Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-05-01
Our Navy on the Isthmus.

Inc present instruction III the |.
5. Of Columbia is only distinguished
from the many and frequent insur-
rections which have taken place in
that country for the last 90 years by
its magnitude and long continuance.
The state Of Panama, the largest
and most important of the s States
OF which this country is composed,
contains within It's limits that neck
of land known as the Isthmus of
Panama, through which runs the
Panama II. r., and the proposed
route of the Panama Canal. The
town of Aspinwall or Colon, marks
the Atlantic terminus of the railroad
and the city of Panama, the Pacific
terminus. The railroad distance be-
tween these two places is about II
miles.
On March Both, the instructions
lists, under the command of n negro
lawyer named Prestan, seized the
town of Aspinwall, and Prestan de-
manded from the officials of the Pa
ciflc Mail S. S. Company the deliv-
cry OF package of arms shipped
from New York on the American S.
S. Colon. Upon the refusal of this
demand, Prestan made prisoners of
two of the S. S. Company's officials,
the L. S. Consul and Lieutenant
of the L. S. man-of- war Galena, then
lying in the harbor. Some two hours
later the Lieutenant escaped to his
vessel. In the meantime the insur-
rectionists swarmed aboard the Colon,
and the officers of the steamer hoisted
the American flag, union down-a
signal of distress. While this was
going on Prestan had compelled the
L. S. Consul, under threat of in
slant death, to give him a written
order for the delivery of the arms,
and with him had gone on board the
Colon. As soon as Commander
Kane, of the Galena, saw the signal
of distress, and was informed of the
cause, he called away all his boats,
armed and equipped for a cutting
out expedition and sent them to sieze
the Colon in the name of the U. S.
Government. AS soon as the boats
got alongside the Colon the insur-
rectionists fed in all directions. The
sailors removed the Colon from the
wharf and the Galena steamed down
to her place and landed two gatling
guns TO guard the American proper
ty on the wharf. The next morning
III men and 4 guns were landed
from the Galena, and when the town
was afterwards fired by Prestan
these men and their officers succeed
ed in saving nearly all the American
property in it.
A few days afterwards, Admiral
Jas. E. Jouett "a native of kentucky
commanding the North Atlantic Sta
ton, arrived at Aspinwall in the
Flagship, Tennessee, and took charge
Of American interest on the Isthmus.
AT the same time a battery Of 6 gat-
ling guns with 200 sailors and $50
marines arrived from New York, and
were sent to Panama, clearing the
line of railway transit on their route
across the Isthmus. The Daily pa
pers have given us a full account OF
their actions since reaching there.
They now guard the immense prop
erty of the Pacific Mail aud Panama
Railroad in the southeast corner of
the city of Panama, and are prepared
to move in any direction at a mo.
ment's notice.
Each train which crosses the 18TH
mus carries two extra cars, with steel
clad sides-one in front and one in
the rear, in each of which is a guard
of 40 sailors with 2 gatling guns.
In addition to the force on shore
the five U. S. men-of-war at Aspin
wall and the two at Panama are pre-
! pared to land fighting force of ovel