The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-07
HOW THE AMERICANS
FACED DANGER AT COLON
Details Of the Thrilling Events of the Outbreak
Of the ISthmIan Revolution

Colon, Republic of Panama, Nov.
23.-There were two days at Colon
when a few Americans, under the
command of Lieut.. Commander Witzel,
Il. S. NJ, faced desperate chance and
looked it calmly in the face; and al
though this is the custom of our sail
ors and soldiers the world over, and
although the terse press dispatch and
the formal and modest report given
out at Washington by the Navy De-
partment covered the happenings here
on Nov. and 5, still the few men
who met a dangerous situation with
O1nffinching courage and faced the
possibility Of a fight against great odds
with never a culver, deserve that their
actions be recorded more in detail, and
fairly presented to the people at home
On Nov. @ the United States gum
boat Nashville, Capt. John Hubbard,
came into Colon. Her presence was
welcome on both sides of the isthmus
to every man concerned in the brew
ing secession movement, but the sur
face observer of affairs saw nothing
to make her coming necessary; there
was apparently no revolution on foot,
and traffic over the Panama Railroad
did not appear to be threatened.
The next morning, Tuesday, Nov. s,
the Colombian gunboat Cartagena I'M
expectedly steamed into Colon with $50
Colombian troops on board. This news
was flashed over the wires to the
other side and the whole isthmus walked
up At once there was nervous eX-
element at Panama; young men car
ried messages hurriedly through the
streets; secret consultations were held;
wild plans were discussed; some of
the conSpiratorS were for quitting, de-
claring there was no chance of success
with 450 Colombian soldiers in Colon,
and that the opportunity had been lost,
while others insisted upon instant ac-
ton. The arrival of the Cartagena was
forcing the hands of the secessionists
Those who advocated action finally
prevailed, however, and Nov. is now
known as the day of the independence
of the Republic of Panama"
With the gunboat Cartagena came
two Colombian generals, Amaya and
Tovar. and Col. Torres. The generals
were ignorant OF. the Roadway of the
secession movement on the isthmus.
They landed from the gunboat early
o'clock train for Panama, forty miles
away confident they would find all
quiet there and suspecting nothing.
Later in the morning the $50 soldiers
were landed in Colon and took up their
quarters in the old railroad passen-
ger station. Col. Torres being in COM
mand.
Late Tuesday evening, Gems. Amaya
and Tovar, and Senior ObeIdia, Colom-
bian governor of Panama We're arrest
ed and placed in Jail, the declaration of
Panamas Independence was made,
and the directing Council, or Junta,
composed of Senores Arrange. Arias
and Boyd was duly appointed. This
decisive action was accomplished quick
ly and easily, and it was undoubtedly
FASTENED by the presence in Colon of
the Cartagena's troops, who constitut-
ed the dangerous factor in the prob
lem, which must at once be disposed
OF. The news of the arrest of Amaya,
Tovar and Obeldia was not generally
known in Colon until Wednesday MORN
ing.
On Tuesday, shortly after the two
generals had left for Panama, Col.
Torres requested the Panama Rail-
road to transport his men across the
isthmus. Now the railroad company
is obliged, according to its contract
with the Colombian government, TO
transport Colombian soldiers but. be-
fore this can be done an order to that
effect must be given to the railroad
by the Governor of Panama. Torres
telegraphed for such an order, and
the railroad officials had a train made
up in readiness to move the soldiers
as soon as it should be received. This
meant delay at which Torres chafed,
but there was nothing he could do
as the train could not be dispatched
Ton,
anna The order finally was received
but by this time it was too late to
send out train that night. The next
morning, Wednesday, Capt. Hubbard,
acting upon the obligation, of the Unit
ed States to protect traffic across the
isthmus, gave orders that no troops
whatever be moved over the railroad.
This deprived Col. Torres of all chance
of going to the relief of his leaders
and the question of disposing of ms
450 men. still the menace in the SIT
udtion. had to be settled here.
On Wednesday morning the news or
the arrest of Always and Tovar was
brought to Colon by the morning train,
arriving at 10:45. The $50 men at once
became FESTIVE, but at this moment
Porfirio Melendez, then agent of the
Panama junta and later governor OF
Colon, appeared upon the scene. He
approached Col. Torres and tried to
negotiate with him for the quiet Will
drawal OF the troops of his command,
but his efforts were futile. The Colonel
would not agree, and shortly before
noon they threatened to attack Colon
and kill every American here unless
Gems Always and Tovar were liberat-
ed by 2 O'Clock that afternoon. This
at once put a very serious aspect upon
the situation.
In the meantime other events were
transpiring in Colon. The captain of
the Cartagena wanted fresh water for
his soldiers, and Wednesday morning
he approached the head of the firm in
Colon which supplies this demand. The
mead of the firm told the captain he
certainly could have water; but, as the
Colombian government owed him then
about $4,000 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
Cartegena had no money: neither did
me Colombian project of Colon. The
captain said the governor of Panama,
Ssenor Obaldia, would pay for the water.
Inc head of the firm looked the cap
'dln squarely in the eyes and said:
80 BUT, Captain, there is no governor
Of Panama"
The Captain, who had not yet heard
'he news, was astounded.
30 What" he exclaimed, mo. governor
Of Panama?''
No. there has been a successful rev.
oIution and Gov. Obaldia is a pris-
Inc captain spoke never a word but