The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1901-11-29
o. .. TAKES
blue5ackets Keep Railroad Transit
Open ON the Isthmns.

Keep Railroad Transit
Open ON the Isthnpns.
Washington, Nov. 2~7.-According tc
the latest advices to the state depart
ment the Colombian government has
apparently won a victory over the in
s~urgents, OF Liberals. on the Isthmus
OF Panama. 1t is not known here,
however, whether Color has been re-
taken. A large force of American blue
jackets and marines is ashore on the
isthmus, under command OF Capt.
Thomas Perry of the battleship Iowa.
h force is endeavoring to keep rail-
road transit open between Panama and
Colon, and at last accounts had sue
ceeded In doing SC. 1t was halfway
across the isthmus when last heard
from.
Information to the foregoing effect,
with some additional details, was yes
terday received by the government
here. The first message came from
Lieutenant Commander Henry McCrea
of the gunboat Machias. 1t was Mr..
McCrea who landed a force OF men
from his ship to
Protect the Railroad Is
station at Coloa as soon as the Liber-
ais took the town. In the dispatch re-
ceived from him he said that the CO.
lombian gunboat Gen. Pinzon, which
arrived at Colon Sunday, threatened to
ombard the place. Thereupon Mr..
McCrea served notice on the Pinzon's
commander that he must not lombard
for twenty-fOur hours, in order to give
time for the removal of non-combat-
ants. In his telegram to the navy de-
partment Mr.. McCrea asked for in
structions as to his future course.
The response Of the avy department
clother Mr.. McCrea with the fullest
discretion. He was directed to see that
American interests were protected and
to do practically as he pleased in car
rying out the instructions. 1t is gem
orally believed in official circles that
Mr.. McCrea will decline to permit the
Pinzon to lombard Colon, as the place
ID unfortifed. International law is
firmly opposed to an attack with heavy
ordnance on
A UnfOrtifled Town.
From the dispatches received from
Mr.. Gudger, the United States consul
general at Panama, and Capt. Perry of
the Iowa, 1t Is supposed that Capt.
Perry is in personal command Of the
marines and blue jackets landed from
the Iowa to preserve free transit across
the isthmus. Yesterday afternoon in
structions were telegraphed by the
navy department to assume command
Of all the American war vessels in
isthmian waters. These ships are the
Iowa n the gunboats Ma chias, Mari
eta n Concord. The last named ar
rived at Panama yesterday under or
der to relieve the Iowa. but in view of
the renewal of hostilities both ships
will be retained at hat place. The
Machias and the Marietta are al Colon.
The text Of Capt. Perry's dispatches
was not made public by the navy de-
partment, which authorized only the
following statement Of it's contents:
Gen. Alban with 600 men is fighting
the Liberals on h line near Empire Ia
town about halfway across the 18TH
mus:
Transit IL I'm Danger
OF interruption. Capt. Perry has landed
a detachment OF men from the Iowa
n one to take q train through and
make the transit clear and establish
attachments to keep 1t So"
The dispatch to the state department
from Consul General Gudger. He
said that Capt. Perry had started
across the isthmus from Panama with
$50 men. to open a way for trains.
Fighting was going on among the CO.
lombians. Mr.. Gudger reported, but
there was little danger to the American
troops.
A later and more important message
was received from Mr.. Gudger yester-
day afternoon. He said that the Amer
lean blue Jackets and marines (pre-
sumably those under Capt. Perry had
arrived at Matachin, halfway across
the isthmus. and there was no obstruc-
ton to the railway and that the Colon
bian government forces seemed to be
over the insurgents.
Free Transis Re-estab lished.
Later advices, while showing the sit
uation on the isthmus to be still un-
settled, contain the information that
free transit by way Of the railroad has
been r~eSestablished. These advices
came in a dispatch received by Secre-
tary Long from Capt. Perry of the
Iowa, who has made q trip across the
Isthmus from Panama to Colon, from
which place he sent q telegram. an ,x-
tract of which h secretary made
public as follows:
Capt. Perry reports that free transit
across the isthmus IL restored and that
he returns to Panama this afternoon. !
The captain will leave . guard on
each passenger train for the present."
IN DANGER OF STARVING.
Half . Million Of People In the
Yangtse Valley District.
Washington, Nov. q. John Good |
now, consul general at Shanghai, re-
ports to the state department that