The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-07-20
lSTHMIAN CANAL WORK
Conditions In Panama Zone as
c. w. Russell Saw Them.
THE CLIMATE AND SANITATION.

Not single Case of yellow Fever
seen-Huch of Property Left by the
French Is In Good Condition-Bie
Cut at cuiebra Half FLASHED.
seven Years 80 Complete Canal
Charles w. Russell special assistant
attorney general, who assisted in the
final negotiations for the transfer of
title and property Of the Panama Ca
nal company to the United States and
who was recalled from Paris to 90 to
the isthmus to help in the organization
Of a government for the canal zone, re-
Gently returned to Washington. In
speaking Of conditions on the isthmus
to d reporter Of the Washington Post
Judge Russell said:
'sWe have some 400 square miles OF
territory along the canal route, occu-
pied by ten or twelve thousand people,
soon to be increased by several thou
sands. They are largely negroes who
speak what they regard as English and
\ Spanish. could seldom tell which
they were attempting. There are
few Chinese. very good gardeners and
shopkeepers. and some persons of Span
ish and French extraction. The peo-
Die. all or nearly all. are living IN lit
tie villages along the railroad, many
III them in houses now belonging to
us and some In houses they own, while
the land under them is ours.
'sThere is very little agriculture
few pineapple and vegetable patches
and some pastures for cows. do not
know that the cows give milk. never
saw any except the canned article.
The cattle look very fine and healthy,
however, and the Panama country Il a
cattle country Dense tropical trees,
y. vines and bushes on hills, some five to
eight hundred feet high, and in pietur-
esaue valleys, ill the pictures behind
the villages except for the small rivers
and famous Chagres. which sometimes,
, very rarely, rises twenty or thirty feet.
Near Panama and reaching near the
canal for miles is d salt marsh fire.
quented by alligators, throwing up
grass-so called -twice as high as corn
stalks, and variety Of bushes, some
! Of them towering prettily, as at Mira
flores, which takes its name from these
Z flowers.
J .aThe populations Of Panama and
} Colon. now carefully cut of by q
boundary delimitation from our zone
B are similar, but there are more eau
} easlans and many Of unmistakahlt
j Indian blood Panama is a Spanish
4 looking town of about 10000 or 25,00C
: people, very picturesque from the sea
j Colon is less Spanish looking and large
! ly Of homely frame houses. 1t has pic
S turesaue spots-a few, Cristobal Colon
e near by. In the zone. comprises thre'
S or four fine houses on the waters edg'
6 and a statue of Columbus. The houses
! are known as those of De Lesseps ant
/ belong to US.
e Il am frequently asked how mucl
work the French did on the canal;
very important question. They did
very considerable amount, principal,
cutting at Cnlebra, where the groun'
z il high for couple Of miles slep
at Culebra, going to Panama ever.
& morning to work on the construction
s OF the zone government. The governor
a General George Davis. also made hi
Ie home at the cut He has now move
5 to d hillside near the beautiful hos
{ pital buildings we acquired from th
lie French company In the suburbs Q
& Panama
le zone hot. bright day, good for seein
y clearly, clambered up hill tina
is rises above the great cut, taking
Jamaica negro with a machete to clea
d path, and from the top could Sc
lr about twenty miles OF canal and cans
De route, including mile or more of tn
r immense trench sunk by the Panam
1e company. where the force of Jamaie
~ negroes transferred to US was wOrkin
n with picks, shovels, locomotives an
Of dump cars.
pc sTo the eye the cut seems alread
O. low and wide enough; but, OF cours
q actual measurement leaves it from
le half to two-thirds unfinished. Almo'
2 the whole length of the canal has bee
le cut to some extent by the French, an
oe several miles on the Atlantic side Al
n actually open and nayigable from Il
es sea. The rapid tropical growth hid'
n much Of the work, but it is there.
addition TO this, years Of recorded e
4, perience and soundings, borings ar
"a surveys, food measurements, RAJ
- gauglngs, labor experiments and G
periments with machines are turn'
over by the French in minute az
painstaking charts and books.
81 am also asked what about Il
M condition Of the property bought fro
a the French. AT first that seemed to n
deplorable, wrecks Of dump trains al
- digging machines strewing the line
: the canal in sorrowful abandonmer
v But the case is not SO bad. The bull
ings for workmen and officials, near
D. all in fine condition, are very numero
nsn and would cost large sum to replat
lur and in many buildings are locomotiy