The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-25

men. They landed with a rush and
double-quicked to the freight shed of
the Panama Railroad.
Ihls bullding-a heavy stone struc-
ture-was admirably fitted for purposes
OF defense. 1t faces directly down the
street. along which the Colombian
troops would have had to come to at
tack the Americans in Colon, and the
only entrance to it is a large arch.
! through which the trains pass. Into
this arch was run a common fiat
car, with bales of cotton laid across
the end. Other bales of cotton were
used to close the remainder of the
opening, and the entire front of the
building was baricaded with the same
| material. This part of the work was
superintended by Col. Black, U. s. A,
who happened to be in Colon from
Culebra, and who cheerfully rendered
to the naval force the benefit of his
engineering skill The Nashvilles
landing party had brought with them
arms and ammunition for those CIV
ilians who might be disposed to as
sist in the work of defending Ameri-
can interests. and about twenty en-
ployes of the Panama Railroad. and
other foreigners volunteered for this
service.
The Americans Were Cool.
The situation is pronounced by Col.
Shaler, a Civil War veteran, who has
been in more than one close place, TO
have been one of the most desperate
he has ever known. Against force
of 450 Colombian soldiers there was
opposed not more than sixty Ameri-
can sailors, marines and civilians. A
brave DASH had it been attempted by
I the Colombians, might have put them
! in command Of the situation, by
| enabling them to overwhelm the de-
Tending force; but for some reason
J the dash was not attempted. All OF
the afternoon of the 4th the antagonists
waited. The Colombians were Kept
| closely in their garrisons, while the
| American force did not stir from the
barrcaded freight house. The latter
realized that if they should be assault
| ed victory would almost certainly rest
with the superior numbers, but they
were prepared to sell their lives dear
| ly, and their department at this crit
| ical stage was such as to deserve the
admiration of the nation. The little
| company of forty jackies was there
| to do the work necessary to keep
| transit on the isthmus open, and never
for a moment did they falter in their
! determination. Col. Black and Lieut..
! enant Commander Wttzel were cool
throughout the ordeal, directing opera
! lions as calmly as though they had an
army back of them, and Capt HUB
bard of the Nashville did not hesitate
for one instant.
| While the American sailors and civil
! ians were preparing to defend them
| selves and all American interests on
! the Colon side of the isthmus, Gov.
Mollendes was continuing his negotia-
| lions with Col Torres. Earlier in the
morning Col. Shaler had played his
| cards so adroitly as to have cleared
| the situation of the menace offered by
| the presence of the Colombian gunboat
| Cartagena. When that boat reached
! Colon on Tuesday morning she was
| short of water. There was plenty of
coal in her bunkers, but of water there
was virtually none. and the entire
| available supply of fresh water for
, stocking ships at that port is controlled
! by the railroad company, Which MAIN
| tains and operates it's own water
/ works. Wishing to refill his water
tanks the Cartagena's commander call
ed upon Col Shaler to negotiate for
the needed supply. Col. Shaler is a
most kindly disposed gentleman, al
ways ready to help a fellow-being out
of a dilemma; but then the Colom-
bian government was indebted to the
railroad company to the amount of
$1,000 (gold) for coal, water and other
supplies furnished Colombian naval
vessels from time to time. Knowing
what had transpired at Panama Col.
Shaler thought that 1t would be wise
to collect the debt and exact payment
for the water needed by the Cartagena
before assuming the role of a bene-
factor to the Colombian naval estab-
lishment. He remembers, too, that he
had received positive orders not to
furnish further accommodation to Co.
lombian naval forces, and with much
regret he explained his inability to
aid the Colombian commander.
The latter opined at once that Gov.
Obaldia at Panama, would undertake
to see to it that the delinquent bill
was paid, and after some discussion
upon that point asked permission to
telegraph to Obaldia. Col Shaler was
quite willing to facilitate the Colon
bian commander to the attainment of
his desires; but glancing out of his win
dow he saw rolling into the railroad
yards the morning train from Panama.
The time had come when censorship
over the telegraph and telephone was
useless to prevent knowledge of the
secession from Colombia being commu
nicated to the troops from that repub-
lie. so when the Cartagena's captain
was about to telegraph to Gov. Obal-
dia, Col. Shaler remarked, almost cas-
ually:
There is no Governor of Panama"
The Colombian captain was natur-
ally dumbfounded at this statement,
and asked for an explanation. which
was readily given him by Col. Shaler,
who maintained his placid demeanor
and quietly he detailed the circum-
stances attendant upon the revolution
of the day preceding, and clearly DEM
onstarted to the Cartagena's com
mander that there was no Governor
of Panama, hence there was nobody
on the isthmus who could guarantee
the payment of the railroads bill for
$1,000. 1t was nicely done, and the
Colombian was brought to appreciate
Just why it was that the railroad
could not refill the Cartagenas tanks.
There was some further talk between
the two men, and the Colombian naval
captain then left Col. Shaler going
directly to his ship, which sailed out
of the port a few minutes later, with
out having communicated with Col.
Torres. and leaving the troops she had
landed the day before to shift for
themselves.
lie Was Paid to LEAVE.
with the Cartagena gone, and with
the freight house in control of and
strongly barricaded by the American
force. Col. Torres consented late on
the afternoon of the fourth OF the
month to incline his ear to Mollendes'
arguments. He, too, was brought to
see the futility Of opposing the newt
able and already accomplished inde-
pedence OF Panama, and at last con.
scented to re-embark his troops and sail
away from Colon in return for $4,000
Cf