Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-07

ultimate abandoning of Colon by these
troops and their return to Cartagena
the following day. Lieutenant Com
mander Witzel is entitled to much
praise for his admirable work in com
mard on the spot:
Il feel that can not sufficiently
strongly represent to the the depart
ment the grossness of this outrage and
the insult to our dignity, even apart
from the savagery Of the threat.
Z Very respectfully,
John Hubbard.
Commander, U. S. Navy, Commands
ing.
The secretary of the navy,
Navy department, Washington, D. CO.
In his letter of November 8, Com
mander Hubbard sets forth the facts
more in detail:
"U. S. S. Nashville, Third Rate.
Porto Bello, U. S. Colombia,
November, 8, 1903.
Sir.
81. l have the honor to make the
following report Of the occurrences
which took place at Colon and Pana-
ma in the interval between the arrival
of the Nashville at Colon on the even
ing of November 2, 1908, and the even
ing of November 5. 1903, when by the
arrival of the U. S. S. Dixie at Colon ]
was relieved as senior officer by Com
mander F. H. Delano, u. S. Navy.
"2. At the time of the arrival of the
Nashville at Colon at $50 p. M, on
November 2, everything on the
isthmus was quiet. There was talk
of proclaiming the independence of
Panama, but no definite action had
been taken and there had been no dis
turbance of peace and order. At day
light on the morning of November 8,
it was found that vessel which had
come in during the night was the Col
ombian gunboat Cartagena carrying
between 400 and 500 troops. had
her boarded, and learned that these
troops were for the garrison at Pana-
ma. Inasmuch as the independent
party had not acted and the govern
ment of Colombia was at the time in
undisputed control of the province of
Panama did not feel in the alb
sence of any instructions, that | was
justified in preventing the landing of
these troops, and at $3.50 o'clock they
were disembarked. The commanding
officers, Generals Amaya and Tobal,
with four others, Immediately went ov-
er to Panama to make arrangements
for receiving and quartering their
troops, leaving the command in charge
of an officer whom l later learned to
be Colonel Torres. The department S
ron 90 od1rnccnd 10 ha 81 ~
United States consul / received at
1890 a. M, it was delivered to one
of the ships boats while l was at the
consul's and not . the consul as adj
dressed. The message was said to
have been received at the cable office
at $3.50 a. m. Immediately upon de-
ciphering the message went on sl&re
to see what arrangements the railroad
company had made for the transporta-
ton of these troops to Panama, and
learned that the company would not
transport them except on. request of
the governor of Panama and that the
project at Colon and the officer left in
command of the troops had been SO
notified by the general superintendent
of the Panama Railroad company. l
remained at the company's Office until
it was sure that no action on my part
would be needed to prevent the trans
portation of the troops that afternoon,
when / returned on board and cabled
the department the situation of affairs.
At about $50 p. M, again went on
shore and received further notice
from the general superintende nt of the
In iI,n lol
quest for the transportation of the
troops and that they would leave on
the-8 a. M, train on the following day.
]. Immediately went to see the general
superintendent and learned that it had
Just been announced that a provision.
al government had been established at
Panama-that Generals Amaya and
Tobal. the governor of Panama and
four officers, who had gone to Pana.
ma in the morning, had been seized,
and were held as prisoners; that they
had an organized force of 1900 troops
and wished the government troops in
Colon to be sent over. This / declin-
ed to permit, and verbally prohibited
the general superintendent from Civ.
ing transportation to the troops OF
either party.
Gen. Torres Causes Trouble.
1t being late in the evening, 1 sent
early in the morning of November 4
written notification to the general SUI
perlntende:l1 of the Panama railroad
to the pieIect of Colon, and to the
officer left in command of the Colon
ban troops. later ascertained to be
Colonel Torres, that I had prohibited
the transportation of troops in either
direction in order to preserve the free
and unlntei1 upted transit Of the 18TH
nlus. Copies of these letters are here
to appended. also copy of my notifica-
ton to the consul. Except to few peo-
pie. nothing was known in Colon Of the
proceedings in Panama until the arri-
val of the train at 10:45 on the morn
ing of the 4th. Some propositions were
l was later told, made to Colonel Tor
res Ky the representatives of the new
government at Colon, with a view to
inducing him to re-embark in the Car
taSena and return to the port of Car
tagena, and it was in answer to this
proposition that Colonel Torres made
the threat and took the action reported
IN my letter No. 96, of November 5
1903. The Cartagena left the port just
after The threat was made and / die
not deem it eXpedient to attempt tc
detaln her, as such action would GER
thinly. in the then state of affairs. have
precipitated conflict on shore which
l was not prepared to meet 1t is my
understanding that she returned tc
Cartaaena. After the withdrawal OF
ftka Val. La. /