In the early morning hours, a fire broke out in the eastern section of the Panamanian town of Colón, then known to foreigners as Aspinwall, the eastern terminus of the railway running across the ithmus to the Pacific Ocean. Sailors from the U.S.S. De Soto were able to bring the fire under control during the day and keep the blaze from spreading to the docks and other transport facilities. Damage was heavy but no serious injuries were reported. (By John Osborne)
Source Citation
"The Great Fire at Aspinwall, October 19th, 1866," Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, November 24, 1866, p. 151.
Record Data
Date Certainty
Exact
Type
Crime/Disasters