American Towns.Mortality per10,000 Inhabitants.Lima (Peru)62·1Carácas (Venezuela)60·0Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)38·0Santiago (Chile)38·0Havana (Cuba)32·7Montevideo (Uruguay)16·0Buenos Aires (Argentina)14·2Mexico City (Mexico)14·0San Salvador (Salvador)13·7
That Salvador should have the smallest number of deaths among all these Republics is a triumph for the medical faculty and for the Government, which have conjointly done so much towards the improvement of conditions.
Many of the sanitary and clinical institutions in the Republic have medical schools or classes attached, and such are naturally much better equipped with special departments for the eye, ear, nose, throat and skin diseases. Fever hospitals are carefully segregated, and are most carefully controlled, with the idea of avoiding any epidemic breaking out. Many of the attendant physicians have studied in Europe and the United States.
NationalNew National Palace at San Salvador.
New National Palace at San Salvador.
New National Palace at San Salvador.
TheatreTheatre at Santa Ana, Department of Santa Ana.
Theatre at Santa Ana, Department of Santa Ana.
Theatre at Santa Ana, Department of Santa Ana.
The Superior Council of Health, of which Don Tomás G. Palomo is President, has rendered important services during the last two years. The Government is continually encouraging authorities topersevere with their sanitary measures and to compel the public to follow the instructions periodically issued by the Superior Council, and to fulfil the rules laid down by the Code of Laws relating to health. In his report for the year 1907, the President of the Council has said: "In proportion as the sphere of action of the Council widens, so has its beneficial influence been remarked, especially in some places of the Republic, where formerly only the most rudimentary laws of hygiene were known. Already a large majority of the municipal authorities are showing some aptitude in ameliorating the sanitary conditions of their respective localities, and if things continue thus we shall soon arrive at the complete banishment of endemic maladies from certain districts of the Republic."
In Salvador a pernicious kind of malaria is the predominating disease, and shows itself in different phases and manifestations. The Council has recommended several measures to minimize its effects; but the result achieved does not altogether correspond to the efforts of the authorities, because, besides the heavy expenses of the sanitation works in many parts of the country, the majority of the people are opposed to all hygienic measures, and through poverty are condemned to live in small dwellings, which are badly ventilated and damp, and consequently unhealthy.
In the Capital, at the beginning of the year 1907, and at the time of the mobilization of the Army, several cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis presented themselves. Those soldiers who were afflicted were isolated during the march, first in a ward of the Rosalés Hospital, and afterwards in the Military Sanatorium. This measure and others that the Council promptly ordered prevented any developmentof the epidemic. In the same manner four cases of diphtheria presented themselves, and altogether, through different diseases, 1,598 deaths took place in San Salvador in that year. In the same period it recorded 2,147 births, giving as a net result an increase in population of 549 inhabitants.
Cerebro-spinal meningitis also showed itself in Santa Ana and at San Pedro Nonualco, but the malady did not assume the character of a real epidemic. During the year 1908 a few cases of meningitis of a marked epidemic character were observed, but the efforts of the Council secured the mastery over the disease. Unfortunately, at the end of the year 1909 smallpox broke out in the west of the Republic, principally in the Department of Santa Ana.
The Council of Health immediately sent out the Director-General of Vaccination to the above-named Department with the necessary means to combat the smallpox. The disease spread, however, and continued to show itself in different parts of the country, so that the Council was obliged to arrange for the establishment oflazarettosin Santa Ana, Candelaria, and Santiago de la Frontera, and also to nominate various travelling vaccinators for each of the Departments, at the same time insisting upon sanitary cordons, and, in fact, taking all the measures that the imminent peril demanded. There have been places quite immune, and in the Capital not more than five cases appeared, all of which were immediately isolated.
The Supreme Council of the Red Cross has upon all occasions collaborated in this campaign against disease, effective measures being undertaken by the authorities against the terrible malady, and greatly facilitating the furnishing of the necessary funds.
The General Direction of Vaccination has its seat in the Capital, and is directed by Dr. Rodolfo B. González. In connection with the Rosáles Hospital an Institution of Vaccination has been established, which is under the direction of Dr. Gustavo Barón. In normal times as many as a thousand tubes of vaccine are prepared monthly. The Institute of Vaccination in San Salvador, I may mention, is the first that has been established in Central America.
The Council, notwithstanding the fact that it receives a large quantity of calf lymph, imports every fortnight further supplies of lymph from France and Switzerland, as a provision against the home supply becoming exhausted through any unforeseen circumstance. In the year 1907 there were vaccinated in the Capital alone 1,597 men and 973 women, while in the Departments there were 4,667 men and 4,295 women, or a total of 11,532 vaccinated in this one year.
If to these numbers are added 1,000 vaccinated by the Travelling Vaccinator of the Department of La Libertad, a total of 12,532 was reached—a figure which will be increased to at least 18,000 if is taken into account the fact that in many of the outlying districts the number of inoculations which were made by special vaccinators have not been accounted for.
In the year 1908 the number of cases was doubled, so it appears that in all the Republic more than 40,000 persons were vaccinated in one year. In the first months of 1910, in which vaccination was enforced with some severity, even in the most remote hamlets, the majority of the inhabitants were vaccinated and revaccinated. In the ports, into which epidemic diseases are more easily introduced by foreign vessels arriving from different infected ports, the Council hasunder its control several competent medical officers, who examine with the most scrupulous exactness all the steamers, and even the small boats, which arrive. By this means, up till now the much-dreaded yellow fever and bubonic plague, which have attacked many ports of South America, have not reached Salvador.
Apart from the Hospitals, there are several Asylums for the Insane, the Blind and Orphans of both sexes. The inmates receive a thoroughly sound normal or primary education, being taught also carpentry, shoemaking, needlework, and many other useful occupations and trades. Those who desire to study music or electric telegraphy as a profession are permitted, and even encouraged, to do so. These institutions in some cases are under the management of Sisters of Charity, and very well they seem to carry out their merciful duties. The Government supports also an Asylum for the Aged Poor, and a similar institution for orphans, in addition to those which already exist.
One of the most prominent members of the Salvadorean medical profession is Dr. Federico Yúdice, who enjoys an unusually large surgical practice. Dr. Yúdice has studied in Germany, and holds the highest diplomas of the German Faculty of Medicine, as well as in the United States, from which country he also received the most coveted diplomas in the profession. His consulting-rooms are frequently well filled, and his surgery and operating-room are replete with the latest improved surgical apparatus and equipment—in some cases more replete in the possession of such scientific inventions than some of the hospitals of Europe. Although quite a young man, Dr. Yúdice is considered one of the leading physiciansof San Salvador, and undoubtedly he has an exceptionally brilliant career before him.
Due to the initiative of Dr. Manuel Enrique Araujo, the President, an important and representative Congress of Medical Scientists will assemble in San Salvador in November of this year. Dr. Tomás G. Palomo will be the President of the Congress, Dr. Benjamin Orozco the Vice-President. Among others who will take part in the deliberations are—Dr. José Llerena, Jerónimo Puente, J. Max Olano, Estanislao Van Severen, Enrique Gonzalez S., an eminent surgeon-dentist, and Gustavo S. Barón, who will act as treasurer. Dr. Pedro A. Villacorta, Dr. Miguel Peralta L., and Dr. Rafael V. Castro, will act as joint secretaries.
The ready hospitality which is extended to the stranger sojourning for no matter how short a while in Salvador renders existence there exceptionally agreeable. While, like most Latin-Americans, far from being effusive or indiscriminate in either their friendship or their offers of social entertainment, the Salvadoreans are always pleased to show courtesy and hospitality to those who are recommended or presented to them, and to these fortunate individuals nothing is denied in the way of attention and consideration. San Salvador is especially kind to its foreign visitors, and to all who bear introductions, or who make friends upon their own account, the doors of the Casino Salvadoreño are readily open, this being a club which is well provided with most of the current literature, some of which is in English, and possesses many pleasant reading and writing rooms, as well as the usual complement of French billiard-tables. It is an orderly and well-managed establishment, and mostof the better-class Salvadoreans belong to it. A good, although small, library is attached, and this contains some valuable collections of statistical volumes and several works of reference.
San Salvador has been peculiarly unfortunate in regard to the number of serious conflagrations which have at various times afflicted that city, and within the last ten or eleven years no fewer than five such disasters have overtaken it. In the month of November, 1889, the Palacio Nacional was completely destroyed by fire, and, unfortunately, many valuable archives, dating back into the early times of the Spaniards, when Salvador was still a colony, as well as a large number of documents relating to the Federation, were lost. In 1900 a second fire destroyed a large area in the city, wherein were situated many of the principal mercantile houses. In September, 1901, a third visitation of this kind destroyed the handsome building of La Mansión de la Presidencia, as well as the barracks of La Guardia de Honor. In 1903 fire destroyed the entire building of the Casino Salvadoreño; and in March, 1908, the handsome Zapote Barracks were seriously burned; while, as recorded elsewhere, in 1910 the Teatro Nacional, and nearly the whole block of buildings of which it formed part, was entirely gutted.
CathedralCathedral of Sonsonate, Department of Sonsonate.
Cathedral of Sonsonate, Department of Sonsonate.
Cathedral of Sonsonate, Department of Sonsonate.
Like most of the Latin-American cities, San Salvador contains many very handsome and appropriate monuments erected to the memory of its brave sons and distinguished citizens. Among these are the tasteful statues dedicated to the memory of Dr. Emilio Alvarez, a Colombian physician who rendered eminent services to his adopted country; another forms a tribute to General Gerardo Barrios, one of Salvador's greatestsoldiers and patriots, and a third, a very fine work, is an equestrian statue of General Morazán, in the park which bears his name. The monument of General Barrios is also an equestrian statue, the General being shown seated upon a magnificent granite column of heroic proportions.
Department of Chalatenango—Rich agricultural territories—Annual fair—Generally prosperous conditions—Department of Cuscatlán—City of Cojutepeque—Industries—Cigar factories—Volcanoes—Lake of Cojutepeque—Department of Cabañas—Scenic features—Feast of Santa Barbara—Department of San Vicente—Public buildings and roads.
Department of Chalatenango—Rich agricultural territories—Annual fair—Generally prosperous conditions—Department of Cuscatlán—City of Cojutepeque—Industries—Cigar factories—Volcanoes—Lake of Cojutepeque—Department of Cabañas—Scenic features—Feast of Santa Barbara—Department of San Vicente—Public buildings and roads.
City.—Chalatenango (1).
Towns.—Tejutla, San Ignacio, San Francisco, Morazán, San Rafael, and Citalá (6).
Fully two-thirds of this portion of the country consist of mountain ranges, with long timber-covered spurs, very beautiful to the eye, running from their bases in every direction. The Department is bounded on the north by the Republic of Honduras; on the east by the same Republic and the Department of Cabañas; on the south by the Departments of Cabañas, Cuscatlán, San Salvador, and La Libertad; and on the west by Santa Ana. The rich agricultural valley of the Lempa runs partly through this section, and many of the tributaries of that river water its ground. Immense tracts of agricultural territory are seen, upon which are grown successive crops of indigo, corn, rice, wheat, and beans. The several lofty chimneys which are observed to be dotting the country for miles around point to the active manufacturing that goes on. These establishments comprise distilleries,potteries, candle, cheese, and turpentine factories; while a large commerce is also done by treating a kind of wax obtained from boiling the fruit of a certain shrub which grows wild in this country and in great abundance. Here, as in most of the parts of Salvador, general prosperity prevails; one encounters hardly any very poor persons, either in the streets or begging upon the roadsides.
The chief city of this Department bears the same name, and it lies to the south-east of the lofty mountains of La Peña and on the rivers Tamulasca and Colco. The elevation above sea-level is about 1,660 feet, while the distance from the Capital is a little over forty-five miles north-east. I should say that Chalatenango is about the oldest native town in Salvador, and only in 1791 did foreigners and white natives commence to frequent it to any extent—these, it would seem, being sent there by the then Spanish Governor as a sort of punishment or exile. It would certainly be no punishment to abide there nowadays for a short while, since the surrounding country is remarkably beautiful, the people are very friendly and hospitable, and living there is absurdly cheap, judged from European standards. The population scarcely exceeds 6,000, and the whole of the Department probably boasts of no more than 54,000 or 55,000 inhabitants.
It is at Chalatenango that is held annually on June 24, St. John the Baptist's Day, the most important and most popular Fair of the year. Upon this occasion the true native life of Salvadoreans, the quaint and picturesque costumes, and many articles of barter which never see the light at any other time, may be met with. Anyone travelling in Salvador at this period may be recommended to visit Chalatenango,if only to witness this annual gathering, which is attended by people of every class from all parts of the Republic. A more orderly or a happier crowd it would be difficult to meet with, and, what is more to the point, they form a particularly clean-looking crowd. The fact is that St. John the Baptist's Day is the one day upon which every devout Catholic makes a point of having a bath—if at no other period of the year—and this may possibly have something to do with it. If it were of Mexico that I was writing instead of Salvador, I should say that this circumstance might possibly haveeverythingto do with it.
Cities.—Cojutepeque, Suchitoto (2).
Towns.—San Pedro Perulapán, Tenancingo, San Rafael, and Guyabal (4).
At one time this Department was the largest, or one of the largest, in Salvador; but successive rearrangements of the area of the Department for political purposes have robbed it of much of its original territory. It was established as a separate entity in May, 1855, before which it was made up of a great deal of land which now belongs to Chalatenango. Again, in 1875 it was forced to contribute a portion of its diminished possessions in order to form the new Department of Cabañas. However, Cuscatlán did not part with either of its two pet volcanoes—Cojutepeque and Guazapa—nor was it ever asked to do so.
Bordering this section are the Departments of Cabañas and Chalatenango on the north, Cabañas and San Vicente on the east, San Vicente and La Paz on the south, and San Salvador on the west. Most of itsterritory is richly productive, agriculture being carried on by practically the whole population in some form or other, and fine crops of coffee, sugar, indigo, rice, tobacco, cereals, and such products as starch and cheese, come out of Cuscatlán, and find their diverse ways about the country. A great gathering is held annually in the chief city, Cojutepeque, on St. John's Day (notthe Baptist), August 29, while the other city, Suchitoto, has its own particular gala-day on the Feast of the Conception, December 8, a good deal of friendly rivalry existing between the merchants and traders of each town. Buyers and manufacturers come to these meetings from all over the Republic, and very extensive are the transactions carried out in cattle, cheese, indigo, native products, and many kinds of foreign merchandise.
Cojutepeque, which is connected by road to Ilobasco and Sensuntepeque, is an extremely romantic-looking, and as picturesquely-situated, city, with a population of between 8,000 and 9,000 inhabitants. It lies upon the northern slope of the volcano of the same name, not very far from the summit. Although the situation is from a climatic point of view very agreeable, it somewhat interferes with the success of the water-supply to the town. The surrounding country is agricultural, and the markets bear sufficient testimony to the great variety and high-class character of the produce which is raised. Cigar-making is one of the most important trades carried on in the town, and the excellent quality and the delightful aroma of Cojutepeque cigars are known and appreciated all through Central America. One of the factories which I visited was managed and owned entirely by a lady and her family, all of good birth and sound education. Theirfactory was a model of cleanliness and orderliness, and many of the employés had been with the proprietors for a great number of years.
An exceedingly comfortable and well-maintained hotel at Cojutepeque is that known as La América, kept by Señor Diaz, and whereat the guests are made to feel completely "at home." Señor Diaz is one of the good old-fashioned "Boniface" type of landlord, for, in conjunction with his charming wife and daughter and his young son, Cayetano, he personally looks after each individual who patronizes his establishment, consulting each taste and idiosyncrasy, and carefully pandering thereto. The rooms in the Hotel América are exceptionally large and airy, while all meals are served to the guests in a delightful openpatio, completely surrounded by masses of tropical bloom—great clustering rose-bushes, clematis, and honeysuckle, towering palms and sweet-scented orange-blossom—a veritable fairyland of colour and perfume.
The town is not only well built, but is conveniently arranged in spite of the decided irregularity of the streets, caused by the slope of the volcano upon which they are built. On three different occasions Cojutepeque has been made the Capital of the Republic, and upon one occasion—viz., November 6, 1857—it was very seriously damaged by earthquake. The three active volcanoes of San Salvador, San Jacinto, and Cojutepeque, have all contributed in their time to alarming and damaging the city. The last-named volcano is 3,351 feet in height, and is located in latitude 13° 42' 22" N., and longitude 88° 56' 26" W.
Lake Cojutepeque ranks second in importance as to size and scenic beauty to Lake Ilopango; it lies north-eastof the volcano of Santa Ana, and is of a roughly elliptical shape, about four miles long and three miles wide, the major axis having a direction about north-east and south-west. This lake has no visible outlet, and its waters, although somewhat impregnated with salts, can be used for drinking without any danger. To every outward appearance the lake gives the impression that it had once been the crater of the attendant volcano, lying as it does upon its northern slope. This is more apparent from a distant view of the entire mass of the Santa Ana volcano, such as can be obtained from the summit of the neighbouring volcano, San Salvador. The present peak of Santa Ana from this position seems to have been built up from the rim of the ancient crater, which is now occupied by the lake.
General Juan Amaya, Governor of the State of Cuscatlán, has worked very zealously, and with conspicuous success, to make it one of the most progressive of the various political Departments of the Republic. Under his direction, and with the active support of General Figueroa while President, new and handsome roadways have been made, pure water and free public baths have been introduced; the whole Department now presents the appearance of being under a highly intelligent and enterprising Government. General Juan Amaya was elected last May (1911), under the authority of Article 68 of the Constitution, Third Designate to succeed to the Presidency in case of a vacancy occurring during the present term (seep. 38).
Cities.—Sensuntepeque, Ilobasco (2).
Towns.—Victoria, Dolores, San Isidro, Jutiapa, Tejutepeque (5).
This Department is principally of interest on account of the gold (see Chapter on Mining) which has been found, as well as the prosperous industry in indigo which is carried on there. It is bounded on the north and north-east by the Republic of Honduras, on the east by the Department of San Miguel, on the south by the Departments of San Vicente and Cuscatlán, and on the west by the last named only. The greater portion of the territory consists of mountains, which take the form of lofty ranges and chains, giving a wild and picturesque character to the country, and in parts even a somewhat forlorn appearance. Particularly desolate are the eastern and northern parts of the Department, which, however, can boast in other directions of many beautiful and fertile valleys, which produce in abundance such crops as indigo, rice, corn, and several other kinds of grain. In regard to manufactures, there are earthenware, lime, cheese, and other factories, as well as one or two distilleries. A very active commerce is carried on; and here, as elsewhere in the Republic, the greatest day out of the twelve months is the one kept for the annual Fair, whereat one meets a veritable "gathering of the clans," the number of Indians who attend, for instance, lending great interest to the meeting. The rendezvous is at Sensuntepeque, and the date selected is the day devoted to Santa Barbara—namely, December 4. The Saint, as may be remembered, was a Christian Martyr of the third century, and the patron of artillery.She was beheaded by her father, who is said to have been struck dead by lightning immediately after the act, which was but poetic justice. Why the misfortunes of this young lady, however, should particularly appeal to the good people of Sensuntepeque I could not find out. But she always has been and remains their patron Saint.
Sensuntepeque is joined up with Cojutepeque by a well-constructed cart-road, which likewise serves Ilobasco. Another equally good road runs from Sensuntepeque to Apastepeque, in the Department of San Vicente; and these thoroughfares are kept in a good state of maintenance, especially in preparation for the heavy rainy season, when otherwise they would become impassable, and internal communication would be practically at a standstill.
The city of Sensuntepeque is situated, as are so many other Salvadorean towns, on a mountain slope, in this case the location being on the southern declivity of the mountain Pelón, and at an elevation of some 2,310 feet above the level of the sea. It is located about fifty-seven miles distant north-east from the Capital. A decidedly picturesque little place it is, but one which contains, all the same, over 10,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom are concerned in the cultivation or treatment of indigo. The city has many handsome edifices—such, for instance, as the fine Town Hall, several Government school buildings, a prison (which, is a model institution of its kind), and several handsome churches. Additionally there are a very attractiveparque, beautifully laid out with plants and green grass-plots; a capital public bathing-place; and a number of attractive private residences, solidly built, and faced with either stucco or tiles.
Very few foreigners seem to find their way to this place, which is to be regretted; for not alone would they be made to feel very welcome, the people being particularly friendly and hospitably inclined, but the climate has a most exhilarating effect, and for the greater portion of the year it is nothing less than delightful. Very little poverty seems to exist here, and, from what I heard and saw, it seems that practically every member of a family in Sensuntepeque is employed regularly and remuneratively in some kind of manner.
It would be no exaggeration to describe this Department as scenically the most beautiful in the Republic of Salvador. It affords almost every style of scenery—high mountains, towering volcanoes, delightful valleys, and a perfectly astounding collection of hot springs, orinfiernillos. The Department is bounded on the north by the Department of Cabañas, on the east by the Departments of San Miguel and Usulután, on the south by the Pacific Ocean, and on the west by the Departments of La Paz and Cuscatlán. One of the highest mountains—needless to say it is a volcano—is situated here, and bears the name of the Saint who founded the Society of the Lazarists and the Sisterhood of Charity. This most imposing mountain has a double cone, which towers very gracefully above the numerous attendant hills. It was last known to erupt in 1643, but it looks capable of a repetition of the performance in all its grandeur at any time. In height it stands 7,131 feet, and its approximate position is given at 13° 35' 24" N. latitude, and 88° 50' 31" W. longitude.
CojutepequePublic Park at Cojutepeque, Department of Cuscatlán.
Public Park at Cojutepeque, Department of Cuscatlán.
Public Park at Cojutepeque, Department of Cuscatlán.
BarracksBarracks at Cojutepeque, Department of Cuscatlán.
Barracks at Cojutepeque, Department of Cuscatlán.
Barracks at Cojutepeque, Department of Cuscatlán.
I first caught a glimpse of the majestic mountain while staying at Cojutepeque, but it was then a long way distant. There are two other volcanoes, Chichontepec and Siguatepeque—the former the highest mountain in the Republic—but they are pronounced to be extinct. The summit of this monster is 8,661 feet above the level of the sea, and it is notable for the number of active geysers which exist on the northern slope, and which continually send out volumes of steam accompanied by terrifying but apparently harmless terrestrial rumblings, which can be distinctly heard as far away as three or four miles. But the mountain is quite unoffending, I understand, the said geysers proving the safety-valves for its occasional internal disturbances.
San Vicente was created a Department in 1836, and its territory embraces a portion of what formerly formed one of the "territorial divisions" of the country existing under Spanish rule, while the eastern portion was originally part of Cabañas. The amount of commerce which is carried on is considerable, and during the past few years has made decided strides in actual volume. Besides supplying a large amount of agricultural produce, such as indigo, coffee, sugar, tobacco, timber, cereals, and all kinds of fruits, there are several manufactories which turn out silk shawls, shoes, hats, starch, salt, and cigars, as well as sundry distilleries.
The annual Fair is held here on All Saints' Day—namely, November 1—and the city is then very gay from morning to night. Upon this occasion the transactions carried out between the permanent residents and the visitors run into high figures, quantities of local produce and merchandise being bought and sold,the articles of trade consisting mainly of indigo, cheese, cattle, grain, and the retailing of certain foreign goods.
The principal city, San Vicente, is a very picturesque and romantic-looking town, one of the oldest, if not quite the most ancient, in this part of the country, dating as a city as far back as 1658, while it was founded as a town in 1634. To-day, however, the streets have been straightened-out and well paved, while a number of very pleasant suburbs, each with its gardens and avenues of trees, lend additional attractiveness as one approaches the place from the main-road. There are a number of excellent buildings already erected, and several others of altogether imposing dimensions and structural pretensions were going up when I visited the town.
It has long been the desire of the Government to unite San Vicente with San Salvador by railroad, and the line would run via San Miguel, the second city in the Republic, and La Unión, its finest seaport, thus securing also an all-rail route between Acajutla, the most important western port, and La Unión, on the extreme east of the Gulf of Fonseca. The survey was made many years ago, and the line has been proved to be a practicable one, although the work would no doubt be heavy and costly, since much grading, heavy protective masonry, and many bridges, would have to be undertaken. The distance would be about 67·9 kilometres (42·2 miles) between San Salvador and San Vicente by this line of railway, and the cost of the line has been estimated at not less than $2,157,433 (say £431,486), or an average of $51,124 (=£10,225) per mile. The maximum grade in this location would be 2·8 per cent., and the sharpest curves 41 degrees (radius 410·3 feet or 125·1 millimetres).
Department of La Libertad—Physical characteristics—Balsam Coast—Santa Tecla—Department of Sonsonate—Life and hotels—Department of Ahuachapán—City of Ahuachapán—Public buildings and baths—Projected railway extension—Department of Santa Ana—Chief city—Generally prosperous conditions.
Department of La Libertad—Physical characteristics—Balsam Coast—Santa Tecla—Department of Sonsonate—Life and hotels—Department of Ahuachapán—City of Ahuachapán—Public buildings and baths—Projected railway extension—Department of Santa Ana—Chief city—Generally prosperous conditions.
Cities.—Santa Tecla, Opico (2).
Towns.—-La Libertad, Teotepeque, Quezaltepeque (3).
This Department, ranks second in importance to San Salvador, although its population is less than that of either the Departments, of Santa Ana, of Cuscatlán, or of San Miguel. It is joined by excellently-made cart-roads to both the Capital and to San Vicente. As far back as 1896, Mr. J. Imbrie Miller, an American engineer, formerly a member of the Intercontinental Railway Commission, was engaged in surveying a light line of railway from La Libertad to Santa Tecla. Some years later another American, Lieutenant Kennon, proceeded there to take observations for connecting the triangulation with the astronomical monument established there by the United States Hydrographic Office.
The boundaries of this Department are as follows: On the north, the Department of Chalatenango; on the east, San Salvador and La Paz; on the south, the Pacific Ocean; on the west, the Departments ofSonsonate and Santa Ana. The physical features of this part of the Republic are remarkable. The central portion of the Department is very mountainous, being crossed from east to west by the coastal range of mountains and the system of the volcano of Quezaltepeque. The surface of the ground is considerably broken up by a great number of well-defined spurs, which extend from the mountain range to the very borders of the ocean itself. To the west of the volcano is situated an immense basin known as Sapotitau. The northern portion is traversed by lofty ridges between which are found a number of beautifully fertile plains.
Fortunately for the good people of La Libertad, the giant volcano Quezaltepeque has long ceased to trouble them, and, indeed, it is said to be extinct; it is, however, never safe to speak too confidently upon this matter, since Nature has a rude manner of disillusioning us at times. This particular volcano, it may be said, has been quiescent so long that for many years it has been regarded as quite harmless. It stands nearly 7,400 feet high above sea-level, the upper part forming a cone occupied by a crater which is between seven and eight miles in circumference, and 1,100 feet deep; at the bottom lies a small lake.
It is in this Department that is located the famous Balsam Coast, and as I speak very fully elsewhere (see Chapter XVII.) of the valuable tree which grows there, with its usefulness to the country as a means of substantial revenue, it is unnecessary to do more than mention that the valleys where the trees are found are extremely fertile; and besides yielding the particular spice in question, they produce rich harvests of coffee, sugar, indigo, corn, rice, and timber. Here are to befound additionally several successful sugar refineries and distilleries, as well as some sawmills and many prosperous coffee estates with their rather antiquated machinery installations. In fact, the commerce of La Libertad is of prime importance, and is increasing in volume and value year by year.
The capital of the Department is Santa Tecla (New San Salvador), a town which is most agreeably situated at the foot of the volcano of San Salvador, where it nestles snugly, absolutely indifferent to the violent reputation of its gigantic guardian. The height above sea-level of this charming little place is 2,643 feet, and it is only ten miles distant from the Capital City. It really owes its existence to the misfortunes which overtook the former some half a century ago, and to-day it is one of the most favourite places of residence in the Republic. Wide and handsome streets and many fine residences are the principal features of Santa Tecla, which likewise boasts of a large and well-laid-outparque, several handsome drives, and its own pleasant little suburbs. Notable among its buildings are the Hospital, the Town Hall, the Government Offices, the Hospicio Guirola, built at his own expense by the late Don Angel Guirola, one of Salvador's most esteemed and wealthiest citizens, and two fine churches. The population amounts to between 11,000 and 11,500, and easy connection is made with San Salvador by regular trains, which have now taken the place of an old horse-railroad. The street lighting in the town of Santa Tecla is carried out by private enterprise, and it is very well done. In the month of March, 1907, an agreement was entered into between the Government and La Compañia de Alumbrado Eléctrico, of San Salvador, for the installation in thecity of Nueva San Salvador for the street lighting by thirty-seven arc lamps of 1,200 candle-power and ninety-three incandescent lamps of 16 candle-power. This agreement is for ten years, and so far it has afforded general satisfaction.
Cities.—Sonsonate, Izalco (2).
Towns.—Nahuizalco, El Progreso, Armenia (3).
This Department gains importance from two circumstances: Firstly, it contains the principal port of the Republic—Acajutla—of which a full description will be found under Chapter XVI., "Ports and Harbours"; and, secondly, because its main city, bearing the same name, has already attained great commercial significance, and is rapidly rivalling the Capital itself in the volume of its trade. The boundaries of the Department are as follows: On the north, by the Department of Santa Ana; on the east, by La Libertad; on the south, by the Pacific Ocean; and on the west, by the Department of Ahuachapán. The northern portion of the ground surface is a mass of mountains, of many varied heights and shapes; on the coast, however, it is very level for a certain distance, from which point it rises gradually in a series of gentle slopes and rolling hills, until these lose themselves in the spurs of the surrounding mountain ranges. It is a truly enchanting country, as fair and as fertile as the eye could wish to dwell upon; and away from the seacoast, where it is marshy and damp, the climate is found to be delightful for the greater part of the year.
Here also some stretches of the famous Balsam Coast are to be met with, the trees being more numerousand even higher, than those in the La Libertad Department.
Acajutla must always serve to bring prosperity to Sonsonate, which, as a department, was created in 1855. Its principal agricultural productions comprise coffee, cocoanuts, sugar, cacao, balsam, tobacco, cereals of almost all kinds, fruits of endless variety, and an immense number of different cabinet woods and fibres. There are a considerable number of factories erected in this same Department, employing many hundreds of hands, and turning out refined sugar, cigars, cotton, cloth, pottery, mats, baskets, distilled liqueurs, and salt. The principal city, Sonsonate, is situated some fifty miles from San Salvador, and stands picturesquely upon the banks of the River Sensunapán. Comparatively speaking, this is but a small stream; nevertheless, from a scenic point of view, it is decidedly worthy of mention. It is crossed by a handsome bridge, and its banks are often used as a pleasant promenade and bathing-place by the inhabitants of this agreeable town.
At Sonsonate, which, with Santa Ana, is one of the several towns in Salvador on the route of the itinerant theatrical companies, there is a small wooden-built room, which forms part of the Hotel Blanco y Negro, kept by a very courteous and obliging Spaniard, one Señor Arturo de Soto, who, with the profits derived from thecantinaadjoining, finds in this undertaking the investment of his capital to be fairly profitable. The stage of the unambitious little playhouse is exactly 18 feet wide by 9 feet deep, so that the precise limit of the mounting of dramatic representations presented thereon may be fairly accurately gauged.
The climate of Sonsonate is decidedly warm for thegreater part of the year, and not at all unpleasant in the dry season, except for the fearful wind-storms to which it is at times subjected. Upon these occasions the whole town is temporarily hidden in the clouds of gritty dust, which, moreover, penetrate every crack and crevice of the tightly-closed house shutters, cover the merchants' goods exposed for sale in the shops with a thick layer of dirt, and render life generally, for the time being, something of a burden. So strong is the wind that it whirls around in a sort of wild maëlstrom every stray piece of paper, stick, or any loose rubbish which it can gather, and then deposits them impartially in thepatiosand upon the roofs of the houses, at the same time making complete havoc of gardens and parks.
The market at Sonsonate, an important weekly function, is held on Sundays. The building, completely roofed over, as are all similar constructions in Latin-America, is crowded to excess with sellers, the numbers of buyers, however, being considerably fewer. Every kind of article is exposed for sale, from stuffed and roasted monkeys to the cheapest kind of Manchester cotton goods and cheaper German imitations. The stalls are separated into sections, and practically all of them are presided over by women. It cannot be said that the majority of the edibles look very tempting from a European point of view, being for the most part covered with grease or floating in a thick and sticky compound of fat of a bilious-yellow colour. To the local taste these articles of diet no doubt appeal strongly, since a brisk trade is a carried on in them. Cheap and tawdry fancy goods, highly-coloured and cheaply-framed religious pictures, toys, flimsy dress material, tinselly embroideries, parrots, pencils,pastry, and other curiously diverse articles, are to be found displayed in immediate proximity to dried fish—emitting a powerful and pungent odour—live iguanas (a large species of edible lizard), squawking fowls, and repulsive-looking chunks of bleeding, freshly-killed beef. Altogether an active, if not exactly an attractive, market-place, and one which offers a continually shifting scene of life and colour, enduring from sunrise to sunset.
In regard to hotel accommodation, Sonsonate is decidedly better off than many towns outside the Capital. There are at least three houses from among which the traveller may make his choice.
The Grand Hotel is situated immediately facing the railway-station, and although far from attractive externally, it is quite comfortable and clean within. The rooms, if small, are fairly well-furnished; the dining-room is kept scrupulously clean, and the domestic service generally is prompt and willing. The baths which are found here are not at all bad, and are likewise kept very clean. A good business is carried on, apparently, by the proprietors, Messrs. Brando y Emeldi, since every train on the Salvador Railway stops at Sonsonate, whether proceeding north or south, or, more strictly speaking, east or west. Before its journey from the port of Acajutla to the capital of San Salvador, the train remains for one hour, and the down-train remains for two hours. Inasmuch as the hotel maintains quite a respectable cellar, and there is plenty of time for the passengers to test its contents, the proprietors find this part of the hotel business a remarkably profitable one.
The hotel in this town of second importance is El Blanco y Negro (Black and White). The situationis decidedly preferable to that of the Grand, being in a side but wide street, out of hearing range of the inevitable noise proceeding at the railway-station, but in other respects it is less attractive to the many.
Cities.—Ahauchapán, Atiquizaya (2).
Being the immediate neighbour of the sister Republic of Guatemala, this Department was once destined to become the route for the railway which was to—and may yet—connect up the two States by an iron link. It is bounded on the north and the west by this Republic, and on the east by the Departments of Sonsonate and Santa Ana. Very rugged and very wild is the northern part of the country, but there are several level plains north of the coastal range of mountains which crosses the country from east to west. Here are also several active volcanoes; the number of hot springs and sulphur baths should one day draw considerable visitors, more especially since the waters, medicinally speaking, are said to rank among the most wonderfully curative in the world. If these springs and baths were located anywhere but in little-known Salvador, they would probably be thronged with patients from all over the globe, seeking their beneficent and speedy aid against the ravages of blood complaints, rheumatism, and skin diseases.