The Portland daily press., 1885-04-03
COLON'S CALAMITY.
Serious Loss of Mails by Burning
of the City.
The O. e. Government Taking Prompt
Measures to Protect Americans.

WARRINGTON, April I'm answer to a tele-
gram, 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 company's vessels can take to
Aspinwall without delay, the following reply
was received this morning.
'fWe can convey 200 men in the City of Para to-
morrow at noon, and 600 in the Acapulco next
Monday"
Secretary Whitney replied:
''We will ship 200 men by your steamer to-mor-
row noon with tents and camp equipape.
The Tennessee, with Admiral Jouett, will leave
New Orleans, probably to-day, with extra com
plement of marines and provisions for Aspinwall,
and this will place at Aspinwal four ships and be-
tween 400 and 500 men available for land service.
AS TO- Mondays steamer. will communicate here
after"
The men will be taken from the Brooklyn
navy yard. In reply TO telegram sent to
Commander Kane of the Galena, the follow
ing was received to-day:
''Transit is. closed. Steamship property is safe
and in my possession, as 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 Secretary Whitney
had determined to protect American interests
on the Isthmus by force, there was consider.
able excitement among the naval officers on
duty in Washington. A number of them
Immediately volunteered their services to go
to Aspinwall. The selection Of officers, how
ever, has been left to the board of detail,
which convened at 11.30 .. m. It is under
stood that Major Charles Haywood of the
Marine Corps will have immediate command
OF the marines. A naval officer of rank, how
ever, will probably be in command Of the ex-
pedition.
A prominent navy officer, speaking of the
Panama difficulty, said to-day:
SIT is subject of regret among naval officers
that the sailors, who will probably form part Of
the forces to be sent to the Isthmus will not be
well armed as the marines, even well as the
forces with which they will have to contend Their
arms consist OF short magazine guns which will not
compare in range with Springfield rifles Neither
are they supplied with bayonets."
PORTSMOUTH, n. H., April "A despatch
was received here To-day from Secretary Whit
ney, ordering ninety marines to Brooklyn for
duty at Panama. They were sent by the first
train.
PROVIDENCE, r. l., April I'm accordance
with orders received from Washington, all
the marines on the United States steamer
New Hampshire at Newport have their be-
longings packed ready for instant departure
for service.
NEW YORK. April 2-J. B. Hunston, presi-
dent Of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company,
Gays:
''We have had no dispatches from Aspinwall
since morning, when the town was announced as
burned down. AS to whether the rebellion still
been a surprise to me. There are 120 600 white
men on the Isthmus and plenty of arms and why
the Americans and Europeans should not have
banded themselves together for the protection of
life and property. cannot imagine. The arms and
ammunition taken from Colon were given up by
Consul. who in the hands Of the revolutionists
and from whom the order was forced by threats Of
DEATH"
New YORK, April g. Advices from Aspin-
wall, received by Postmaster Pearson, report
a serious loss OF mail in the destruction of that
oitV hV fra the 31at nit a anti oil
for the South Pacific, despatched from New
York on the 21st ult by the steamer Colon,
was destroyed, and also the registered mail
and ordinary paper mail for Aspinwall sent by
the same steamer. The letter mail was nearly
all delivered before the fire broke out. AS
accurately as can now be stated, the mail for
Central America and the Pacific Coast of
South America burned consisted of $50 pack.
ages OF registered mail, 10 sacks of ordinary
letters and 80 sacks of papers.
PHILADELPHIA, April 2.-Captains Fagan
and Cochrane and go men of the United States
Marine Corps left League Island navy yard to-
day at three hours notice for New York, to
sail thence tomorrow for Panama.
WASHINGTON, April 2-Government officials
sre of the opinion that the transit will not con-
tinue closed for any length of time. 1t will
depend upon the information derived in the
meantime whether any additional force will be
sent to Aspinwall Monday. The Pacific Mail
Steamship Company has reduced the rate for
taking the men TO $40 per1nan, including
their Subsistence upon the passage and includ-
ing tents and camp equipage. This covers
about the actual cost to the company for TAX
ing them. The four ships of war, which will
be at AspiBwall by the time the Pacific 6iail
steamer arrives, have Gatling guns for use on
the land and force of sailors trained in their
management If on arrival at Aspinwall it
appears that the trouble is over, the marines
will probably be transferred to the msn-of-
war, increasing their complement in each case,
or return to New York, as the circumstances
seem to make judicioua.
Commander b. FL. McCalla and Lieutenant
7. B. Mason, on duty here, left for New York
this afternoon to aid in transferring the
marines to the City of Para. After the depar-
ture of the 200 men tomorrow, about an equal
number of marines will remain in the various
yards.