Presidential Addresses 



and held as prisoners, were not released by 2 o'clock 

 P.M., he, Torres, would open fire on the town of 

 Colon and kill every United States citizen in the 

 place, and my advice and action were requested. I 

 advised that all the United States citizens should 

 take refuge in the shed of the Panama Railroad 

 Company, a stone building susceptible of being put 

 into good state for defence, and that I would imme- 

 diately land such body of men, with extra arms for 

 arming the citizens, as the complement of the ship 

 would permit. This was agreed to, and I imme- 

 diately returned on board, arriving at 1.15 P.M. 

 The order for landing was immediately given, and 

 at 1.30 P.M. the boats left the ship with a party of 

 42 men under the command of Lieut-Commander 

 H. M. Witzel, with Midshipman J. P. Jackson as 

 second in command. Time being pressing I gave 

 verbal orders to Mr. Witzel to take the building 

 above referred to, to put it into the best state of de- 

 fence possible, and protect the lives of the citizens 

 assembled there not firing unless fired upon. The 

 women and children took refuge on the German 

 steamer Marcomania and Panama Railroad steamer 

 City of Washington, both ready to haul out from 

 dock if necessary. The Nashville I got under way 

 and patrolled with her along the water front close 

 in and ready to use either small-arm or shrapnel 

 fire. The Colombians surrounded the building of 

 the railroad company almost immediately after we 

 had taken possession, and for about one and a half 

 hours their attitude was most threatening, it being 

 seemingly their purpose to provoke an attack. Hap- 



