The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-04
YERBY lists
A RUINED CITY
Ancient Site of the City of
Panama
IN THE CANAL ZONE
Old Spanish Prison and Ancient Castle
Are Principal Objects of Inter-
est In the Decayed Me-
tropOlis.

Did you ever visit a ruined city-a place
that was once the abode of a rich and
prosperous people-men and women who
experienced the same joys and sorrows
and heartaches, and entertained the same
hopes and aspirations as those who lived
today? 1t is with feeling of subdued
sadness that one stands upon such
spot, and he needs must be impressed
With the instability of all things temporal
as he looks upon the ruins scattered
everywhere-the only remaining evidence
that a once happy people resided here.
1t was on a beautiful afternoon in
tropical cline that we set forth to visit
the site of the Old City of Panama, To-
Gated eight miles out from the now thriv-
ing New City of Panama-but new only
in name, for 1t was founded nearly 800
years ago-eight years before the Pilgrim
fathers set foot on this rock-bound coasts
of this continent For distance of five
miles the vehicle sped along over
fine macadamized highway which was
tnronged with a multitude of people going
to and coming from the city, and then
turned abruptly across the fields-up hills
and down, through hollows, over rocks
and bad roads for distance of two
miles, and then the carriage came to
halt, being unable to proceed further on
account of the roughness of the re-
mainder of the way. We alighted and
tcrdged up a rocky eminence, down into
the valley, and then came to the beach
Of Panama Bay. The tide was far out,
leaving the white sands glistening be-
meath the rays of the sun that was Shin
ing from cloudless sky. This sand was
soft and yielding under foot, which made
walking, hard and tiresome.
The Old Spanish Prison.
On up the beach we went, and came to
the old seawall that had been built there
centuries ago to keep back the waves
when winds were at war with the waters.
Soon we came to the frowning walls OF
what once served as Spanish prison,
and climbing high up over the rocky
embankment we entered the old dungeon.
and as we stood therein we thought or
the broken hearts and signs and cries or
agony that had, in the far distant past,
assembled to heaven from within this
cruel enclosure-how that hope had gone
out of the human heart, and death had
come as a sweet relief to the prisoner
here in this dark and dismal place-and
how that the gay world had gone on
outside forgetful that he had ever lived
and suffered and passed away.
The Old Castle.
Leaving this prison of the old time, we
went further on up the beach and came
to the ruined old castle, standing there
on the seashore like some great, silent
sentry pointing backward, and whisper
ing to one of the days that are buried
iii the depths of the long ago. Here the
&c vernon of all the territory had resided
"a Spanish nobleman, in whose veins
flowed the proudest blood of old CASTLE.
In this very place he was surrounded
by his numerous courtiers and bands Oh
soldiers with changing arms and trumpet
calls; and proud lords and lovely ladies
in, pio G nv and TO the
strains of sweet music, danced the hours
away. But now, all is as quiet and noise
less as the stiffness of death-only the
soft breezes that pass gently through the
foliage of the royal palms and evergreen
trees, and the faint murmur OF the dis
tant waves of the sea, disturb the deep
and solemn silence.
The great stones that form the castle
walls, towering hundreds of feet high,
with their barren windows and frowning
pert holes commanding view of the
blue and restless waters as far as the
eve can see, are the only tokens that
man once resided here-for the ruler and
his courtiers and his bands of soldiers
proud lords and lovely ladies of that far
eff time, have all, all gone. and not one
left to tell of their greatness and grandeur
their very names being blotted from the
memory of man.
Only a short distance from the ruins
of this silent old castle stands the wreck
of the once beautiful cathedral-roof1ess
and barren. Its walls are of gray sand
stone firmly cemented together, and the
trees of the tropics are growing on the
top of these walls and are towering to-
ward the heavens; their roots have inter-
woven themselves into every crevice, and
from a height of so feet have. through
the years, been struggling downward
seeking the earth beneath
In this ancient cathedral, that was built
nearly 400 years ago, by hands that have
long since been idle, may yet be seen
the baptsmal font where, In the ages
PAST. innocence was christened into re-
ligious life.
The chancel, where once stood the
priest and ministered spiritual comfort
to his flock, may yet be seen. All It's
former gaudy trappings' and the beauti-
full mural paintings have disappeared,
and in the alcove above, where was once
the marble statue of the Crucifed One,
only the barren stones of the temple
look down upon you in mute darkness
and eternal silence. Everything in and
about this wrecked old cathedral speaks
of departed splendor. Yet, 1t is still held
in reverence for to this good day the
simple, child-like natives of this Wand of
eternal summer bring their dead here,
and within the enclosure of these ole
walls they commit their bodies to the
earth and garland their graves with the
flowers of the tropics. The grim old
walls throw their shadows across many of
the last resting places of these natives
who have laid lifes burdens down and
crossed over to the other side.
1t was with a feeling of sadness and
much reluctance we left this place, SO
tcdolent of memories of by-gone time
but there were other things we wished to
see so with sigh of regret, We passed
out, and forever, from the portals of this
once glorious cathedral, and went forth
into the tropical jungle. Here are to
be seen the remains of the foundations
of the residences and business houses of
the people who once inhabited Old Pana-
ma The friendly vegetation seems to be
cndeavorng to cover over and blot from
the memory of the world these remain
ing evidences of the cruel and heartless
deeds of the men of distant age who
brought wreck and ruin to this erstwhile
magnificent city.
Destruction of the City.
And how came it about that this city
WAS destroyed? Long, long ago, Sir
Henry Morgan, an Englishman, and the
most noted buccaneer of all time, gath
cred together all the pirates that In
tested the Caribbean sea. to the number
of 1000, and sailed forth in quest of gain.
First he attacked Old Providence, an
island that juts abruptly out of the
waters of the sea, and after much hard
lighting, conquered the people and took
what they had. Thence he and his thev-