The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-11-03
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THE PANAMA CANAL.

scuffle.
THE PANAMA CANAL.
"A statement on Behalf OF the Canal
Company Conditions OF Health In
the Region which the Canal Crosses
The Work That Has Been Done
Thus Far.
Parties interested in the Panama
Canal company claim that representa-
tons have recently been made with
reference to the operations Of that
company on the isthmus calculated to
mislead the public, and long state
ment has been prepared to show the
actual condition of affairs. This state
ment is made UP of extracts from Of
fetal reports. AS regards the health
fulness Of the isthmus it is maintained
that the disease which takes the cpl
demic form are mainly those intro
duced by merchant and other vessels,
and these are generally carried from
other countries, and ara aggravated by
the insufficient ventilation of the ships.
The disease attributable to local causes
are miasmatic fevers. These, as else
where, are more or less aggravated by
the seasons. Temperate and clearly
people, it IS said, are no more liable to
malarial diseases at Aspinwall and
Panama than in any other of the trop-
ical regions. The Panama company
has, however, established medical
corps on the isthmus and propose to
build hospitals as soon as possible.
Ten sisters of charity have gone to
Panama to act as nurses, and it is said
to be the intention of the company to
make the amplest provision possible to
take care of all who may become sick.
In order to prevent laborers from dan
gerous exposure to the climate, houses
will be provided for their shelter along
the line Of the canal. Several of these
houses have already beer erected. 1t
is officially stated that "a corps of COM
petent medical officers, with all the
necessary medical supplies, and with
hospitals and hospital ambulances, and
with carefully prescribed sanitary reg
ulations, will be enabled to counteract
all the ordinary effects of the climate
and bring the healthfulness of the la.
borers to the highest possible maxi
num-" Recently published statistics
show that during the seven months up
to September l, 1881, out of 1000 cases
of sickness there were but twenty-seven
deaths, and all but four of those occur
red in the months of June, July. and
August. Nine of the deaths were
caused by yellow fever, and three by
bilious remittent fever. Typhoid fever
and cholera, it is claimed, are unknown
on the isthmus, and scarlet fever, scar
latina, and diphtheria are only known
in the sporadic state, and in isolated
cases.
With reference to the work already
done by the Panama Canal Company
it is explained that a satisfactory AZ.
rangement was not made with the Pan
anna Railroad Company, to carry the
immense amount of material necessary
to be taken into the interior until last
June, and therefore the time in which
actual work could be done has been
limited. The preliminary step was tc
clear out the underground Oh the line
of the canal. Although job of con
siderable difficulty, this has already
been thoroughly accomplished. M. dc
Lesseps sent out competent corps O
engineers last January, and genera
plan of survey was at once organized tc
select the proper places for future bar
racks and villages; to ascertain the
resources of the isthmus and adjoining
country, from which workmen and re
sources could be drawn. Notwithstand
ing the obstacles encountered in the
luxuriant vegetation and the thick for
ests, there has been opened and record
cd transversely to the axis of the cana
over 200 kilometres of paths, and also
a passage from twenty to thirty metres
has been made from one end of tn,
sthmus to the other, according to thu
proposed lines of the Canal Commits
sion. For meteorological studies, tt
which especial attention has been civ
en-, four stations have been established
AT Colon, Gamboa. la Boca del Ri
Grande. and Naos Island. Geological
surveys have been made and are nov
in progress. It has been ascertained tina
between Colon and Lion Hill the cana
will not encounter any rocks. At tn,
present time two steam sounding appa
fuses are being put up similar to thos'
at Colon. AT this station tho sample
brought up by the spoons have givel
an exact structure of the soil. 1t i
shown to be a succession of layers 0
clay, representing the degradations o
a greenish pyroxenic rock, which
through its gradual degradatiorb AM
decomposition has produced thi
formation. AT other places the grount
bored to depth of twenty-five metre
has revealed nearly every way, instead
of successive formations, methodicall.
arranged. a chain of derived rock
growing softer and softer. The thick
ness of the mellow soil is quite remark
able, and, in word, the sounding
have given results beyond expectation
on the whole line Of the canal.
Work on the canal has been con.
menced. The company now have 2O'
cars, twelve locomotives, two pontons
two steam cranes, eighteen fat-boats
two dredges with change pieces, ribbon
saws, rails, etc, a part Of which is al
ready at Colon, and the remainder j
on the way. The store-houses at Col
on cover an area of 1,4OO metres AM
are full. Five barges and two steam
boats are plying upon the Chagres Riv
er. Another steamboat at Panama j
used for photographic surveys of tn
bay. The fears which have been enter
tanned by some that the compan
would be unable to obtain sufiicien
number Of laborers are not likely to b
realized. The adjoining provinces wi