The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-02-04
TRAVEL IN COLOMBIA
DRUMMER TELLS or SOME Elk.
CITING ADVENTURES.
The story Of q Stolen Fleet and q Ma
val Battle on the Maadalens-where
the Revolutionary Spirit 10 RAM
pant.

Charles IL Millett, a drummer. who
is now In New York on his way back
TO Chicago from q tour Of South Amer
lea, tells some exciting stories OF his
adventures in Colombia during the re.
cent insurrection OF the liberals.
II started" he said, Ito 20 up the
river Magdalena in Q small river
steamer. There was only one other pas
senger-a quiet. amiable young man.
who afterward turned out to be a
liberal leader In disguise.
When we had gone two days up
stream we found that trouble was
brewing. Every one on the banks had
taken up arms on one side or the other,
and was stealing his neighbours cattle
and horses for the good Of the cause.
We heard that in q town Just ahead
the liberals had risen In obedience TO
a pronunciamento and had seized six
steamers and gone up stream.
Our skipper was an American and
wanted peace. but that commodity
down stream as up. so We kept on our
course. The result was that at noon
next day We fell into the hands of
three revolutionist steamers which
were ambushed round a bend OF the
river.
Their crew swarmed aboard and in
vted us with rifles TO join them. We
joined. and had three days naval ma
nouvers, which consisted Of pillage.
am sorry | had no camera, the scenes
were so interesting.
After three days We. having the
laster steamer, lodged round another
branch OF the river and escaped; and
when we tied up for the night We
thought we were safe.
Our delight did not last long. for my
amiable young fellow passenger. who
had assumed command of our captors.
came after us with thirty truculent
bandits in canoes and retook our ship
during the night
At my own request he kindly put
me ashore at a woodplle in the lonely
forest; at least II was lonely except
for two elderly colored ladies. who
owned the woodpile.
The ship. with lights out. dropped
down the river To join the rest OF the
feet. having left me rations for
couple OF days-two tins OF lobster.
two of sardines. pound OF bread and
a half pound OF chocolate.
After they had gone An Indian
sneaked out OF the bush. and man.
aged to bribe him 20 put me across
the river TO a village where many ca
noes were kept. There | hired two,
loaded my traps into them. and. with
five men. led all that night in a pour
ing rain and all the next day under
a blazing sky to Puerto Benio. the
nearest place where food was obtain
able.
The officer in command OF the gov
eminent troops there. when he heard
my tale, fitted out an expedition. con-
verting some river steamers into arm
I'd cruisers by the use Of railway met
ais for armor plates. With these he
we1 down the river TO meet the
enemy. who by that time had gathered
eleven steamers.
N'Those eleven were not enough
There was a regular Trafalgar, and
the revolutionists had the worst OF II. |
"All their boats were sunk or cap
tured. and they lost over 250 men. My /
amiable fellow passenger got a bullet /
HIS brain, and our skipper. I
who took no part in the affair. got two /
through his arm as he was quietly .
reading Under Two Flags, which had f.
lent him, In his cabin. New York .
sun.