfSvl/
ing day and (y..j
night? I j/W
Do you feel a WT
sharp pain after fA
bending over ? w ’ Be \
When the kid- Ik \
revs seem sore
and the action ‘ ‘
irregular, use V.
Doan s Kidney \V yw
Pills, which have ‘ \m"
cured thousands. Vvl "VIJP
A Washington _
Cnca “ "Extty Nunn
Labe— T,lh* Stt”''
H n Hatch. SBII Cedar St.. Everett.
Wnab., say*: “Sever* puina In my bade
made me miserable. The kidney eecrn
tiona burned In passing and looked like
blood. My back got so bad t could hard
ly walk and any Jar aent aharp ataba of
pain through me. After apeciallata failed,
Doan's Kidney Pllla completely cured
me."
Gat Dose’s at Any Drug Store. 50c a Boa
DOAN’S
FOSTER-MII.BURN CO.. Buffalo, Naw York
Don’t Persecute
Your Bowels
Cut out cathartics and purgatives. They art
brutal, harsh, unnecessary. '1
CARTER S LITTLE
LIVER PILLS MV?™- '''~r
Purely vegetable. Act P i DTCD'C
getitlv on the liver Art I LKv
eliminate bile, «nd F
soothe the ;Y|\-q
membrane o! j ■ I V t K
■ PILLS.
BllieueaeM. Jj (
ache and Indigestion, aa million* know.
SMALL PILL, SMALL DOSE, SMALL PRICE.
Genuine mu»t bear Signature
SAW NO CAUSE FOR WORRY
Small Boy Pretty Well Satisfied That
the future Was Not Likely to
Be a Hard One.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer says;
A Lakewood woman was recently
reading to her little boy tho ntory of
a young lad whose father was taken
ill and died, after which ho set him
self diligently to work to support him
self and mother. When she had fin
ished the story she said:
"Dear Hilly, if your papa were to
die would you work to support your
dear' mamma?" ,
"Naw!” said IMUy, unexpectedly.
"Hut why not?”
“Alu’t we got a good house to live
In?"
“Yes, dearie—but we can't eat the
house, you know.”
“Ain’t there a lot o’ stuff In the pan
try?”
“Yeß, but that won’t last forever.”
"It’ll last till you git another hus
band, won’t It? You're a pretty good
looker, ma!”
Mamma gave up right there.
Neglect and Cruelty.
"So you want a divorce?" said the
lawyer.
"Yes," replied the woman with
tear-stained cheeks. "Ho has been
guilty of neglect and cruelty."
"In what respects?"
"He neglected to feed the bird while
I was away and says the cruelest
things he can think of about Fldo."
Not New.
First Neighbor—Have you heard
tell of them new-fangled trial mar
riages ?
Second Neighbor—l don’t see noth
ing new-fangled about ’em. Mine’s
been a trial for me for the last twenty
years!—Judge.
"GOOD STUFF."
A Confirmed Coffee Drinker Takss to
Postum.
A. housewife was recently surprised
when cook served Postum Instead of
coffee. She says;
"For the last five or six years I have
been troubled with nervousness, in
digestion and heart trouble. I couldn't
get any benefit from the doctor’s med
icine so finally he ordered me to stop
drinking coffee, which I did.
"I drank hot water while taking the
doctor's medicine, with some Improve
ment, then went back to coffee with
the same old trouble as before.
“A new servant girl told me about
Postum —said her folks used it and
liked It in place of coffee. We got a
package but I told her I did not be
lieve my husband would like It, as he
was a great coffee drinker.
"To my surprise he called for a
third cup. said it was ‘good stuff* and
wanted to know what it was. We
have used Postum ever since and both
feel better than we have in years.
"My husband used to have bad
spells w’ith his stomach and would be
sick three or four days, during which
time he could not eat or drink any
thing. But since he gave up coffee
and took to Postum, he has had no
more trouble, and we now fully be
lieve it was all caused by coffee.
“I have not had any return of my
former troubles since drinking Poe
turn, and feel better and can do more
work than In the last ten years. We
tell everyone about It—some say they
tried it and did not like 1L I tell them
it makes all the difference as to how
it’s made. It should be made accord
ing to directions —then It is delicious.”
Name given by Postum Co., Battle
Creek, Mich. Read the book, "The
Road to Wellville,” In pkgs. "There’s
a reason."
Kver rmd Ike above letter? A new
one appear* front time to time. They
are genuine. tree, and fall ml haaaa
Interest. Adr.
Overheard.
"Heigho!” said Biidad, as Jirapson
berry flashed by In his motor. "I wish
I had an automobile."
"Oh, nonsense, Bill,’’ said Slathers,
“What’s the use? You couldn’t afford
to keep 1L”
"No, by jimlny,” said Blldad, “but I
could afford to sell It ’’
Just Like a Woman.
"He discovered that his wife had
two detectives trailing him for six
months.”
"How did he discover It?’’
’’She sent him the bill.”
A Point in Verbalism.
Professor (to class In composition)
—Someone In the class recently re
ferred to a woman as of “medium
size.” Ploase avoid this expression
In referring to a woman; It smacks to
much of commercialism.”
Freshman But, professor, she
might be "on the markot.”
A Useful Invention.
A Yorkshire farmer was paid by
check for some cattlo he had sold. It
was the first time It had ever hap
pened.
“What’s this?" ho asked.
“Why. money for the beasts,” said
the cattlo dealer.
Tho farmer stared, and had to bo
assured that if he took it to the bank
they would give him geld for it.
“Weil,” said he, “Aw'll try, but if
it’s a wrong ’tin thou’ll hear about It.”
The check was cashed, of course,
and the farmer wont home happy, but
he could not sleep. He had seen a
wonderful thing, and it had excited
him. As soon as day broke, ho made
for the cattle dealer’s house, and
woke the dealer.
“It’s me,” mo said. "Where’s tha
got thlm bits of paper from? Aw cud
do wl’ half a dozen myself!’’
Time for Another.
Fred C. Kelley was stopped by a
panhandler at a street corner In Wash
ington to hear a talo of woe. Kelly
gave the teller n quarter.
A month later tho same man
Btoppod him at tho same placo and
told him tho same tale of woe.
"Nix," said Kelley. "It is only a
month ago that you stopped and told
mo that story and I gave you a quar>
ter.”
"A month ago?” asked tho panhan
dler.
“Yes," replied Kelly llrmly.
"Well," said the panhandler, "you
don’t expect, me to llvo on a quarter
any longer than that, do you "
A "Break” on the Wire.
Two telograph operators were seat
ed. in a downtown cafd recently when
an athletic young man and an exceed
ingly pretty girl entered. They were
placed at a table opposite the "key”
men. who were sitting cldo by side in
a position facing the girl. An is tho
custom of the craft, when wishing to
discuss someone In a public place
they telegraphed to each other, using
their knives on the plate.
"Peacherino. Isn’t she?” one ticked
to the other.
"A tree full,” enmo back the tap
ping reply, "Wonder who the sack la
with her?”
"Search me—looks like a boob tied
up with a wren like her.”
“But they aren't married. If they
are, all she needs to do to got a di
vorce is to exhibit that map of his
In court.”
While the two men were enjoying
a huge laugh over their silent joko
they were surprised and somewhat
alarmed to hear some more "table
kulft telegraphy.” The "peacherfao"
was doing It and she did not look at
all pleased, either.
"You two would better look out
while you are all together,” carelessly
ticked her knife blade while she lis
tened to something her companion
was saying. "This sack and boob, as
you call him, with the divorce map, Is
my husband—boilermaker by trade
He eats fresh little boys."
Something happened to the "wires”
about that time and all communication
ceased.
ICF* 2 ” NewhouK .Victor. Oneida. |
Jump and all kinds of TVapvGuns. I
Ammunition and Animal Baits at rock I
aasfaa-is!ai'ss«ss 22m I
A£ .y fPHtHS & Co. |
DENVER A RIO GII A N I>K-\VE* ri;|t V
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The Royal Gorge-Feather River
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Taken together form tho most beautl
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~T h? , n W ve, °i» B »renlc attractions of
the Rockies, the Great Ralt Rede of
Utah and the wonder* of the Sierra*
c »n b * utten from the car window*,
without extra expense for side trln*
SUPERB DINIffO CAR .SERVICE'
For tllustratrd dourrlptlvo mnttrr,
»rllo Frank A. W.rll.l w h, Crural
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• TERMS, and
kimbalLpl.lL
"The Nation ■ Favorite” ORGANS 1
60,000 KIMBALL Instrument* sold
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this year. We have a special propo
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Use the coupon.
KNIGHT-CAMPBBLL CO.. Denver.
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