Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-04
YELLOW FEVER AT PANAMA.
Private Information of Surgeon Gem
eraI HamiItOn-Why the Truth is Con
ceaIed.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.-SurgeOn Gen.
eral HamiltOn's suggestions as to addi-
tiOnal precautions to prevent the intro
ductiOn of yellow fever from Panama
were based upon information Of start
ling character. In a letter just received
from prominent authority, and dated
Panama, Jan. 3, the following statements
are made:
"All information as to deaths occur
ring here is studiOuslv concealed. You
can readily see that if it were known
abroad that the mortality on this isthmus
is alarmingly great, it would probably
check the flow of labOrers, contractors,
tourists and others in this direction to the
detriment of the interests of the canal
company, steamship lines, hotel keepers,
merchants and all who gather gain from
the people that flock hither. While it is
impossible to obtain official figures in re-
gard to diseases and deaths, certain facts
cannot be entirely hidden, and occasion
ally an important admission is accident
ally made from which an intelligent per-
son can form an opinion. We know that
persons of our acquaintance die daily OF
yellow and pernicious malarial fevers. /
have had friend die in my arms. actually
casting black VOmlt over me, and vet the
next day l was assured by prominent
resident of Panama that there had never
been a case of yellow fever on the isthmus.
Il have undOubted authority (but can
not name it for saying that 100 persons
died in the Canal Hospital here in No
Yember, 1884. In the new cemetery
opened in this city during July last there
are already more than LOCO graves, over
l 1000 interments in six months in the prin-
cipal one of five cemeteries. l have no
doubt that 2.400 persons were buried in
Panama in 1884. The death rate at Colon
and along the line has been very heavy.
The population Of Panama is estimated
at 81 600 If my estimate is correct, our
death rate is about 10 per annum, say, II
out of 100,
''The Director General of the Canal
Company is believed to have salary of
$50, 600 year. He can, therefore, afford
every comfort, and provide every safe
guard for his family, but his experience
has been ineXpressibly sad. At the end
of October, 1888, he came here from
Paris, bringing with him his wife, and
their daughter and son, together with a
staff of engineers, ETC., of some twelve
persons. The people Of his staff have all
died, with possibly one exception. His
daughter died of yellow fever on Jan. y,
1884, and his son succumbed TO some dis
ease on Feb. %. His wife died of fever
last evening at O'Clock, and Mr.. Dingler
tried to shoot himself. He is the only
one left on this isthmus of the party
which came here together fifteen months
ago.
ssThe number OF fever-stricken people
who have applied at the United States
Consulate here for hospital relief, or for
passage hOmeward, would alone be sufti-
cient evidence of insalubrity, but the
various other sad facts daily brought to
my notice warrant me IN saying that this
isthmus is residential"
Reports from Colon and other points
show similar facts. Surgeon General
Hamilton believes that the only thing to
be done is to make the facts known and
secure, if possible, better quarantine pre-
cautions against Panama.