St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-05-13
Strangely Found Pearls
BY Charles Adams

4 FTER the failure of NJ. Ferdinand
~ de Lesseps' first grand effort to
excavate the Panama canal. there en-
sued depressing period when for sew.
eral years nothing whatever was done.
and millions of dollars worth of expen-
sive machinery lay exposed to wind and
weather, and to thieves who carried off
immense quantities of plunder.
At length an attempt was made to
stay these losses. Painters were EN-
ployed to coat the excavators. dredges.
cranes. dragues. locomotives and other
machines with waterproof paints. and
guards were sent to patrol the line of
works.
Among the guards were a young
American whose name is given as Ed
mond Harris, Hollander named Van
Week. from Rotterdam, and one
Michael Doohey. an Irishman. Their
business was to care for the marine
dredges i'm The .'Boca.' or western end
of the canal trench. near the harbor
of Panama 4 small steam-launch was
provided in which they made their
rounds. and on holidays they sometimes
used this boat for excursions to other
points on the bay. The most interest
ing of these jaunts, and one attended
by curious adventure. was to the ruins
Of Panama Niejo told PanamaD. six or
eight miles south of tie modern city.
Old Panama, the city first built by
the Spaniards when at the zenith of
their new world prosperity. was taken,
plundered and burned by the bnccaneer
Morgan in 1911. For century it had
been the richest city of the western
hemisphere. containing at one time
fully 10000 Inhabitants, and being
called from its position: The Gate of
the New World" Hither were brought
the spoils of Peru. by Pizarro. and gold
and silver in vast quantities from the
newly opened mines. A well-payed
highway connected ii with Porto Bello.
on the Atlantic side of the isthmus.
Of Old Panama nothing now remains
except the crumbling walls of the
churches and palaces. overgrown by
vines. in the midst of d dense tropical
forest. One lofty tower alone rises
above the tree-tops. that of the Church
of St Anastasius.
Steaming in here at high tide. our
three adventnrers entered bayou. or
creek mouth. leading beneath a stone
bridge. the arch of which is still stand
ing. to landlocked lagoon which once
formed the city's haven for small craft.
Here they left the launch. and first
&h.> x,1l Synno hrsIra ric;tnJ
the.church tower. Then they wandered
curiously about the site of the old town.
The place is NOW wholly overgrown
with Jungle. and to move about or to
follow the lines of the old streets ii is
necessary that a machetero. or man
working with a machete. should go in
advance and literally cleave out a path.
Pablo. the half-breed fireman of the
launch. undertook this task. but was
soon covered by garrapatas. or wood
ticks While he was clearing himself
OF them, Mike Doohey took up the
machete and cut path for several hun
ired yards. over old walls and vine
grown masonry. when to his great dis
comfiture he suddenly discovered
large hooded viper clinging to his boot.
The reptile had struck its fangs into the
leather. but fortunately had not been
able to bite throughit.
This was too much for the Irishman.
Il wish yez JOY of your walk. gen.
tlemen." said he. For mesilf. / shall
lave We the snakes and the bugs. and go
back to the launch and shmoke me
pipe"
d He left them abruptly, and Pablo re-
sumed the machete, all keeping sharp
eve out for snakes. They had gone on
but few yards when a atremendous yell
from Mike caused them to turn
"vell. / wonder what next shall be de
matter. vid de Irishmans." exclaimed
Van Week.
Harris went hastily back. mike.
Mike.. he shouted. sWhat's the mat
ter? Where are you?"
At first he got no reply, but heard
strange gurgling, swashing sound, as
Of water. that seemed to come from the
earth near by. Then came q muffied
cry Of Help. Help"
.Ff1rris then caught sight of hole in
-y6s thick verdure and vines of the path
i6yser Which they had just come. and
Sbproaching. found that Mike had
Euen. down the deep shaft Of an old
.SDanifh well With Van Weeks aid,
Harris quickly pulled away the vines
sndtgained q better idea Of the dimen-
sios.s OF the hole. It was six or seven
feet across; they had walked unsus-
pectingly along the very brink Of it.
sIs the water deep, Mike? Can you