The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-05
tiubbard's Report.
!. S. S. Nashville, Third Rate,
Port Bello, L. S. Colombia,

Hubbard's Report.
L. S. S Nashville, Third Rate,
Port Bello. L. S. Colombia,
November g. 1903.
Sir: | have the honor to make the
following report of the occurrences which
! took place at Colon and Panama in the
interval between the arrival Of the Nash
Vile al Colon on the evening of November
?, 1903, and the evening of November ),
1903, when by the arrival of the L. s. S.
Dixie at Colon l was relieved as senior
officer by Commander f. II. Delano, [. 5.
navy.
3 AT the time of the arrival of the Nash
Vile at Colon at $50 p m on Novem-
Der everything on the sthmus was
quiet. There was talk of proclaiming
the independence Of Panama, but no def
mite action had been taken and there
had been no disturbance of peace and
order At daylight on the morning of
November it was found that vessel
which had come in during the night was
| the Colombian gunboat Cartagena carry
| ing between 400 and 500 troops. had
| her boarded and learned that these troops
We're for the garrison at Panama. has
| much as the Independent party had not
| acted and the government of Colombia
| was at the time in undisputed control
| of the province of Panama, | did not
| feel. in the absence of any instructions,
| lndl WAS Justified III preventing lIt
| landing of these troops, and al $50 o'clock
| they were disembarked. The command
! ing officers, Generals Amaya and Tobal.
| with four others Immediately went over
| to Panama to make arrangements for re-
| ceiving and quarterng their troops, eav-
| ing the command in charge of an officer
| whom ! later learned to be Colonel Tor
| res. The departments message address
| ed to the care of the United States con-
| gtt1T Of 1usnu "A xxraes Iali
cred to one of the ships boats while I
| was at the consus and not to the consul
| as addressed The message was said to
have been received at the cable office at
| $3.50 a. m. Immediately on deciphering
| The message / went on shore to see what
| arrangements the railroad company had
made for the transportation of these
| troops to Panama, and learned that the
company would not transport them eX-
cept on request of the governor of Pan
! ANA, and that the project at Colon and
| the officer left in command of the troops
had been so notified by the general sup
erlntendent of the Panama Railroad COM
pany. | remained at the company's office
| until l 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 | again went on shore, and re-
| ceived notice from the general superin-
tendent of the railroad that he had re-
! ceived the request for the transportation
| of the troops and that they would leave
| on the a. m. train on the following
day | Immediately went to see the gen.
| eral superintendent. and learned that 1t
had just been announced that a provis-
ional government had been established at
| Panama-that Generals Amaya and To-
bal the governor of Panama, and four
officers. who had gone to Panama in the
morning. had been seized and were held
as prisoners; that they had an organized
force of 1900 troops and wished the gov
eminent troops in Colon to be sent over.
This I declined to permit. and verbally
prohibited tbs general superintendent
from giving transportation to the troops
of either party.
Troops Not Transported.
1t being then late In the evening, / sent
early in the morning of November writ
| ten notification to the general superin-
| tendent of the Panama railroad, to the
project of Colon, and to the officer left
| in command of the Colombian troops,
| later ascertained to be Colonel Torres that
| l had prohibited the transportation of
| troops in either direction, in order to pre-
| serve the free and uninterrupted transit
of the sthmus Copies of these letters
are hereto appendix also copy Of my noti-
| fication to the consul Except to few
people nothing was known in Colon OF
| the proceedings in Panama until the ar
| rival of the train at 1915 on the morning
| of the 4th. Some propositions were,
was later told. made to Colonel Torres
, by the representatives of the new gov
eminent at Colon. with a view to induc-
| ing him to re-embark In the Cartagena
and return to the port of Cartagena, and
to-, I,.t
| Conole Torres made the threat and took
the action reported in my letter No SO, OF
November g. 1909 The Cartagena left
| the port Just after the threat was made
| and ] did not deem 1t expedient to at
| tempt to detain her as such action would
| certainly. in the then state of affairs have
| precipitated conflict on shore which
| waN not prepared to meet. II is my UNI
derstanding that she returned to Car
tagena. After the withdrawal OF the CO.
lon:bian troops on the evening of Novem-
Der 4, and the return of the Nashville's
forces on board, reported in my letter
No. &c, there was no disturbance on
shore and the night passed quietly. On
the morning of the 9TH | discovered that
the commander of the Columbian troops
had not withdrawn so far from the town
as he had agreed. but was occupying
building near the outskirts of the town.
| Immediately inquired into the matter
and learned that he had some trivial ex-
cuse for not carrying out his agreement,
! and also that it was his intention to
! occupy Colon again on the arrival of the
| alealde due at 1915 a. M, unless General
| Tobal sent word by the alcalde that he.
| Colonel Torres, should withdraw. That
| General Tobal had declined to give any
| instructions | was cognizant of. and the
| situation at once became quite as serious
| as on the day previous. | Immediately
| landed an armed force, re-occupied the
same building; also landed two 1-pound-
| ers and mounted them on platform cars
| behind protection of cotton bales, and
| then in company with the United States
| consul had an interview with Colonel
| Torres, in the course of which | inform
| ed him that l had relanded my men be-
cause he had not kept his agreement;
that had no interest in the affairs of
either party: that my attitude was strict
~ neutral that the troops OF neither side
should be transported; that my sole pur-