Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-10-01
Fatality ansae the CAiasss LAhsrsr On the
Panama Railroad.

Fatality ansae the cAiasss Lahezsu On the
Panama Railroad.
A work receatly published gives the fol-
lowing passage in the history Of the con-
.struction Of ths Papsma Railroad:
"Aterrihls fatality attends the efforts OF
the Railroad Company to avail themselves
Of the assjslSncc Of the Chinese laborers.
A ship arrived and landed on the Isthmus
soms eight hundred. "after q voyage from
Hong Kong, where these poor devils Of the
aowcry kingdom had unwitungly s,ld them
selves TO the service Of the railroad. per-
were going, and Of the trials which awaited
them. The voyage was toleraby prosper
Gus. aud the Chinese bore its fatigues and
s0fierings with great patience, cheesed BY
the prospects Of reaching the foreign land.
whittier they had been tempted BY the
glowing descriptions Of those traffickers
in human life, who he'd 90 literally promised
them wealth and happiness. Sixteen died
on the passage, and were thrown into the
sea. No sooner bad the eight HUNDRED sur
vivors lsnded. than thirty-two OF the num-
Der were struck down prostrate by sickness;
aud in less than Z week afterward, eighty
more lay by their side. The interpreters
who accompanied them attributed the rapid
prostretion to the want Of their habitnai
opium. This drug was then distributed
nmoag them, and with the good effect Of 40
far stimulating their energies, that two
thirds OF the sick arose again from their
beds, aud began to labor, A Maine opium
law, however. was soon promulgated on the
score of immortality Of administering to so
pernicious an habit, and without regard, it
is hoped, TO the expense; which, however,
was no inconsidersble item, since the daily
quota OF each Chinese amounted to fifteen
grains, at the cost Of at leas, Is cents.
Whether it was owing to the deprivation
Of their habtusl stimulus, or the malignant
effects of the climate, or homesickuess, or
disappointment, ia a few weeks there was
hardly one out Of the eight hundred Chinese
who was not PROSTATE and unfit 10 labor.
The poor sufferers let the pick and shovel
fall from their hands and vie lded themselves
up to the agony Of despair. They now
gladly welcomed death, and impatiently
awaited their turn in the ranks which were
falling before the pes,ience The havoc
of disease went on, and would have done
its work in time; but as it was sometimes
merciful, and spared life, and was deliber-
ate tho deadly, the despairing Chinese
could wait 40 longer; he hastily seized the
hand of death, and voluntarily sought de-
suction in its grasp. Hundreds destroy ed
themselves, aud showed in their various
moies OF suicide, the characteristic Chinese
ingenuity. Some deliberately lighted their
pipes, aud set themselves down upon the
shore OF the sea, and awaited the rising OF
the tide--hrmly resolved TO die-and sat
silent, and unmoved as storm beaten roc K
as wave rose above wave, until they sank
into the depths of eternity. Some bar.
gained with their companions for death
giving their all 10 the friendly nd which,
with kindly touch of the trigger, would
scatter their brains and haste their doom
Some hung themselves TO the tall trees by
their hair, and some twisted their queus
about their neck with . deliberate coil
after coil, until their faces biackened, their
eye balls started out, their tongues pro-
lruded, and death relieved their agony.
Some Gu, ugly, cruichshaped sticks, sharp
ened the ends TO point, aud thrust their
necks upon them until they were pierced
through and through and thus maAg,ed,
yielded up life in a torrent of blood. Some
took great stones into their hands and leap
ed into the depths Of the nearest river, and
chung, with resolute hold, TO the weight
which sunk them. gurgling in the agones
Of drowning. to the bottom. until death
loosened their grasp, and foated them to
the surface, lifeless bodies. Some starved
themselves to death-refused either to eat
or drink. Some impaled themselves up
on their instruments of labor; and thus,
in few weeks after their arrival, there
were but scarce two hundre Chinese left
ofthe whole number. This miserable rem
nant of poor, heart-sick exiles, PROSTATE
from the effect of the climate, and bent on
death, being useless for labor, were sent to
Jamaica, where they have, ever since, lin
gered out miserable beggar's life"