The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-14
PANAMA CITY OF TO-DAY
AND PANAMA OF OLD, ONCE
A SEAT OF SPANISH GLORY
Ancient Place Is in Ruins and Its
Successor Has a Bad Repu-
tation.
PEOPLE ARE TO. BLAME
New Panama Is Well Situated,
but It's Sanitary Condition Is
Far from Good.
IT HAS NO ATTRACTIONS
But Can Be Made a Pretty and
Healthful Place by American
Enterprise.
PEOPLE ARE TO BLAME
IT HAS NO ATTRACTIONS


more than any other city in America. is in
separately linked in history with the early
days of white mems presence on the West
ern hemisphere Standing upon the high
est point of the Paseo. the battery prom
enade at the barracks, one may. with the
aid Of field glasses. obtain a good view Of
the ruins OF the cathedral tower of old
Panama four miles away as the crow flies;
six must journey to reach its base.
The way to "old" Panama is seldom trav-
eled-one needs negro with machete for
a companion. for three miles Of that way
IS through the jungle and the path must be
cleared-but foolish is the visitor to the
isthmus who does not traverse it, for there
was the seat of Spain's first glory in the
Western world, the center from which radi-
ated her forces in exploring the west coast
OF the Americas, the gateway through
which flowed the commerce which once
gave her power and riches and the city
upon which she founded her empire of the
West.
What manner of place "old" Panama was
in It's halcyon days no man now knows ex-
actly. 1t must. however. have been
goodly eity-time. location and circum-
stances all considerations its ruins are elo-
quent of past grandeur. 1t was in 1517-a
quarter of a century after Columbus had
discovered the Western hemisphere-that
old Panama was founded. and in 1521
it was. by royal decree raised to the dig
nifty of a city. As early as 1924 vessels
were navigating the Chagres river as far as
Cruces. whittier merchandise trans
ported from "old" Panama over a stone
road the only remnant of which now re-
ig so hrid On he hGap oh
near the tower ruin In 1857 the stone road
was extended from Cruces to Porto Bello
on the Caribbean coast, and thereafter
for nearly a century. "old" Panama -four
ished upon trade and commerce.
In 15u Sir Henry Morgan and his buc-
cancers. assisted by the Indians. who were
filled with an implacable hatred for the
Spanish, swept down upon Panama and lit
orally extinguished it, That act of wanton
despOiatiOn produced the Panama of to-
DAY. for the stricken inhabitants of the
old city fed in terror along the coast TO the.
volcanic elevation where now stands the
city, and founded the only Panama the
world now knows. The old city is, however,
by long odds the more interesting place of
the two. MOrganS cutthroats, after pillag-
ing II and giving it over to the torch, left
II but stone ruin, and more than two CEN
turies have completed the work Of spread
ing desOlaton.
"OLD" PANAMA AND THE NEW.
/ was out there yesterday. There lives
amid these ruins once the home of wealth,
splendor and power. one aged native Pana-
mese. His home is a thatched hut; his as
sOciates the birds and reptiles that infest
the place; his thoughts of an unbroken
idleness: his ambition naught save to live
among the ruins. hard by the cathedral
tower of which he fancies himself the care
taSer. But this native-Domingo is the only
name he has ever known-will cut paths
through the jungle and lead you from ruin
to ruin. Time and the vegetable growth
decaying and being deposited on the
ground. have sufficed TO raise the level of
the soil TO what was once the second story
OF the houses In old Panama The vege-
tation Is so excessive that il is impossible
TO advance a foot until after the machete
has done Its work; but persist and you
may wander among the remains of homes
and palaces-an IN solid stone and now
encountered with vines, wild fig trees and
weeds. Bats will rise dazed and noisy from
the rootiess gables and dark. dank. buried
ffoorss but presently you will come TO an
open space. Here-a few hundred Yards
from the cathedral tOweT-mOunt the walls
of what was once the parish church. Thick
and strong they were and they have re-
sisted the advance of vegetation so that
they inclose the only cleared place to be
found where once We're streets spread
about indiscriminately, each marked with
rough cross made of twigs tied together
with the tendril of a vine, is the native
humans I'm the interior and along the
coast II Is a note of pathos emphasizing
desolation, for here come these destitute
beings with their dead-to the only bit OF
consecrated ground 10 be found for miles
around.
Between Panama and its progenitor. "old'
Panama. there is to-day little similarity
though originally they must have been very
much alike. Panama boasts its ruins nu-
merous and imposing: They are the ruins
left oy fire, which has repeatedly swept
the place. Panama's more ancient features
resemble In general outline those of the
Panama II succeeded. and the Panama OF
to-day has its tragedy and desOlatiOn, just
as did the other OF its name Our Panama
can. however, boast the advantage OF posi-
bilities. thing the other never could have
done, even had Morgan spared II. for il 1:
upon the most inaccessible portion of thi:
coast, and its site could never have beer
made 10 accept modern ideas as TO santa.
tion. In this city where / am writing sani
tatiOn. health. modern conveniences anC
comforts can all be made possible with Z
minimum Of effort
THE CITY'S BAD REPUTATION.
This city stands upon a volcanic plateau
whose surface is several feet above tn,
level OF high tide. and whose underlying
stone forms a natural wall to check tn,
tide. which rises and falls an average o.
about eighteen feet. Slightly to the west
ward, towering over the city TO a heigh
of several hunderd feet. is Ancon hill. Z
resorts and water supply for the pOpula tion
The surface OF the ground upon which tn
city stands rolls just enough to provid
natural drainage for surface water, an,
not enough 70 interfere with the con
structiOn OF sewerage and waterwOrks sys
TENS. which, under the terms OF tn
treaty now before the Senate the Unite,
States viii build Immediately. This i'm
prOvement IS needed more than is any othe
10 make Panama a III place for white me-
10 live IA. for now the city Is wholly with
out sanitary facilities. Given these arrange
ments. given a thorough cleaning up whicl
shall extend 10 the disinfection OF ali of tn
houses and the removal OF many OF them
Panama viii lose quickly its reputation a
dental purposes, on the face OF the globe
That her reputation Is dark is Pana
ma own fault. The Ills inflicted by Colon
bia are 10 blame IN a measure: but. ha
Ehe desired 20 do so, Panama might lon
ago have freed herself from the burde
OF disease and danger 20 life she now car
ries Colombia consistently reduced IN
revenues OF the department, but Panam
has had her owp Municipal Council and he
this. she has bsoiutely neglected to Is Is
(CoNTINUEA on PAGE 6, COL So