Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-04-03
WAsuISeroS. April ..

WAsHINeroN, April 3.
In answer to = telegram sent last night by
Secretary Whitney TO the president OF the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company at New
York. relative TO the number OF men the COM
pany's vessel can take to Aspinwall without
delay, the following reply was received this
morning; ''We can carry 200 men in the
City of Paris tomorrow at noon, and 600 in
the Acapulco next Monday"
Secretary Whitney replied: I'VE will
ship 200 men by your steamer tomorrow
noon, with tents and camp equpsge."
The Tennessee, with Admiral Jonett will
leave New Orleans probably today, with an
extra complement of marines for Aspinwall
and with extra provisions. This will place
four ships and between 400 and 500 available
men At Aspinwall for land service. The men
will be taken from Brooklyn navy yard.
In reply to telegram sent to Commander
Kane of the Galens. the following was re-
ceived today: Transit is closed. Steam
ship property is safe and in my possession /;
also the railroad property at the north end of
the island. 1t is advisable to send another
vessel"
When it was learned in the navy depart
ment this morning that the secretary had de-
| termined to protect American intetests at the
lsthmus by force, there was considerable ex-
ciemeht ahohg the ha'ai onhcers on uutv
here. number of them Immediately volun-
teered their services to go to Aspinwall. The
selection OF officers, however, has been left to
a board of detail which convened at IL 30.
1t is understood that Major Charles Hay
wood of the Maine corps, will have immediate
command OF the marines. Naval officers OF
rank, however, VIII probably be In command
of the expedition.
Lieut.. Rogers of the navy, who has recently
returned from Aspinwali, says the town con-
tains between five and ten thousand people
IL is constructed on an island and contains
two principal thoroughfares, along one of
which the Panama railroad runs. One street
contains business houses and hotels built of
stone. The other, some business houses and
residences, the upper stories of which are of
wood. The natives (lndians) occupy matched
buildings, grouped on another portion of the
island. There are two or three hundred
Americans in the place who are employed at
the docks and in storehonses. The docks,
the lieutenant says, are valuable pieces of
property, as is also an extensive English
storehouse, butt OF stone. This house. to-
gether with the docks, with the exception of
that used by the Pacific Mail company, were
destroyed. Until the construction OF the rail
road, Asplnwall was nothing more than an
Indian village.
The government officials are of the opinion
that the transit will not continue closed for
any length OF time. 1t will depend on the
information derived in the meansime, " hether
any additional force Will be sent to Aspin-
wall Monday. The Pacific Mail Steamship
Co. has reduced the rate of taking the men to
$40 per man, including their subsistence on
the passage, and including their tents and
camp equipage. This covers about the
actual cost to the company for taking them.
The four ships OF war, which will be at As
pinwall by the time the Pacific Mail steames
arrives, have Gattling guns Tor use on land,
and force of sailors trained in their man
agement. 1t, on their arrival at Aspinwall,
| 1t appeaas that the trouble Is over, the ma
| rines will probably be transferred to the men
of-war, increasing their compliment in each
case, or return to New York, as circum-
stances seem to make Judicious.
PORTSMOUTH, N. H., April 2.
A despatch from Secretary Whitney was
received at kittery, Thursday, ordering 80
marines to Brooklyn for Panama, to be sent
by the first train.
PROVIDENCE, April 2.
In accordance with orders received from
Washington, all the marines on the U. s.
| snip New Hampshire at Newport, have their
belongings packed ready for instant depart
ure fer service.
| NEW YORK, April 2.
}. b. Hurston, president of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company, says: 1--WE have
had no despatches from Asplnwall since
morning. when the town was announced as
burned down. AS to whether the rebellion
still progresses, cannot say. The whole
incident has been asurprise to me. There
are l2,0Oo white men on the lsthmus and
plenty OF arms. why the Americans and
Europeans did not band themselves together
tor the protection OF life and property, l can't
| imagine. The arms and ammunition taken
| rom Coioh were gwen up py our people
under an order from the U. ). consul, who
was IN the hands OF the revolutioDists, and
from whom the order was forced by threats
OF death
Cable advices from Aspinwall received by
Postmaster Pearson, report serious loss of
mail in the destruction OF that city by fire on