Timothy C. Murphy of Norwood, Mass., coxswain on the President’s yacht “Mayflower,” now at Colon, Panama as the flagship of Admiral Coghlan, writes to his brother Eugene Murphy a letter which in view of the present doings of the United States in Panama will prove of interest to our readers : —
Dear Brother : —
Considering the interesting situation in which we are placed in relation to the trouble here, perhaps you would like to hear something of what is occurring here. Central American climatic conditions are about as unfavorable for the conduct of war by white men as are our gems of the Pacific and the threatening attitude of the Colombian army at Savinilla above here bothers ns much less than the miasmatic vapors that almost continually rise from and hang over the long sweep of low lands that surround Colon.
We arrived here Sunday the 15th after a fair trip of seven days from Washington. Some bad weather attended us off Hatteras in which we were obliged to house (lower) our upper masts to secure against their going over the side. Therein I had my first real experience in working aloft in a gale, and after it I am more of a respecter of Mother Ocean and firmness in my opinion that there is no place like Mother Earth for real comfort. Our orders to leave Washington came like a shock when we were just settling down for the winter. We brought with us as you have seen in the papers Admiral Coghlan, Rear Admiral Walker, Pres, of the Panama Canal Commission and Consul Gudger of Colon, who has been on leave to the United States. You have of course a good idea how things are going, through the newspapers and must be acquainted with the new Republic of Panama. We are only too well acquainted down here, and through the intervals of roasting sunshine and soaking rain we salute the palm-fringed shores of Panama with some very uncomplimentary remarks.
The Maine, Atlanta and Nashville are at a place called Porto Bello a few miles south of here, on the lookout for stray Colombian gun-boats. Our orders are to prevent the landing of their troops and well are they carried out.
The Dixie is with us here and has about 500 marines aboard. These are held in readiness to land should the Colombians attack the city, to aid the wooden soldiers of Panama in its defence. Our infantry company is also prepared to land should the occasion arise.
Every steamer coming in, is boarded by our officers before being allowed to dock, to find out whether or not troops are aboard. One steamer a German flying the Colombian ensign at the fore gave us some trouble. We were lying quietly at anchor when she was sighted. No sooner was the flag at her fore made out than Admiral Coghlan was on the bridge and in three minutes we bad weighed anchor, got to quarters and steamed out to intercept her Lying to and fro across the harbor mouth, we waited for her and hoisted an international signal to “ heave to.” She moved to all right and our officer bailed her demanding her name, business etc. You can imagine her captain’s surprise. He had been at sea for over a week and imagined he was enter ing a Colornbian port hence the flag at his fore. On being asked if he had any troops aboard, he replied in the negative and was allowed to come in.
A steamer from the upper coast brought a commission from Bogota the Colombian capital to confer with Admiral Coghlan. With them came Gen. Darreta. They dared not land so came aboard us till the conference was over Nov. 17th. The commissioners left us today under an armed guard. Our steam launch put them aboard a British steamer and they sailed about noon for Cartagena. Ashore an attack by land is momentarily expected. The Colombians declare their intention of marching on Colon and Panama despite American interference — “ I admire their courage,” as the saying goes, but am inclined to “damn their judgment.”
Colon being the Eastern terminus of the Panama Railroad has considerable commerce and the noisy little engines that haul the freight seem most incongrous to the surroundings of palm grove and thatched houses. There are a few largo buildings here, ware-houses and dock sheds but the average dwelling house or place of business is but one story or one and a half in height.
The palace of De Lesseps the French adventurer and canal builder still stands here and is now occupied by government officials.
The Hamburg-American Co. and the Panama R. R. Steamship Co. own and operate two of the largest docks. A British Co. also owns and operates a freight loading and dockage system pier. The population is about 0000 including foreign residents. Many of these are Chinese who worked on the Canal or found their way from Frisco. A great many of the business houses in the place are conducted by Chinese. The Americans however lead in enterprise and it is evident that ere long the city will become thoroughly Americanized.
The army of the Republic is so widely distributed that there are but 200 or 300 men in any ono place. The garrison here I believe consists of about 350 men.
The soldiers dress in white with blue peaked caps, similar to thorn worn by our men in the Civil War. A thin red stripe adorns their trouser legs. Theuniform of the officers is not very much different and the absence of gaudiness is conspicious.
The Isthmians are very dark and speak a language akin to Spanish but more like the native Mexican. English is spoken by almost every one in Colon and Panama, caused I suppose by their long association with American enter piyw and trade.
Dawn has passed without anything serious occurring. The hurried entrance to the city of a battalion of troops stationed some distance inland caused some excitement ashore.
It turned out however that a French officer high in command here executed the retreat as a drill to determine the alertness of his outposts and to see what effect the apparent reverse would have on the city’s defenders. To one of our men ashore a young officer, French also confided. “Ze Panama soldat, he very patriotic, but so simple, he fight without ze clothes, ze food and ze medicine and Mon Dieu, sometimes he fight without ze ammunition.”
Word was received from Washington today that a detachment of Colombian soldiers are on their way here in a French vessel, cleared presumably from Martinique. Orders for a strict surveil lance of the coast are in operation in the fleet and sometime tonight (18th) we expect a hurried call to quarters.
I understand that marines are being ordered here on the rush. It were well for us 1 think if they got here soon, since the number of troops on route here from Bogata the Colombian capital has been increased from 7000 to 15,000.
I presume that affairs are now pretty quiet in Norwood. My visit home has been deferred so many times now that 1 will give up planning for it until I am well on my way to Boston over some railroad or other.
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)