tered about promiscuously. As no trees grow upon the island, with the exception of a few wind blown palms on the beach, the site of the town has always been bare and exposed to the full force of the sun's rays. In the early part of 1885, a revolution broke out in the interior of Colombia. A body of the insurgents threatened the city of Panama, and General Gonima, the officer in charge of a small detachment of national troops at Colon, was ordered to transfer his force, together with the entire police of the town, to the other end of the Isthmus, for the purpose of aiding the defence. Before leaving, General Gonima requested Commander Kane of the United States ship Galena, then anchored in the harbor, to afford protection to Colon. It is claimed, with apparent truth, that the naval officer undertook the responsibility. Whether he did so or not, his later action, or rather lack of action, is inexplicable. No sooner had the Colombian troops and the police left Colon, than one Pedro Prestan gathered about him a gang of ruffians, seized the Prefectura, collected all the arms procurable, and instituted a reign of terror. Many outrages were committed on American citizens, but Commander Kane took no steps to restore order, although a score of American marines, or jackies, might easily have gained control of the situation. At length, a force was sent from Panama to suppress the disturbance. Prestan went out to Monkey Hill to await the government troops and, for his better protection, placed two prominent Americans in the van of his men. It was midnight before the Panama force arrived at Monkey Hill, and, under cover of the darkness, the Americans contrived to make their escape. At the first fire Prestan's rabble broke and ran back to Colon. Their leader gave the order to fire the town. This was done, and, in the ensuing confusion, the mob looted the stores and houses without interference. With the exception of a few buildings upon the beach, the entire town was burned to the ground. In the reconstruction of Colon, somewhat more regard was shown for orderliness and sanitation, but the improvement left much to be desired in both respects. The town remains a straggling and unattractive collection of buildings, almost all of them frame, and commonplace in appearance. The exceptions are the hospital structures and the Washington Hotel, which is maintained by the Commission. The French erected some handsome residences and made an attempt at floral ornamentation, so that the little corner of the island called Cristobal presented a pleasing appearance in contrast to the quarter occupied by the wharves and railroad buildings. On the point at Cristobal stands a large wooden house which was originally the villa of De Lesseps and is now occupied by the officers of the Subsistence Department. This is one of the few places in the town that may excite momentary interest. The condition of land ownership in Colon is peculiar. Practically all the land is held by the Railroad under its original franchise, the terms of which provided for its reversion to Colombia at the expiration of that franchise. This debars the Panama Railroad from alienating the land. By the treaty of 1904 the Republic of Panama transferred to the United States all its right and interest in this land as the successor of the Republic of Colombia. Therefore, the United States having purchased the Railroad from the French, became the owner of the land, but subject to the restraint that prevented the road from disposing of it by sale. At the expiration of the Panama Railroad Company's CHAPTER IX ALONG THE LINE OF THE CANAL Ar the time that the Panama Railroad operation was inaugurated, the Island of Manzanillo was wilderness, inhabited upon its edges by a few Indians. It was here that the Railroad Company decided to locate its Atlantic terminal. A worse choice could hardly have been made, but no doubt there was good reason at the time for the selection of the site. The town, which grew up on the seashore, was called Aspinwall by the Americans, after one of the promoters of the railway enterprise. The Colombian Government, however, named it Colon. The island is a coral formation covered with sand. Its length is less than a mile and its breadth about six hundred yards. The railroad embankment connects it with the mainland. The town was originally built without any regard to order or convenience. The railroad sheds and shops, and the laborers' shacks, were scat tered about promiscuously. As no trees grow upon the island, with the exception of a few wind blown palms on the beach, the site of the town has always been bare and exposed to the full force of the sun's rays. In the early part of 1885, a revolution broke out in the interior of Colombia. A body of the insurgents threatened the city of Panama, and General Gonima, the officer in charge of a small detachment of national troops at Colon, was ordered to transfer his force, together with the entire police of the town, to the other end of the Isthmus, for the purpose of aiding the defence. Before leaving, General Gonima requested Commander Kane of the United States ship Galena, then anchored in the harbor, to afford protection to Colon. It is claimed, with apparent truth, that the naval officer undertook the responsibility. Whether he did so or not, his later action, or rather lack of action, is inexplicable. No sooner had the Colombian troops and the police left Colon, than one Pedro Prestan gathered about him a gang of ruffians, seized the Prefectura, collected all the arms procurable, and instituted a reign of terror. Many outrages were committed on American citizens, but |