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Show imzd volcano" kBEMlW Largest and Highest Crater Becomes Violent After Almost Al-most Century of Inactivity. SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Jan. 31. (Correspondence of tho Associated Press.) The Irazu volcano, the largest larg-est and highest In Costa Rica, awakened awaken-ed and began a new period of violent activity after nearly two centuries of qluetness. The previous remarkable eruption of this volcano took place In 1723 when Costa Rica was the poorest of the colonies under tho crown of Spain. During that year the Irazu was in activity ac-tivity throughout the whole year, emitting huge quanties of ashes, cinders, cin-ders, smoko, vapor and gasses, and the manifestation was followed by earthquakes. Then came a period of long rest It fell into a deep slumber for nearly two hundred years. Now it has awakened again and is pouring out, without interruption, tor-l tor-l rents of vapor, sublimates and ashes, cinders and volcanic debris which, floating in the air and carried by tho air currents, have reached places twenty-mile miles distant from tho crater. Historical City at Foot. At tho foot of this volcano lies tho historical city of Cartago, three times destroyed by tho colossus and as oftn rebuilt by her inhabitants. During tho present crisis Cartago has suffered suf-fered no harm as her inhabitants, wiser through experience, have rebuilt tho city earthquako proof; and tho emissions of tho volcano have not reached Cartago, owing to tho heavy winds prevailing and which have blown them towards the valley of San Jose. Thousands of persons have visited the summit of the mountain rango to sec the two oceans, and the gigantic column of smoko and gases aiming to tho sky. Tho Irazu volcano stands 11,000 feet above tho- sea lovel and about two hundred miles northwest of the Panama canal. Back in the prehistoric prehis-toric ages, this volcano made formidable formid-able eruptions, vomiting) torrents of laval, miles in length, of which there aro traces to bo seen yet. Perhaps nothing similar will now happen; but tho Costa RIcan people always bear In mind tho prediction of Humboldt, who foretold that the Central American and Panama Isthmuses were doomed to bo swallowed by the waters of both oceans, making a broader canal than I tho ono that American genius built across tho Isthmus of Panama. |