232 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1946 
The year 1943 began. When I visited a friend on a ranch called Titzicato, some 
few kilometers south of where the new volcano broke forth, he told me that 
some tremors had already begun in these places and they heard many noises 
in the center of the earth. Then these noises and the tremors began to be felt 
in San Juan (Parangaricutiro) the following month, the 5th of February, at 
midday, and every day until the 20th. During these 15 days of tremors, there 
were Some stronger than others; when we heard the subterranean noises we 
awaited the tremor. According to the noise the movement of the earth was 
strong or weak. They followed each other almost every minute. If they were 
delayed the noise or the tremor was stronger. 
The people could not feel secure or have confidence to remain in their houses 
to sleep. They knelt down frequently to pray to God that the earth would not 
sink, such was the movement during so many days of earthquakes. They brought 
forth the Image of the Santo Cristo Milagroso, of this village, in procession and 
the earthquakes ceased. I write this because I have seen it and not because it 
was told to me, 
The volcano broke out on Saturday, February 20, at about half past 4 in the 
afternoon. What a great surprise for my village and for the world! The earth 
was burned and there began to ascend a small simple column, that grew little 
by little, a vapor, strange gray in color, rising silently, with an inclination to- 
ward the southeast. A little later many people came from Parfcutin, which was 
nearest to the voleano. The Presidente Municipal, don Felipe Cuara A., prepared 
to move the people from the place, and had already asked, by means of telegraph, 
for trucks to transport all the people. But the people despaired and began to leave 
on foot, on horse or on burros, or however they were able. 
In the afternoon, when night began to fall, one could hear more noise. These 
we called “rezaques.”" Some tongues of flame began to appear, as of fire, that 
rose about §00 meters into the air, and others even higher that loosened a rain, 
as of artificial golden fire. At 8 or 9 at night, some flashes of lightning shot from 
the vent into the column of vapor. The column was now very dense and black, 
and extended toward the south. It covered the grand mountain of Tancitaro, 
for the first sands and ashes were in this direction and cast the first cold shadow 
of the volcano over this area. From this hour the warming rays of the sun, that 
warmed the mountains and the green fields, so beautiful, ceased, and the green 
leaves of the trees and smaller plants that nourished the cattle died from 
the ashes that now began to appear. How strange and rare to see the clouds 
form, the first clouds of the voleano! Only a short time before the sky was blue, 
for the dry season had already begun. So, then, we passed the first night, con- 
templating and admiring this new event. 
On the following day, Sunday the 21st, the dense vapors ceased. When the 
vapors diminished, the noise increased and at 2 in the afternoon they were very 
strong. With each blast white vapors accompanied by blue fumes arose; the 
vapors appeared as if one shook a white sheet in the air. 
After the first night, it threw up some tongues of fire, which were almost of 
pure sand. On the following night one noted that they were explosions of 
bombs and that the stones rose to a height 500 meters. They flew through 
the air to fall 300-400 meters from the vent. It is a great memory for me to 
have seen, during these first days, how the first stones fell on the plowed fields 
of Quitzocho, where I used to watch the cattle of my grandfather. 
At 3 o’clock on the morning of Monday, the 22d, there were earthquakes like 
we never had before. The earth shook for 7 or 8 minutes, with intervals of a 
few seconds. The people imagined that this was the ultimate agony of a great 
region. Who could check the great movement of an entire region? Only the 
* Grumbles (?). 
