Identifier: panamapersonalre00robi_0 (find matches)
Title: Panama; a personal record of forty-six years, 1861-1907
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Robinson, Tracy, 1833-1915
Subjects: Panama railroad. (from old catalog)
Publisher: New York and Panama, The Star and herald company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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d tow her away from the wharf, lest 85 (Panama the fire should spread, and also lest another ex-plosion should occur. The Caribbean had been considerably dam-aged by the explosion, being at the same wharf;but she was taken out into the stream, beyond thereach of danger. Then Captain Hoar returned.I can see him now, a tall, resolute man, clearedfor action, giving orders, running lines with hisown hands, and venturing into the very jaws ofdeath, until he had succeeded in getting the burn-ing ship clear of the wharf, and away to the fur-ther side of the bay. Then the dreaded secondexplosion took place, and she sank beneath thewaves, never to float again. Several packages ofthe explosive that had caused all this ruin hadbeen already landed, and I remember the re-spectful manner in which they were after-wards handled. They were taken, with greatcare, out to the Monkey Hill cemeteries, and bur-ied (without prayers), where their terrible con-tents have no doubt long since become harmless. 86
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Chapter IX) CHAPTER IX HP HIS narrative is inclined to lap over, likeshingles on a roof; or to fly to and fro, asmemory recalls the motion of the hand weaversshuttle in wondering childhood. In fact, it wouldbe rather difficult to give a connected account ofthis kaleidoscopic Isthmus. Naturally, the af-fairs of the railroad company occupy the leadingplace; for until the road had been projected andbuilt there was nothing. Panama was only an-other name for Nirvana. The Isthmus was awilderness from shore to shore, when all at onceit became a center of attraction as an interoceantransit. The discovery of gold in California con-tributed largely to this end; but previous to thatgreat event, the names of William H. Aspin-wall, Henry Chauncey, and John L. Stephensappear as originators and promoters of the rail-road enterprise. They took the first steps ongeneral principles; they believed that a roadacross the Isthmus would pay; but it did not en-ter their minds, nor the mind of living mortal,t

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