COLON
ARRIVING in Colon, as they did about midday, the boys had little
desire to go sightseeing immediately. The weather was too hot and
uncomfortable. They ate dinner at a hotel with Mr. Andrews, but it was
decided to sleep on board their car every night. It was as comfortable
as any place they were likely to find.
As the car was side-tracked upon the railway dock, they had the full
benefit of the sea breezes, and during the remainder of that day Vasco
stayed upon the car with Harlan, watching the waves roll in from the
broad Atlantic.
Colon is situated on the extreme point of land between Limon and
Manzanillo Bays. There is really little harbour, and in case of severe
storm little protection for shipping.
"Sometimes there are terrible storms here," said Harlan, "when the
waves come in with tremendous force."
"I can see along the shore," said Vasco, "where much damage has been
done."
"That is not the worst, either," continued Harlan. "During these storms
many lives have been lost. It was only a little while ago that one of
the most severe of these 'northers' attacked this coast. Father was
telling me about it, as he happened to be in Colon at the time.
"Three steamships put to sea for safety and remained away three days.
The gunboat _Dixie_ also ran out as quickly as it could to escape the
danger. Not a vessel of any kind remained in the harbour except two
schooners in the slips close by this station. They were tied by a
number of cables at a sufficient distance from the piers to prevent
damage from the pitching and rolling. They couldn't get away, and rode
out the gale.
"Great waves rolled directly into the harbour, breaking over the
water-front, and even the streets were filled with water. From a number
of houses the people had to get out."
"It doesn't look now as if the sea ever could do such harm, does it?"
said Vasco.
"Indeed it does not. It is very calm and gentle this afternoon. Father
told me that one of the plans in connection with digging the canal is
the building of a big breakwater here."
"If that is done the harbour will be much safer, won't it?" asked Vasco.
"Yes, and the entrance to the canal will be less likely to suffer
damage in a storm," said Harlan.
"It looks as if a number of old wrecks were strewn along the shore
now," said Vasco, indicating at the time numerous hulks that appeared
just above the surface of the water along the shore.
"Those are relics of the French effort to dig a canal here. Scores of
scows were built by the De Lesseps company, and when work was given up
they were left to decay and sink."
"Why didn't some one take care of them?" asked Vasco. "They must have
cost a lot of money."
"That's one of the questions no one can answer, any more than one can
tell why so many costly engines and steam-shovels and dredges were left
to rust and grow useless by exposure."
"I remember we saw some of them near the railway. A good many were more
than half-buried in the sand, too," said Vasco.
Thus the boys whiled away the afternoon, and at night, with Mr.
Andrews, turned into their berths in the "sleeper."
In the morning, after an early breakfast, the boys started to explore
the town. They found that most of the buildings were mere wooden
shanties.
"This city makes me think of some of the beach resorts in my country,"
said Harlan. "The houses are just such flimsy affairs."
There were no cellars, and the houses were set up on stakes. The
streets hardly deserved the name, and were littered with all kinds of
dirt and filth.
Even Vasco, who could not be accused of being particular, said that he
much preferred to live in his own city of Panama.
After dinner, during the hottest part of the day, the boys indulged in
a _siesta_, and later took a walk to Coconut Point, where the French
had built a number of fine houses, and cleared and drained the land to
make healthful surroundings for the officers of the canal company.
One specially elegant house was built for the sole use of De
Lesseps--and he occupied it less than one hour. The whole situation and
surroundings were ideal and a splendid reminder of the extravagance of
the French canal company.
At night, when the boys returned to their car, Mr. Andrews told them
that he had completed his business in Colon, and that they would start
on the return trip in the morning.