Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-12-28
RIDES ON THE
PACIFIC OCEAN
George Huntington Writes of q
Pleasure Trip on the Western
Waters.

| Pleasure Trip on the Western
| Waters.
] LA BoCA, Dec. s, 1905.
| To the WoOD COUNTY REPORTER:-
We received last week an Invitation
to take trip to Taboga Island on the
tug Bolivar by the chief engineer,
S. b. Harlow seconded by the freight
| agent and port captain Mr.. Hunt and
it being pleasure trip we could not
resist, we lost no time in getting
aboard. The lines were cast off, and
we were soon steaming southeast at a
ten mile clip. We made Flamingo
Island in short order. There were
three English steam ships, one Ameri-
can,-the Newport, and a large four
mast sailing ship, laying here either
unloading in anchor or awaiting dock
room at La Boca. These large ships
cannot get into Panama for the water
is too shallow and all freight for
Panama has to be unloaded into
launches or lighters and can be towed
into Panama at high tide.
Here we changed our course to due
south; soon after clearing the Point
of Flamingo we heard the captain say
to the chief engineer I'VE have the
Perico on the run," (the Perico is
tug of the same size and build of the
Boliyar). The chief took a look into
the fire hole; and we soon noticed the
distance between the two tugs lessen,
We could look northeast and see the
sky dipping into the blue waters of
the Pacific ocean and on our south
west there was a line of islands or
mountain tops projecting out of the
ocean. We noticed one with fiat
top which looked to be about one
hundred and fifty acres in extent with
growth of vegetation on it's fiat top.
We thought it would make a nice
farm if il was cleared. To our east
out toward where the crusier Boston
lies at anchor, there was high square
rock nearly barren, which reminds us
OF Castle Rock, at the mouth of White
creek along the old "Wisconse".
We were then nearly abreast the
Perico and gaining at every pulsation
of our engines. The chief was busy
entertaining us with yarns about
CUBA and Manila where the tug he
was then on made faster time then on
her trial trip when a gun boat was
after them; also about hunting trips;
all the while holding a Forest and
Stream magazine in his hand as al
sort or precauJiou against our noJi
believing the sturies.
We soon were going at about eleven
or twelve knot clip and the Perico
could see our heels. We approached
Taboga and saw small but compact
village, mostly of wooden buildings
With tile roofs. On the mountain
sides we saw numerous fields of corn
and pineapples. Here is where the
finest pineappleS in the world are
grown, large, sweet, juicy, and fine
favored. We rounded up into small
bay and came to anchor at the P. r. r.
watering pipe: our passengers went
ashore, also our captain: his family
met him On the sandy beach. We
were one hour and fifteen minutes
the run and the Perieo was a
mile astern.
To the south of the town is a large
two story sanitarium owned by the
q. S. Government. This is where the
patients are brought to
get an ocean breeze, and to drink |
from spring, which is famed |
as the purest water in these parts. |
At 12;30 our anchor was weighed, and
our homeward journey commenced.
We took the water glasses and
watched the islands and looked the
Boston over but were not near enough
to distinguished her guns. We came
however, near enough to the sunken
Columbian gun0oat to see the ropes
from the two masts that pro- |
ieCt above the water. Her name was
Lautaoro and she belonged formerly
to Chile line plying between Val
pariso and La Boca. She was bought |
by the Columbian government and
equipped by revolt at the time. The
attack was made at night with small
boats and launches while at anchor in !
the bay near Flamingo Island. The
United States cruiser Philadelphia
happened to have her search lights
pointed in that direction at that time
and forgot to turn them off until the
Lautaoro was torpedoed and Governor
AMOS life had been ended. After
this the PanimanianS had things
about their own way on this coast,
except while the Bogata was in port
for few days, and finally fired three
shells into Panama. The Bogata was
bought at the boneyard in Vancouver,
B. c., by the Columbian government,
repaired and taken to San Francisco,
manned and officered by American
sailors, brought to Acapulco, Mexico,
where she was armed and equipped
and brought down here. The Ameri-
can crew deserted one by one, and the
boat was manned by Columbians in
stead, who finally made the above at
tack on Panama then sailed away.
We may hear of her again at some