The Tomahawk., 1903-08-06
THE PLAGUE IN MANILA.
Held in Chcck by the Thorough
Cleaning Received Under Man.
aaement of Americans.

The Americanizing of Manila has
been a revelation to the Filipinos.
Never did city need cleaning worse,
and no city was ever cleaned more thor
oughly. Between American doctors
anxious to prevent an epidemic of
plague, American sanitary commission
ers who eliminated open sewers and
American road builders eager for good
highways these and others.
Manila has been turned upside down.
says the Washington Star.
It was city of sickening smells.
The sewers in many parts ran in tho
center of a narrow street, and refuse
from the houses on either side was
emptied into them. The smell from the
bitches was monstrous thing, but it
was handy and cheap, having the drain
there, and the native does not mind 2
smell. Some of them even protested
against any change, the idea that
smell was unhealthy, that it might
bring. the dread cholera, never entering
their heads.
They were satisfied with the miser-
able old paving which made some
streets almost impossible. The depart
ment Of public works now employs
nearly 1000 officers, mechanics and la
borers. They have widened some
streets, raised others by filing in heavy
stone, and now they are at work on
system of parks, of which Manila was
sadly in need. Indeed, the lack of open
air spaces, Fairgrounds for the old and
young, was causing no little anxiety.
The natives take readily to games, but
until recently they have had no encour-
agement. There are hundreds of clerks
and under officials in the government
service who have little to do with their
spare time, and who have been crying
for parks.
The field in front of the Luneta is be-
ing converted into an open recreation
ground Games of all sorts will be per-
mitted and there will be children's
playground modelled after those in this
city. A city park laid out with broad
drives and walks, an ayiary and a ZOO
logical reserve are added attractions.
With the plague always present at
Hong-Kong, it is not strange that it
should stalk the 600 miles to Manila.
It was discovered in the last week OF
the year 1899, and increased steadily
until 1901, when the number of cases
was 1872 Then the fight began in earn
est.
To the rats was laid the blame Of
spreading the disease. Hundreds of
traps and many pounds of poison of
various sorts were distributed to the
people. A reward was paid for every rat
killed. Some $4,000 were tagged and
sent to the government laboratory for
archaeological examination OF the
10000 examined with microscope ESQ
were found infected with the plague.
The houses from which the infected
rats came were treated just as those
where the disease attacked human oc-
cupants. During one month, accord
ing to Dean A. G. Worcester!s report,
65,379 traps were set and 403,7S9 plates
of poison placed by the rat-catching
squad. Many houses which were hope
lessly insanitary were burned during
the plague cleanup, and the cholera
scare which followed it. In each case
the owner was remunerated. Many Of
the market places were abandoned by
order of the authorities until they
could be rebuilt
AS result, the spread of both cpl
denies was prevented and the general
health greatly improved. The natives
wonder at all this activity, and, feel
ing secure in the possession of their
charms against disease, grumble a great
deal at the disturbance Of the house and
the city cleaning.