THE FIRST IN OUR FAMILY TO CROSS THE PANAMA - 1864

I wrote a book, Footsteps To Dreams, which documented our family history. This excerpt in my words describes the departure, from Southampton England, of eighteen year old John Newell Evans: "At 3:20 PM, 2 April 1864 my great grandfather sailed away on calm seas embarking on journey to a new land where he would acquire land, marry, expand his family and become a prominent member of an island community thousands of miles away. Although he never returned to Wales, his homeland remained a treasured memory in his heart and his mind."

John wrote these words in his diary:

“Leaving Southampton on the Steamship La Plata for St. Thomas, West Indian Island [Jamaica], Danish Island [Virgin Islands] was certainly a change to serving behind a Drapery Counter selling goods to the Residents in and about Covent Garden, plowing our way west across the Atlantic, with final destination Vancouver Island – bidding farewell to the shores of my native land, its many attractions and many friends, to find a new  home and many, many friends during the passing years.”

Three weeks after his Southampton departure John Newell Evans landed at 6:55PM, 23 April 1864 in the Port of Colon, also referred to as Aspinwall, located on the east side of the Isthmus of Panama. The options to cross to the west side were to ride a pack mule through mosquito and crocodile infested swamp land or take the Panama Railroad built to shorten the voyage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The rail line across the Isthmus was very popular with travellers from overseas and with Americans. Just before John Newell’s ship arrived in Colon a ship from New York City carrying 1300 passengers had arrived. They bought up all the railway tickets, which meant my great grandfather had to wait until the next morning to secure rail passage. However, the many American passengers also meant a delay once John arrived in Panama City.

He described the delay with the following words:

“We arrived three hours after the New York Boat with her load of passengers bound for California…we were to be taken over in the morning according to the Railway office information in time to board the San Francisco boat, but alas the boat sailed way at 3 o’clock in the morning, leaving the English passengers stranded in Panama for ten days. Colon when we came through was a dirty town – Panama an old town with many ruined Churches which must have cost a lot of labor to build –‘built of stone’- The town had a good business owing to the Railway been built making a saving of time going around Cape Horn.”

The description in my book of my great grandfather's time in Panama includes excerpts from his diary:

John Newell made the best of being stranded in Panama City and found accommodation at the European Hotel for “a dollar and a quarter per day board and lodging”. He mentions seeing a lot of swamp and underbrush as well as an alligator near the water’s edge. He noted the cattle looked in good condition but the horses, pigs and dogs were scrawny with bones nearly through their skins. On 25 April 1864 he wrote: “Some of our fellow passengers are disappointed with the accommodation so eight of them have gone to the American Hotel. We other four went to see their accommodations but I don’t like them as well as our own. We have a great deal better room since they have gone. I must say that we live very well. The first thing we have in the morning is a cup of good coffee and a fresh roll. We can have it anytime between 6 A.M. & 10 A.M.” [My goodness continental breakfast was served even in John Newell’s youth.] “We have what they call breakfast at 10 A.M. We have two courses of fresh meat, ham potatoes, bread and a cup of tea. We dine at 4:30 P.M. We have two courses and sweets and a cup of tea. We have tea again before 8 P.M., so I think the fare is pretty good for a dollar and a quarter. They have to buy the water here; men go about with it in little casks in carts and on mules’ backs.” In his later years he reflected on his time in Panama with these words: “I think the passengers who had to stay the ten days enjoyed themselves during that time and the cost was not so very much $1.00 per day board and room…after 65 years the best cup of tea I ever drunk was in the European Hotel Panama. Tropical fruit was also plentiful in Panama; while our passengers eat a good deal of fruit we did not suffer any ill effect from it. It was just about in its best condition – not too green or over ripe. All together my recollections of Panama are very pleasant ones.”

1873 - John Newell Evans, nine years after he travelled the Panama Railroad.

Although our cruise does not permit a stop in Panama City we plan to enjoy the scenery through the Canal watching for an alligator along the water's edge. Perhaps we will partake in High Tea that day and savour the tropical fruit provided on board. Most certainly we will toast brave, adventuresome great grandpa John, the first in our family to cross the Isthmus of Panama.