August 3, 1951 Eruption of Cosiguina

On August 3, 1951, strong earthquakes split open the sides of the long dormant Cosiguina volcano, inactive since 1835, sending tons of water crashing down from a crater in its center and inundating the small Pacific coast port of Potosi. (reference #273)

Reference #11823: Chinandega, 4. - Latest news from Puerto Morazan is that more boats have arrived at the port from Potosi and "Las Pozas", the most impacted by the earthquakes in the country.

Friday at 9:30pm it was felt here in Chinandega another strong shaking and at 4am yesterday (Saturday) another 2 less intense ones woke people up and sent them into the streets.

People that arrived yesterday from Chinandega said at the railroad station that a hill called "Virginia" is growing near the Cosiguina volcano, thinking that it may be a new volcano about to erupt. That hill is responsible for the earthquakes that has struck places in the west, earthquakes that have up until now numbered 88, in Corinto only 40 have been felt, in Chinandega 38 in the city, yesterday and Puerto Morazan. (1951 August 5, Sunday. La Prensa newspaper.)

One idea of the types of phenomena occurring in the Gulf of Fonseca is given by a cable from San Salvador yesterday that crewmen from fishing boats that ran the Gulf of Fonseca near Nicaragua say that various kilometers offshore the water is reddish due to being in contact with volcanic chemicals , the result of the volcanic activity of Cosiguina in Nicaragua. "The same informants - adds the cable - said that they have seen patches of dead fish surely poisoned by the same volcanic substances".(1951 August 7, Tuesday. La Prensa newspaper.)

Strong earthquakes last night in Chinandega. Chinandega, 7. This night at the first hours, two strong earthquakes shook the population. The inhabitants, scared, slept in the streets, as they fear more earthquakes and loss of life. Until, now none has occurred. - Correspondent Albir.

Telephone message from our correspondent in Chinandega, Guerreo Albir, in the first hours of the night yesterday, informs us that at 6am no earthquakes had occurred in the city but in Puerto Morazan in the region of Cosiguina they have continued. In Puerto Morazan, last night 11 earthquakes were felt, four of which were of great intensity. It is confirmed that "San Juan" volcano, which continues to emit smoke, has produced all of these earthquakes. (1951 August 8, Wednesday. La Flecha newspaper.)