The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-05
PANAAA'S NAVY AND ITS
FREE AND EASY ADMIRAL,
GENERAL H. D. JEFFR|ES
Three Ships, Only One of Which
Really Belongs to the Fight
ing Class.
WITHOUT DISCIPLINE
Officers on Too Intimate Terms to
Enforce Rules or Exact Usual
CourteSies.
JEFFRIES NOT A SAILOR
But Courageous American and a
JEFFRIES NOT A SAILOR
But Courageous American and a
Good Fighter, Who May Some
Day Have Real Navy.

From the Journals Special Commissioner.
PANAMA, r. P, Dec. A.-"Say, jeff. I'm
goin ashore this afternoon"
"An right Charlie; when are you comm
off again?"
Some time tomorrow mornin. 1 sup
pose"
"ThatIl do; but don't make it any later,
as l want to go ashore myself tomorrow
afternoon
"All right" Charlie answered, and re-
tired.
That colloquy is a fair index to the dis
cipliDe ia the Panamaian navy. which
swings on a lazy ancher about two miles off
shore from this city. well out beyond the
line of mud-fats that mark the limits of
the twenty-two-foot tide which ebbs and
flows along this rugged coast.
l visited this navy the other day, and it
was while seated on the quarterback Of the
flagship just after breakfast which is
regularly served at II o'clock, that heard
the conversation quoted above. Charlie"
otherwise Col Charles Ross. chief artiIler-
ist of the flagship Tres Noviembre, lounged
into the presence of the admiral of the
navy, Gen. II. o. Jeffries, and without the
formaiity of a salute, announced his in
tention of going ashore. JEFF the ad-
miral, made his response, and the incident
closed. when Charlie" in civilian dress
and a small straw hat, lounged forward
again. ceremony being carefully eschewed
As Charlie went forward Jeff remarked:
There's q good fellow. He's been down
In this country with me for a long time
and we've been I'm some pretty tight places
together. but have always managed to get
out During the last revolution we were
together IN a little tugboat and went up
one OF the small streams that lead inward
from the coast of Cauca. We had no idea
there were any Liberals around until we
ran right into a nest of them. They am
bushed us properly. and for about two min
utes We had the hottest kind of a time
They shot the boat full of holes, and It
wonder that any of us got out alive
Charlie had washed his undershirt that
morning and had hung it out to dry Dur
ing the firing forty-two bullets went through
the garment. When we got back to Pan
anna Charlie showed the undershirt to Cen
eral Alban, who asked: Did you have it
when that was doneY Charlie didn't
see Aloan's joke; but he is a good fellow
all the same. and / always want him with
me when there's anything doin' ashore or
ahOat."
'JEFF'S A FUNNY FELLOW"
And a few minutes later. when, with
Charlie the negro captain of the flag
ship, and the Englishman who serves as
the ships chief engineer, we were afioat
in small pulling boat, bound shoreward.
Charlie said. in a casual way:
JEFF certainly is a funny fellow. He will
go ashore for two or three days. come off
some morning before breakfast, and then
when want to go ashore In the after
noon tel US 10 be back before sundown,
because ne doesn't want to stay cooped up
on snip all his life, and means TO take a
little shore leave himself after sundown.''
The spirit OF the whole Panamian navy
appears IN these incidents and conversa-
tons The officers are on too intimate
terms OF friendship to permit them
through any Of the grades. to enforce rigid
regulations, or to exact those official cour-
tesles common on the warships of other
nations. The navy itself is quite won
drous affair. and thoroughly in keeping
with the free and easy manner Character
istic OF the commissioned and enlisted per-
sonnel.
The navy consists of three ships-the Tres
Nov1embre (iagship), Medelin and Chu-
quito. In any other harbor of the world
she would rank as a tug. medium-sized and
generously supplied with deckhouses and
awnings She can do something like twelve
knots an hour, and holds the speed record
OF the Panamaian navy. OF armor she has
none. and her torpedo equipment is still a
cream OF the future: nor has she gun plat
forms for armament OF the other classes
The Chuquito is commanded by Colonel
rp
borrowed from the military branch-and
when used at all IL Is for little excursions
Up and down the coast In the vicinity of
Panama. She passed the flagship shortly
after 1 went aboard that vessel the other
day, ladened TO the gunwales with a CAV
crowd OF excursiOnists bound for Taboga
island. Her passing was without incident
except that she ScurTied at top speed the
presence OF the admiral aboard the flag
ship being no reason why she should dip
her colOrs or otherwise note his existences
The Medelin is former fruiter. She was
found somewhere up the west coast of
Central America and purchased for small
sum from one OF the diminutive republics
IN whose navy she was classed as the crack
ship. She brought down TO Panama in
tow, her machinery being disabled by an
accident To this day the damage has not
been repaired. and the Medelin swings the
length Of anchor chains with each tide
Further than that she may never go Her
black hull floats high out of the water dis
closing TO view one blade OF her propeller
and a gooGly part of the rudder. In the
technique of this very remarkable navy
the Medelin ranks as a troopship or trans
port Just now she is very busiy engaged
in performing the arduous duties of quar-
antine boat In port where quarantine
regulations are not enforced.
THE TRES NOVIL.MBRE.
or the flagship Tres Noviembre there is
something better TO be said Just how
this ship came into possession of Colombia
nobody now in authority in the navy seems
TO know She was purchased several years
ago from one OF the Central American re-
publ!cs and has been in active service ever
since. Panama got her by paying bonus
OF $4,000 (silver) TO Gen. Ruban Varon. her
last commander under the Colombian re-
gime. and other substantial bonuses 10 her
other officers.
Incidentally IL may be remarked that Cen
Ruban NarOn Is no longer In active naval
service He did the work the secessionists
paid him To do, and did il faithfully-aU
except that Of preventing the escape OF the
guubOat BOgOta-but this bOnused COM
mander IS not entirely trusted BY those now
tn control. He IS. therefore spending his
time ashore; having been promoted (?) to
the post ot hrst adJutant 10 the minister OF
war and marine, position In which he has
opportunity To wear his best civilian
dress look as handsome as he really is
and which has the additional attractions
OF paying a good salary and entailing no
work.
TIE ship Varon once commanded was.
when ACoiombia got her. known as the
IadillA BY that name she was known
until she steamed into Panama one fine
morning. nearly two years ago. and with a
few shoAf sunk the Lauterra and killed
0en. ca1os Alban, and then ran away
CONTINUED ON PAGE e. col. a.