Santa Maria: a catastrophe that lasted three days.

In the morning of the 24 October,1902, a volcanic eruption took place in Santa María, Guatemala. The eruption lasted three days( from the 24 to the 26), and the scientist Dr. Franklin answered some questions such as why the volcano erupted, and why the ashes could arrive in San Francisco, USA. He answered that the Santa María had clearly exploded as a consequence of a seismic sward that had taken place in that region in January of that year which included a major earthquake in April.
    The volcano killed lots of people in Guatemala, this was for example because there were so many ashes that they got the throatsof the people. Also he explained that the ashes arrived at USA because the wind was in direction to the north.
     Finnaly, the eruption was over in the morning of the 26th. The people who survived were very happy.


     Questions

1- What happened? A volcanic eruption.
2-Where? In Guatemala, Santa Maria, Santiaguito.
3- When? The 24, 25 and 26 of October, 1902.
4-Who were involved? Many people were involved in Guatemala. Also the ashes were detected in San Francisco, United States.
5- Why? The volcano awaking was clearly indicated by a seismic swarm in the region in January of 1902, which included a major earthquake in April.


Interview

Today we will interview Alex Vunection, a surviver of the .
volcanic eruption in Guatemala in 1902. He is 90 years old.


Me: Which was your first reaction when yo heard the explosion?

Alex Vunection: Well, the first thing I imagined was a big bomb, my wife was in another country si I had to take care of my daughter. I ran to her bedroom and took her with me. Then I looked trought the window and I could see the big mountain that was far from my house. I felt terrified, I ran out of my house, but when I opened the door, with my little daughter in my arms the ashes started to fly into my eyes. I ran again into my house , now my babe was crying, and me thinking abou my death, I hid under the bed. After the hours passed, the climate was changing into good. Then I stood up again, I covered my daughter with all the things I could found and started running out of my house with the ashes covering my feets. When I was very far away, I found a house where a family assited us very well.

Me: Tell me about what happened the next day. Where did you go? Did the weather get worst?

Alex Vunection: The next day, we got up and I wanted to go to another place, I didn't know which, but very far away from there. When we went down to the kitchen, we could see through the window a view full of ashes so I couldn't go anywhere with my babe. The family offered me to stay the time I wanted, so I stayed there one more day in which the weather became worse. In the 26 the weather got better, and I called my wife, who was coming and I told her were I was and what had happened.

Me: What did you think when everything had finished?

Alex: I felt very distressed because of all the people who died because of the eruption, the things I lost like my house, and a lot of things more that now become impossible for me to imagine them. Apart from these feelings I also felt a little happy for my family and myself, we could return altogether again.