The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-20
'SKEETER UNDER
The Ban AT RIO.
MINNE,APOLITAN WRITES OF THE
BRAZILIAN CITY.
How the Special Squad of Mosquito
slayers Drives the Insects from
Town Is Told by b. A. shunaan-
Many improvements Being Made
In the City.

HI. p. Goddard, secretary Of the Min
neapolis Y. M. G. A., has received from
Rio de Janeiro a letter written for
Minneapolis friends by B. A. Shuman
Of this city, who for three years has
been manager of the association work
at Buenos Aires, and to whose sup
port the Minneapolis association con-
tributes. At present Shuman is re-
lieving Myron A. Clark, who is visit
ing here. After stating the circum-
stances which took him five days
north from his station, Mr.. Shuman
writes in part:
We find Rio at present city of dirt,
tho 1t is usually well kept. The present
dirt Is, however, a sign of improvement,
for there is scarcely a street where one
cannot see buildings being torn down to
be replaced or rev buildings going up.
The great work Of Improvement, however,
Is that being done by the government.
The project is to cut thru the very heart
of the city great avenue a mile long
and thirty or more metres WIDE which
is to be nicely paved and lined on both
sides by buildings, new and up-to-date.
The property has been condemned and
bought at a fair price, and now the work
OF demolition is going on. The refuse
which cannot be used again is being car
ried out by the electric tram company
and dumped in the bay at a point where
the water is shallow and thus consider
able piece OF good land will be redeemed
and made into parks and drives.
similar work was carried thru sue
cessfully few years ago at Buenos Aires
and the avenue thus opened up has be-
come the main artery Of communication
thru the center Of the city, is paved with
asphalt, lighted with electricity and lined
with trees and beautiful modern build
ings. The value can hardly be realized
until one sees the narrow, crooked streets
of these old cities or gets into one of the
frequent blockades which stop business.
sso,ooo,ooo for Docks.
Another tremendous piece Of work now
in progress here is the building Of i'm
| mense docks, which will extend for fully
mile along the shore Of this beautiful
| bay, second to none in tile world. Ur
to the present all steamers of ocean going
size have to load and unload from lighters
being at anchor more than half a mile
out from the shore. The new DOCKS which
will cost about $3O,000,O 900 gold, were be.
gun only a few months ago and will
require five years or more for completion
and will be of untold value to the ever.
increasing commerce of this country The
United States of the north (Estados Uni
dos do Norto) has keen interest in sucf
an undertaking to facilitate the shipping
Of a city and country with which WI
shall have relations growing more i'm
/ T.. =
You have heard of the careful investi
cations in Havana with the mosquito Ii
his Cor herr relation to the yellow fever
and Its extension, by which it seems Il
have been proved that the female mos
| quito is responsible for the spread of thi
terrible pest Of tropical cities.
Fighting the Mosquito.
/ It is interesting to note how seriousl,
the Brazilian government has taken thi
and how theoretically they have put int,
practice the regulations suggested by tn
investigations. We can smell disinfectant
/ everywhere, squads of men are CONSTANT,
at work cleaning, up corners and old build
lings, inspecting back yards and even go
Ing over roofs, where rubbish might col
lect from adjoining higher rooms Ever.
old can or piece of tin which might holt
enough water to breed few mosquitoe
Is disposed Of, and pools which cannot b.
/ drained are covered with kerosene to Kill
the eggs. Special engines are kept bus,
at flushing the sewers with dfsinfectet
water. New houses have their plumbing
and drainage arrangements carefully in
spected. I saw today a new house which
had been sealed up by the authorities
preventing it's use until some further reg
ulation had been carried out, the sea
being placed there by the yellow feve
commission
The time has come when it is hardl
safe for mosquito to put in an ap
pearance in the city. Whenever one
seen by a citizen, he rushes to the tele
phone and a squad of men is sent out t
dispose of the intruder as soon as sh
can be found.
All these precautions are surely bearin
their fruit, so that one can come to Ri
at least in the winter, with scarcely
suggestion Of fear, and believe that tn
time will shortly come when the drea
plague which has done such havoc wi
be Of the past, or almost unknown
| The next ten years in Rio, with tn
improvements now in progress, will pu
her among the finest cities Of the. world
and one well worth trip from the state
s To see