Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-01-28

stands Culehra, the snake, as It's
name signifies. and before the first ship
crosses the ;sthmus OF Panama this
snake must be destroyed, the mountain
must not only he brought down to
level With the surroundings country
hut even it's roots must he dug up, In
spite of the millions spent in cutting
almost as il II had never known the
prick ot tho lahorer's shovel, Millions
more will have 70 be poured into that
black land OF death before the noun,
tain disappears from the path OF prog,
reSs and the waters Of the Atlantic ana
Che Pacific unite, This, or q system
river, is said Ivy eminent engineers to
be the only solution Of the isthmian
waterway, II Is the Chagres which
makes the country unhealthy Anuu.
ally il everaows its banks and rusheS
over the low swamp lands leayina
vegetable aud animal matter 60 decay
under the fierce rays of the tropie sun
and breeding strange and swift death
Tor the people who tnhahit the isthmus,
II Is the source Of the most dangerous
fever ever known, fever that evon
thu native Africans. brought over by
DE l.csseps aud his company, could not
withstand IN the slightest deEree
thousands and thousands of thcm sue.
cumhed 20 It's attacks shortly after
they were landed on the fatal coasts,
The lahorer, picking steadily at the
wall ot the canal would complain of u
slight iudisposition, aud would lean
against the hank Ia rcst moment
In that position death would strike
him. and there to-day his bones lie
This Is the story Of the fever from one
end of the land to the other Whom
fresh digglugs are made NJ the present
time along the halt,Hlled excavations
made 10 years ago, countless skeletons
of these unfortunate creatures are
found Just whore they fell when over
taken ny the fcvcr No man once nj
tacl ID has ever recovered
Panama and Colon and the country
between them form the deadllest spot
in the world No one ventures out OF
the house after niEhtlall It there has
been the slightest fall of rain, or il The
atmosphere is at all damp, 1t is death
to do So Within two hours OF such
exposure, or Of getting the least wet,
! tho dread fever commences, and before
midnight the victim has passed away,
II crossed the iSthmus ftom ocean to
ocean on foot, walking along the track
j OF the Panama railroad In no other
way could ! have crossed The inter.
Tor Is mass of underhrush SO thick
/ that nothing but reptiles can penetrate
j It, The macheto of the natiro some.
time enables him to so short distances
hut TO an American of higher and more
civilized attitudes a passage Is mpoS,
sible, Only a Path about IL foot wide
alongside the track of tho railroad NJ
fords foot passage across the tsthmue
! This Jungle Is broken by spaces GOV
cred with water the very appearance
nf which proyolies shiyer In the
breast Of the beholdcr Green lts sur
face notified with Shiny darling Great
ures, stagnant, repusivo, with reptiles
of loathsome character summing on the
| higher spots, one glance at the sight
I tells the history OF the fate OF the
i workmon who tried to dig the canal
The country is ono grand insect nurs,
| cry Everything is named for an IN,
sect or reptile, Cockroaches attain
a size and feroclty that is wonderful
II Is necessary to protect the hands
and feet during sleep 10 prevent these
creatures eating off the nails to tho
! quick. All other varieties flourish, and
their nocturnal visits render the life
Of the visitor n burden II took -four
days 10 walk across the AZ miles ol
the isthmus, In that journey | became