The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-07-30
PROBLEMS AT PANAMA
Why Questions Of Sanitation
Are Fundamental.
BIG TASK OF THE COMMISSIONERS

Filthy Conditions Under which
Natives Live-suppIy OF Pure Water
For cities VIII solve Many Prob
lems--PlaR 10 Remedy Drawbacks.
All great works have their peculiar
difficulties, and ID the Panama canal,
| the greatest work Of modern times. the
greatest work at any time if It's fun
significance be taken into account.
there confront the commissioners and
chief engineer problems Of new aspect
and Of tremendous Importance, says a
stair correspondent Of the Railway
/ Age. These are not wholly physical
and related to foundations, materials
of construction and cost, as is usually
the case, but involve such wider fields
as sanitation and the good Of nations.
In its assumption of this labor the
United States has assumed grave bur-
dens, and unless 1t be entered upon
with clear determination that Moth
ing less than the best is sought the re-
suits will amount to a national calam-
ity.
At each end of the Panama railroad
is community Of mixed races. who
for centuries have been content to I've
in the most primitive manner. Ia the
city Of Panama. with a population Of
about 10000 souls and a climate where
in the least exertion during the day
carries with it profuse perspiration,
there is practically no safe drinking
water which has not previously been
filtered and boiled This may be I'M
derstooa better when it Is explained
that IN most houses the priYies ana
wells are within Il few feet of each
other. There is no water system at
all. and the daily denominations Of nth
are either carried away at night or eat
en- by buzzards or washed away by the
rains conditions which would be re-
garded as intolerable anywhere lii the
United States, where far less danger
would result from them. 1t is with
little surprise. then, that we learn of
a death rate Of nearly seventy per thou
sand per year.
IN Colon, although tile climate Is
thought worse, tile state Of affairs Is
somewhat better because the Panama
railroad owns the land on which tie
town is built and keeps that part which
1t occupies scrupulously clean Here
the foreign residents-consuls, shipping
agents, railway officers and the like
live directly upon the shores Of the
Caribbean and are famed by tile
grandly constant northeast trades.
But the natives and jamaican negroes
live mostly In a swamp and on low
ground, without drainage and without
running water, III state OF indescrib-
able filth, which is fatal not only to
themselves, but even more 80 to those
others who are reared III more tenn
perate chimes.
II Is impossible to know the precise
population Of the isthmus today, but
probably it does not exceed 10000, and |
these consist, in the order of numerical !
Importance, Of: Jamaican negroes,
..Cholos' (half breed Spanish ana In |
dams, Chinese and pure whites. prin-
cipally French and English speaking.
Except for the whites the manner Of /
life is much like that alrcady described |
in Panama and Colon. but ameliorated
by less density OF population and the
easy access to water. In consequence
the death rate is probably lower and
personal cleanliness at a much higher
premium.
Upon the beginning of operations.
however, In the construction of the
canal the present rural population will
be trebled or quadrupled, and. lacking
active preparations toward caring for
them, the filth OF Panama ana Colon
will be duplicated, with added dangers
due to many thousands Of unacclimat.
ed people, individuals who not only
will be infected themselves. but will
serve as a means of injecting others.
Although this question Of sanitation
Is a biological one at bottom, the con-
ditions under which tropical diseases
are bred and spread are thoroughly I'M
derstood, and their prevention has be-
come a distinct branch Of engineering.
Hence the solution of this problem as
It relates to the isthmus Of Panama
must rest with engineers, and the most
sanitary engineers III the
world are not too competent for the
work. Expressed In the plainest terms,
probably plenty Of running water com.
free of bacteria and dry, well
ordered surroundings are the simple
neeessaries for a healthful life In this
land Of feyers Other precautions fol
low, but with quantities Of pure water
and the abolition OF breeding places
for mosquitoes the chief requirements
viii be met
OF constant streams there is no lack .
IN the isthmus, and the hilly nature of
he whole country makes the construe-
ion and operation Of septic tanks an
sasy matter, So That in proper hands
his question resolves itself into one Of
line and money whereof the former is
II the first Importance II work is to be
started under healthful conditions
within reasonable period,
The same statements apply to the
.ity Of Panama, where the grades also
ire favorable 10 quick drainage, and
he presence Of that greatest Of all
sea even simplifies the