Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-09-04


Colon. C. with the completion of
to- Panama canal the importance of
the Panama railway will decline al
most to the vanishing point.
For nearly sixty years this railway
has been carrying people and freight
from ocean to ocean. Though only Al
miles long, it has been, for certain
periods, one of the most important and
most interesting railroad lines in the
world. During the building Of the
canal, under the ownership Of the
United States, 1t has become n Of
the best equipped and most efficient of
railways. 1t has given great help in
the construction of the canal that will
prove it's virtual death.
The finding of gold in California was
the cause of the building of the Pana-
ma railroad. For long years before
the wild rush of argonauts in 1849 the
isthmus was almost forgotten by the
civilized world, but when the yellow
metal was discovered on the west
coast it became ono more a great
trade route. In order to avoid the long
trip across the plains in prairie
schooners," thousands of gold-seekers
went by boat to Chagres, up the Cha
gres river to Gorgona or Cruces and
thence over the old Spanish road 10
Panama. This, too, was a long route
and in the rainy season a painful and
dangerous one because of the preva-
lence of disease.
To the rescue of the gold hunters
came three bold Americans, W. H. AS
pinwall, Henry Chauncey and John L.
Stevens. In 1848 these men had asked
the government of New Granada for a
concession for the road, and in 1850
Stevens obtained it at Bogota. The
Pacific terminus could not be otherwise
than at Panama, but at first the har-
Dor Of Porto Bello was selected for the
Atlantic terminus. However, a New
York s%peculator spoiled this plan by
buying up all the land about the har
Dor and holding 1t at a very high price
SO Navy Bay was chosen instead.
When work on the line was begun in
May, 1850, there was no celebration
no turning Of the first spadeful Of
earth with a golden shovel.
Two Americans with a gang Of In
dams landed on Manzanillo island, nov
the site of the city of Colon, then 6
desolate, uninhabited spot, and begaT
the tremndous task of clearing thu
route through the dense jungle. TIL
surveying party suffered intensely, TO
the land was so swampy and SO infest
ed with malaria and yellow fever bear
ing mosquitoes that they were com
PEELED to sleep aboard a ship. Mucl
of the time they carried their lunches
tied on their heads and ate then
standing waist-deep in the water.
The efforts of the company to oh
tain laborers were attended by a tel
rible tragedy. Eight hundred Chimes
were brought owe from Hong Kong
but within a week of their landin!
scores of them died. Opium was givel
the survivors and for a short tim
checked the ravages of disease. Blu
the supply of the drug was shut off o.
account of it's cost, and again tn
deaths became numerous. The poo
OrientaIs in despair began to commi
suicide, some by hanging, others b
implement, while some deliberatel
sat down upon the seashore and wal
ed for the rising tide to overwhelr
them. In a few weeks scarce two huI
bred were left, and these, broken i
health and spirits, we're sent to ia
maica.
Another shipload of laborers, thi
time from Ireland, met no better fate
for nearly every man died.
The material difficulties that col
fronted the railway builders are thu
summarized by Tones in his "Panam
in 1885," "The isthmus did not SUI
ply a single necessary for tn
undertaking. Not only the capita
skill and enterprise, but the labor, rh
wood and iron, the daily food, tn
clothing, the roof to cover and the IL
struments to work with came froI
abroad. Most of the materif
used for the construction OF the roa
was brought from vast distances
Although the country abounde
in forests, it was found necessar'
from the expense of labor and til
want of routes OF communication, I
send the timber, for the most par
from the United States, and not onl
were the rails, to a considerable C,
tent, laid on American pine, but tn
bridges, and the houses and worl
shops Of the various settlements wer
of the same wood. all fashioned ]
4 Maine and Georgia. The metal worl
the rails, the locomotives and the too
were brought either from England c
the United States. The daily food {
the laborers, even, came from a Ne
York market"
The first section Of the road wa
laid through a mangrove swamp
which no bottom was found, the tracl
being foated on an immense pontoo'
BY October, 1851. eight miles had bee
completed and solid ground wa
reached at Gatun. Lack OF funds no
began to hamper the builders. [
vestors in the states had become di
couraged and the cost of labor had a
vanced. But a hurricane came to Il
rescas. Two ships loaded with gol
seekers were forced to anchor mel
Manzanillo island and the passengei
paid the company q handsome sum
carry them to Gatun in work cars. I'll
news that the road had carried mo
than a thousand passengers reach'
New York and funds again flowed In
the Golfers of the company.
As the work progressed passenge