The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-08-08

Since tho discovery Of the lstilmul
Of Panama. OF Darien. as It was AZ
flrst called, there = hardly spot on
earth that has attracted 50 much a..
tenuon- Balboa. the Spanish naviga-
tor. was the first 70 cross the divide
and saw the Pacific on September IS,
1913. It's history daring the nearly
900 years that have since elapsed Is
filed with stories Of bloodshed and
cruelty. Tho spanlards slaughtered
the Indians as they did the inonensise
caribs. The buccaneers under shch
monsters as Hawkins and Morga 4
committed crimes against the Span
iards that appear almost incredible.
The sack OF the old City OF Panama
Is one Of the darkest pages In the his
tory Of nations. II is a relief 10 tuun
from these subjects TO a history OF
suffering supported by the dictates OF
duty and patriotism as enrolled In the
archives Of the United States naval
department at Washington.
From Tehuantepeo to New Granada
every effort had been made nifty years
ago 10 find a suitable route for a ship
canal through the cordilieras An
Irish r0mancer wrote a book describ-
ing such route. and English capital
lists sent out an engineer named Gis-
borne to make 4 survey. He returned
with maps and figures and wrote a
book describing an alleged practicable
route. All were false and II is doubt
ful n he ever penetrated the isthmus
at all On HIS statement that there
was gap OF only i50 feet in height
above sea level. a company was
formed with a capital OF s75.O0O.O9
To construct a canal Glsborne's
falschoods were speedily discovered.
but an English party sent up the
Savanna river IA 1853. after penetrating
a few miles, returned IN despair,
minus four men killed by the Chu-
Quanaqua Indiana. fierce tribe OF the
interior.
Sought Through Route
The idea at tho time was TO discover
a route nom Caledonia bay. on the At
lantic, 10 Darien harbor, on the Pa
ciflc. To this ead the United States
steamship Cyanno. was sent with an
exploring party 10 Caledonia bay.
while British ship. the Virago. went
to Darien harbor 20 give assistance II
needed. The Cyannes party consisted
OF Lieutenant Isaac G. Strain. In com |
mand; Passed Midshipmen Charles
latimer and William T. Truxton. First
Assistant Engineer J. NJ. Maury, Mid
shipman II. n. Garland. a volunteer
from tho cyanne; A. 7. Boggs. S. II.
Kettlowell. J. Sterritt Hohins, who
were assistant engineers, and DR.. J.
G, Bird. surgoon. Mr.. Maury was as.
tronomer and secretary. Seniors Cas-
tilla and Polanco went along as repre-
sentativea OF New Granada. ia which
state the proposed route lay. The bal.
ance Of the party OF twenty-seven con-
sisted Of triod scamen Of the navy.
Mislcd BY cisborne's maps ard
statements. the party took only ten
days provisions, but was amply sup
piled With arms and ammunition. OF
that party Of twenty-seven men that
left the cyanne. on January IL 1854.
only eighteen ever saw the ship again.
The other third having perished miser.
ably IA the depths OF the tropical for
Is. or after the rescue Of the party.
Advancing up the bed OF the Gale
donia river, they were soon forced to
take TO the land. where progress could
only be made by hewng a path
through the dense foliage The Indians
fed before them, first burning their
tents and canoes. The explorers we're
speedily immersed IN the appalling
difficulties Of a tropical country, ag.
gravated BY steep precipices and deep
canona Holoomh, Winthrop. Hollins.
Dr. Bird and Roscoe strayed from the
column on January 20 and we're never
heard Of again. Deeply as Strain felt
for them. be was obliged to push on
after firing repeated signals for them
20 return. They found an indian guide
who appeared b be honest At that
time and said he would guide them to
fhe Savanna. one and q half DAYS
march He later encountered a band
Of ChuQuanaQua Indians and aban.
doned the explorers They finally
reached the Sucuted river. a trbu.
iary 20 the Chuquanaqua. which runs
into the Tutyra. and the latter into
Darien harbor b. a most circuitous
route ChuquanaQua Is said to be the
most t0rtuous stream known 70 geo
yraphers, as the unfortunate explorers
we're soon destined to learn. Il Is said
10 take course double It's own direct
length
ou Wearisone Journey. Z
The party struggled along the rock. 5
Itreun bed Of the Sucuteu believing 2
4 e be the sasbna which would lead n