Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-12-17
A Colombian Commander Re-
 quested Vessel to Move On.
WAR NOT YET DECLARED.

Therefore. This Colombian Commapder Says the. United States Vessels Have No Business There-The Co- lombians Are Busy Protecting and
 Strengthening Themselves Tor the Future.
 Colon, Dec IT, 80 a. nls-Tke
 United States cruiser Atlanta, CoIa-
 mander William H. Turner, returned
 here last night from the gulf of Dari-
 en. She discovered December 15 a
 detachment of Colombian troops. nuns
 bering yisually about 500 men, but ac-
 cording to their statements totailing 1.500 or 2,OOO men. at Tituniato. on theA
 western side of the gulf, just north Of the Atrato river and due east from 1ayiz. The commander of the Atlan-
 ia sent ashore an officer, who com
 versed with the Colombian conmand- . CT. The latter protested energeticaNv i against the presence of American war ships ill Colombian waters, inasmuch
 as war between Colombia and fiag United States had not been declared, and politely requested the Atlanta to leave the gulf. because 1t Belonged t0 Colombia. Commanders Turner ig~ Ilored the request and the Atlanta fe turned to Colon to report to Rear Ad~
 mfral Coglllan.
 The Colombians. are evidently busy with protective and strengthening measures. Although they treated tile Americans courteously they decidedly
 resented the presence of the AtIanta's S
 landing party. The Colombian force was composed partly of the men land cd recently at. the Atrato' river by the
 Colombian cruisers. Carta9ena and
 General Pinzon.
 Early in the morning of December 15, the Atlanta sighted small schoon- CT in the center of the Gulf of Darien and followed her to the western shore where the schooner attempted to hide behind an isiet. Lieutenant Harlan F. Perrill. of, the Atlanta, was order ed to board her and sthereIpan q whaleboat was lowered and pulled to- wards the schooner. Through the courtesy of the. naval officers the cor respondent. of the Associated Pressr accompanied the party in the whale boat. 1t was found that the schooner had on board hundred armed Coloin~ bian soldiers, commanded by General Rafael Novo, who said General Dan iel sQrtiy, cominander-in chief Of fhe Colombian forces of tue Atlantic ami Pacific, had a large camp 4a mile ay;sv on the mainland. General Novo ,,e. quested Lieutenant PerriH to land a3,d confer with General Ortiz. After fefn- porarily returning to the Aflanfa. lieutenant Perrfll .weht back to. tie schooner, which, in the meantime, had taken up a position of , >each within q small bay. Great ( ement ore vailed among the Colomuians on the Whalehoat's approach.
 There were repeated cries Of nVfva Colombia and there was q sudden concentration of about i5O Colombian soldiers on the beach, For some mos ments the situation appeared danger- { ous and had the appearance of m ambuscade General Ortiz apneaved on the beach when Lieufenalit perrill went ashore, the whaleboat fra fhe meanwhile lying close to the beach. General Ortiz insisted that Lieuten ant PerriIl should fly the Colombian lag at the bow of the whaleboaf. or lower the American flag at her stern. because she was in Colombian waters lieutenant Perrill replied that he siid not have Colombian flag and refns- ed to lower the stars and stffpes.
 General Ortiz did not insist upon n1s so doing. but. he protested fn writing against the presence of Amer lcans in Colombian waters. Lieuten- ant Perrill accepted the protest and conveyed 1t to Commander Turner. who handed it to Rear Admiral go&h Ian on his arrival here.
 During the conference with the fso- ' lombians ashore, Lieutenant perrill was surrounded by General Orfix,xI stan, While inland, few paces, there was a semi-circle of armed sentinels. Ine beach in both directions was also lined by sentinels. General Ortiz did not permit Lieutenant PerriIl to leave the point of the beach where he land ed. While Perrill was, awaiting the Colombian protest, Lieutenant Edward E. Manwaring. U. s. M. O., rowed up in a cutter for the purpose Of com municatng with Lieutenant PerriU and to gain certain military inforrna ton, Lieutenant Nfanwaring went. ashore and the cutter joined flle whaleboat off the beach.
 Lieutenant- Perrill returned to the Atlanta at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Lieutenant Manwaring before return ing, pulled the cutter along the coast. observing the Colombians camp. Later in the day General Ortiz requested the Atlanta to leave
 The Colombian camp appeared to be permanent, was well provisioned and probably destined to be used as base of operations.
 General Ortiz and others freely ex- pressed the determination of CoIon,- bia- to fight to the bitter end in case General Reyess visit to Washington is not successful and Panama is not. to Colombia.
 GRINDERS RETURN TO WORK.
 Meriden, Dec 17.-Twenty grinders from factory H of tue Internasio