2 x Scottish Great Grandfather died Taboga Island, Panama, 1866

Amelia2116

Could anyone help, please? My 2 x GG HUGH WEIR was born in 1836 in Scotland and was killed/died in Taboga Island, Panama, in December 1866. He was an engineer/boiler maker (we believe). He does have a memorial stone that a great uncle erected in Motherwell, but other than that, we have no information on what happened.

Does anyone know which company was sending vast numbers of Scottish men to Panama at this time?

I have tried to reach out to the relevant government sources/departments in Panama to access the records for his death, but have had no luck at all.

I noted from other questions on the site that others have Scottish relatives who were out in Panama at the same time.

I thought, if I could find out which company was sending people to the area, I could perhaps head down this route to find more details.

Thanks in advance.

sc woz

@Amelia2116

It is possible he was involved in building the cross country Panama Railway. Opened in 1855, the railway preceded the Panama Canal by half a century; the railway was vital in assisting the construction of the canal in the early 1900s. 

It is estimated that from 5,000 to 10,000 people may have died in the construction of the railroad, though the Panama Railway company kept no official count and the total may be higher or lower. Cholera, malaria, and yellow fever killed thousands of workers, who were from the United States, Europe, Colombia, China, the Caribbean islands, and also included some African slaves. Many of these workers had come to Panama to seek their fortune and had arrived with little or no identification. Many died with no known next of kin, nor permanent address, nor even a known surname.