The old volcano of Cuscatlan, from which the shocks appeared to proceed,
lies, as I have said, about three miles from the city; viewed from this
direction, it forms a beautiful cone, with a gently rounded summit, and
its sides are clothed from top to bottom with wood; its crater is still
quite perfect, a mile and a half in diameter, and filled with water at
the bottom.... There exists no certain record of the former activity of
this volcano; but according to tradition an eruption of lava from a
cleft in its side took place in 1650, and overwhelmed the village of
Neliopa; but according to others it was merely an eruption of mud and
not of fire....
The morning of Easter Sunday was announced as usual by the firing off
of rockets and a joyous burst of military music. The multitude betook
themselves in festival procession to the Cathedral, to witness the
celebration of high mass; the houses were gayly adorned with branches of
palm and banana-leaves, and the "_Sanctissimum_" was borne in triumph
through the streets, followed by crowds of senors and senoritas in their
gayest attire.... On this Easter Day, as on preceding ones, the people,
after having performed their devotions like good Catholics, gave
themselves up to festivity and enjoyment, and the day closed with music,
feasting, and fireworks.
Immediately after nine o'clock, however, a shock occurred more violent
than the strongest felt on the Good Friday. I was unwell with a slight
feverish attack, and had gone to bed, but was awakened by the noise.
Some walls fell in, many houses were rent, and a part of the ceiling of
my room fell, striking me on the head and face, and for some minutes
blinding me with the dust. I sprang from my bed, and groped my way to
the door, which unluckily I had locked; but after a time I succeeded in
getting it open, and made my way to the court-yard, where I found the
rest of the inhabitants of the house praying and screaming.
After a few moments had elapsed, however, they had quite got over their
fright, and were laughing and joking at their previous consternation and
precipitate flight. Unless the houses actually fall, people do not,
after the first moment, think much of these shocks, but this time they
did take the precaution to put all their doors open, and had their beds
carried out into the court. Mine was placed under the gallery of the
corridor, and a great deal of compassion was expressed for me when they
found I had been a little hurt. A young doctor, who occupied the room
next to mine, thought there would be no strong "temblor" again to-night,
but an aged priest said that this house was old and decayed, and it was
very necessary to be careful. My housemates then went back into their
rooms, and, though they kept the doors open, consumed with a good
appetite the remainder of the Easter feast, the conversation the while
turning, of course, almost exclusively on the "temblor."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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