Correspondence. 323 
EARTHQUAKES IN NicaracuA An earthquake ocurred in western 
Nicaragua about 11:40 today lasting for seventeen or cighteen sec- 
onds. Originated beneath and developed from the south side of 
volcano Momotombo at the western extremety of lake Managua where 
its intensity was more than 300 mm. per second, or, between //7 ana 
Vif of the Rossi-Forel scale. Several adobe houses were destroyed 
and many badly damaged at the railway station, Momotombo, at west- 
ern foot of the volcanic mass, and it broke down part of the wharf 
at that station into the lake—also tumbled down from the wharf into 
lake a switching locomotive and one car loaded with coffee. No lives 
are reported lost. This earthquake extended in an east of north 
direction across Nicaragua into the Caribbean sea and in a west of 
south course into the Pacific, at Leon, Chinendega and Corinto its 
intensity was about 200 mm. per second; in Managua, Granada and 
lake Nicaragua about 100 mm. per second. At Matagalpa and north 
eastward it was about 80 mm. per second. At the Nicaragua canal 
route through lake Nicaragua and west of that lake its intensity was 
about 100 to 150 mm. per second. The movement svas undulfatory 
with but little jarring—only such as is incident to waves of force mov- 
ing through strata and being reflected from strata of different dens- 
-ities. An interesting phenomenon was numerous, high, short waves 
of water in lake Managua that continued to rise from the southwestern 
foot of the volcano for several minutes after the “earth-wave” had 
been felt and these waves of lake-water rushed across the lake and 
broke against the high southwestern coast like Labrador’s high tides 
during a storm; they appear to have been caused by a fissure opening 
from the interior of the volcano into the lake through which pent up 
gases escaped, in force and quantity enough to preven, for the time, 
the bursting forth into volcanic activity of the superheated, highly 
-compressed gases forming beneath the volcanic mass miles down below 
the earth’s serface. J. CRawrorp. 
Managua 24 March, 1902. 
Another earthquake ocurred last night in western Nicaragua—caus- 
ing much fear and disturbance at Momoton station, Leon, Chinendega 
and Corinto, and reported lighter at Granada, lake Nicaragua and 
about the western part of the route approved for an interoceanic canal. 
Volcano Momotombo is now emiting volumes of gases and vapors 
illuminated in their centre. No authentic reports as to details are 
received to this date but judging from reports, this was about the 
same force as the earthquake at 11:40 on yesterday, 24th instant. 
If the facts in detail when known by me are found interesting enough 
or if other earthquakes occur I will inform you by the next mail. It 
is an unusual time of the year for earthquakes noted in Nicaragua. 
The moon is full and on the meridian when the first earthquake oc- 
cured and on the horizon when the second one occured; therefore ac- 
cording to the opinion of some the former should have been assisted by 
the moon and the latter retarded by it; climate has been unusually cool 
until he evening of the 23rd instant, when it became quite warm, and 
continues to be unpleasantly warm. J. Crawrorp. 
Managua, 25 March, 1902. 
