The Indianapolis journal., 1903-12-07

THE NAsHvILLE's ARRIVAL
THAT PERHAPS PREVENTED A MOST
DEADLY CONFLICT.
of the Associated Press.

Correspondence Of the Associated Press.
COLON, Republic of Panama, Nov D.
There were two days at Colon when a
few Americans under the command OF
Lieutenant Commander Witzel. L. S. N.
faced a desperate chance and looked IL
calmly in the face: and, although this Is
the custom OF our sailors and soldiers the
world over. and although the terse press
dispatch and the formal and modest re-
port given out az Washington by the Navy
Department covered the happenings here
on Nov. and 5. still the few meh who
met a dangerous situation with unfiinch-
ing courage and faced tho possibility of a
fight against great odds with never
quiver, deserve that their actions be re-
corded.
On Nov. 2 the United States gunboat
Nashville. Capt. John Hubbard. came into
Colon. Her presence was welcome on both
sides of the isthmus to every man con-
cerned in the brewing secession move
ment but the surface observer of affairs
saw nothing to make her coming necessary;
there was apparently no revolution on
foot and the traffic over the Panama Rail-
road aid not appear to be threatened
The next morning, Tuesday, Nov. 3, the
Colombian gunboat Cartagena Unexpectedly
steamed into Colon with 450 Colombian
troops on board. The news was flashed
over the wires to the other side and the
was nervous excitement at Panama.
In the meantime other events were trans
piring in Colon. The captain of the Carta-
gena wanted fresh water for his boilers and
he approached the head of the firm In
Colon which supplies this demand. The
head of the firm told the captain he GER
tainly could have water, but as the Colom-
bian governemnt owed him then about
$1,000 gold for water supplied upon previous
occasions, he was sorry ne could sell no
more water other than on cash basis. The
captain of the Cartagena had no money.
neither did the Colombian perfect OF Colon
The captain said the Governor Of Panama.
head of the. firm looked the captain
squarely in the eyes and said:
''But, captain, there is no Governor OF
The captain, who had not yet heard the
news, was astounded.
What he exclaimed. mo Governor Of
Panama?'
mo; there has been a successful revo-
luton and Governor Obaldia is prisoner.
The captain spoke never a word bus
turned and walked to his gunboat. which
was moored to a pier ready TO be connected
with the water tubes Ee cast on and
moved his ship short way out into the
harbor and anchored. Twenty minutes
trusively steamed OF in the direction OF
Savanilla.
During these proceedings $50 Colombian
soldiers had taken up their position and
threatened to attack the handful OF Amer
leans. Both stood eyeint, each other for
two long days. They were days OF sus- us
pense. The Americans were purely on the
defensive.
For two days a handful ef Americans had
faced a critical situation. For three hours
on Thursday afternoon seventy men had
looked calmly into the rifles of $50 Colom-
bians and no man could tall from one mo-
ment to another when the fight might be-
gin And the fight that they all feared.
but which rore finched trom. could have
resulted in nothing else than annihilation.
The courage, wisdom and Calmness OF Capt
Hubbard and the other officers mentioned,
and the fearlessness. determination and
obedience of the men Of their command
deserve further mention tl&an that given IN
the terse rress dispatchc@ or the modest
Washington report