230 § ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1946: 
wall fell in, widening the orifice to 2 meters across, and the column of 
smoke increased in size. 
According to Anguiano, the orifice was pear-shaped and from this 
cavity arose a fine gray dust like ashes and “sparks,” and stones were 
thrown out without much force to a height of 5 meters. A choking 
odor pervaded the spot. In the vent the sand was “boiling” like the 
bubbling sand in a rising spring, with a noise like a large jug of 
water, boiling vigorously, or boulders dragged along a stream bed by 
ariver in flood. About the vent small mounds of fine dust half a meter 
high had gathered. This fine ash was very hot but Anguiano collected 
some in his handkerchief as well as two of the hot stones. 
The ground shook violently, “jumping up and down, not with the 
swaying motion they had experienced in Parangaricutiro.” 
They decided then to return and report what they had seen, and 
they carried with them the ash and the two stones. The stones were 
delivered to the Cura, and being still hot, they were placed in a dish, 
and the Cura exorcised them, that the volcano might cease. The Cura 
and others then consulted a book on Vesuvius in the library of the 
church, and it was decided that what they had seen was a volcano, 
which greatly astonished the gathered people. 
Between 6 and 9 o’clock the volcano began to throw out large stones, 
and at 10 o’clock, one could see clearly, from Parangaricutiro, through 
the pine trees, incandescent rocks hurled out, but without any thun- 
derous noises. Between 11 o’clock and midnight the volcano began 
to roar, huge incandescent bombs were hurled into the air, and flashes 
of lightning appeared in the heavy ash column. 
On the morning of February 21, Pulido drove his oxen to the forest 
to graze and then went to his farm to see what had taken place. At 
8 o’clock the voleano was about 10 meters high. It emitted smoke 
and hurled out hot rocks with great violence. 
With the outbreak of the volcano, the earth tremors ceased, much 
to the relief of the populace. The Cura and Presidente allayed their 
fears somewhat, but on the morning of the 21st a strong earthquake 
threw them into panic and they abandoned their homes, those from 
Paricutin fleeing to Parangaricutiro, those from Parangaricutiro to 
Angahuan or Uruapan, and those from Angahuan to the mountains. 
In Parangaricutiro, the village council met under urgent summons 
from the Presidente. The official account is given in the records 
of the municipality as follows: 
In the village of Parangaricutiro, seat of the municipality of the same name, 
state of Michoacan de Ocampo, at 10 o’clock on the 21st day of the month of 
February, 1943, gathered in the public hall of the municipal government, under 
urgent summons, the Regidores * Felipe Cuara Amezcua, municipal mayor, Felix 
Anducho, trustee, Rafael Ortiz Enriquez, Ambrosio Soto and Rutilio Sandoval, 
8 Councilors. 
