The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-16
CONDITION OF COLON
Panama Railroad at Fault for
Dirt and Filth.
CORPORATION is SOULLESS
Everything Outside Railroad
interest "Over the Line"

Colon, Republic OF Panama. Jan. Is
Merrill A. league, writing on the situa
ton here, says:
The Panama railroad must bear what
ever blame attaches to the fact that thi
little city figures upon the maps of tn
the fact that Colon exists today as one O
the pesthoIes of the earth. Seldom. i
ever. was the soullessness OF corporation
more glaringly demonstrated than il is il
the case of this town of 1900 people, 70
which, if its existence must be endured
there can be wished no better fate thar
that it might be burned until not so mucl
as one rotten pile under single rottel
bungalow remained. and that il nigh
then be rebuilt.
If we would speak wit habsolute exact
itude we should say that Colon is bull
upon the western extremity of a swamp
for so it is in fact Manzanilla island i.
low-lying area of coral formation. th'
natural surface of which is only eighteen
inches above sea level. Upon this island
Colon covers a small portion of it only
there grows all the rang vegetation char
acteristic of the isthmus
The city itself IS divided very distinctly
into three sections-the railroad quarter
the native quarter and Cristobal Color
point. The first and last OF these division:
| are the only ones lit for a white man Il
| inha bit, and even they are loaded dowI
with disadvantages so enormous as 10 out
| weigh all their advantages. The railroad
has provided a sewerage system FOR tht
| railroad section with water works Tn,
| supply for the latter is drawn by gravity
! two miles inland from Colon. In this
! section is is possible for a white man Il
/ lice. for by reason Of the Improvement.
made by the railroad and is proximity te
the germ-earrying mosquitoes has beer
largely done away with
But step over the line"-for everything
outside of the railroad section is termed
over the line"-and wholly different con
ditions are encountered And it is for tn.
condition of this section. where pestiIenc,
breeds apace and death stalks almost UNI
restrained. that the railroad company is
so largely to blame. In all of its, hall
century of control over this city the rail
road has made practically no effort t
i'm prove the native quarter. Every foo
of that quarter belongs TO the railroad
which exacas ground rent from the own
ers and occupants of buildings: but, de
! spite its proprietorship, the railroad has
done little or nothing to minimize the
dangers TO life and health that Turk in
every square foot of it.
/ The buildings in this quarter are al
! erected upon piles sunk in the muck and
! mire of the swamp Underneath and al
about them is a morass. a vast expanse
/ of black water covered with green scum
I Into this swamp goes all OF the kitchen
! garbage and fecal matter from the homes
! of 5000 natives, not one of whom has any
/ knowledge of modern sanitation.
For this section of the city there has
| been absolutely no attempt at drainage. In
! consequence. every little depression is a
| pool of stagnant water, with the newt
! able covering of green scum 1t is amid
| such surroundings that the native popu-
/ lation lives. The railroad water works
has not been extended to this quarter.
and the only drinking water available TO
the people is what is caught during the
rainy season and stored in iron tanks
The dogs and pigs that are the constant
way through the muck or crawl along the
| narrow board walks that edge the places
r1cst inopportuneiy called the streets
and it is upon the verandas built over
| this swamp and these black. repulsive
pools, that the children OF the natives
must play. The result? A never-ending
stencil. certain TO nauseate. marked by
the fumes of the swamp and the odor Of
decaying offal. and swarms of mosquitoes
and feas that bite and bite until ponies
pack asses, dogs. pigs and monkeys are
denuded of hair. II Is all unspeakably
loathsome. 1t is condition which can
never be remedied until the torch is ap-
piled TO every building in this quarter and
the destruction is made complete. After
that If the swamp should be filed in.
water works and sewerage provided. the
breeding places OF mosquitoes destroyed
for a distance OF half "a mile in every land
direction from the city and the place re-
built in n decent and sanitary manner.
Colon may be 1T place Tor white men
TO live in.
To go from the native quarter Of Colon
TO Cristobal Colon point y like stepping
from hell into a garden. although the
point is now in a sad state OF deteriora-
ton. Cristobsl Colon point is rnagniii-
cent example Of the eXtravazsnce OF the
French canal COLE pany in its flush days.
The point puts out into Lsnon bsy dis
lance OF more than five hundred feet. y
Is well laid out. with avenues Of cocoanut
trees. a superb drainage and water works
system. both Of which have now fallen
into disuse and consequent decay. IT'S
foundation is II great concrete blocks.
purchased under contract by the French
canal company ~ q cost of SO (goid)
each and dumped down IN irregular
masses. later 20 6e GIled with sand
Upon this pciuJ the French company
built hogsss-Teg,iiaT Bungalows bat q q
charming agricultural styie-ana 80 set
down ~ TO make q most attractive park
OF the breskwater. On the extreme west
ern end OF the point stands the statue pre-
scented by the Empress EnEenie 20 RI
canal company an artistic creation In
bronze intended 20 exhibit COLUMBUS 81
the atti;ude Of exhibiting 10 ahe startled
natives the western pgEsage - the far
essx for which he 50 vainsy seasht Close
b the static are tao magnificent exam
pies u French extTaga gaBc.-tha - Les
sevs houses. enormous ssrEctar-s upon
wh.ch money Nss lSflshed rssst Feekisss-
IS. Ore wzs bait - serve ~ rezriencs
foT Ferdinand de I.esseE-~. the protector
q tn canal: ire efaes - = residsnee ssr
directors 4 re French corrpsnr zho
might visit tie enterprise Millions -
francs wer expended in h-llisiiHE aad
furnishing these houses-fte5 have ls~ea
occupied FAR sboat three weeks ssnns
shey we're cornrle;ed more sszn affeea