The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1905-12-08
panama
Actual conditions i'm the
ISthmus.
ONE WHO IS THERE
Tells of the Situation as he saw 1t. He
dwells on the need for Sanitary
Measures.

Panama presents a good many diff
culties to present the successful COM
pletion of the Coral. The following
are some of the obstacles:
First the country is very insanitary
both from natural point of view,
and secondly on account of the filthy
and idolent habits of the inhabitants
Of the Panama Republic. To over
come these conditions the Americans
have instituted the following meas
ures:
They have assumed the sanitary con-
troll of the coral zone which control is
no less than military in its strictness
in carrying out orders and enforcing
hygienes. By way of explanation the
coral zone consists of strip of land
Al miles long and 10 miles wide, with
control of the health conditions in
the cities of Colon and Panama
Colon the Atlantic side of the Canal
and Panama practically the Pacific
terminus though La Boca is the mouth
Of the Canal proper. LaBoca is con-
nected with the city of Panama by a
spur of railroad two miles long. At
LaBoca all the passengers are landed,
also the cargoes Of South American
ships. consigned to Europeah ports and
to New York, likewise freight from
San Francisco
At LaBoca is the quarintine station
and the United States government
maintains strict .quarintine service.
At the present time the government is
building one of the largest wharfs in
the world at this place. Besides these
places the government owns several
islands in Panama Bay which will
be used for quarantine work and
when the canal is completed places OF
defence. These places will furnish q
''Gibaralter' for the Pacific side OF
the canal as they furnish a natural
defence and properly manned forts will
make the position i1npregnable.
Tobago. the main island furnishes
the only place of real amusements-
it affords amusement to American
employers every alternate Sunday.
For in these days a government
steamer. carries employees from the
main island to the island free OF
charge, where they can lunch, enjoy
sea bathing, or if they wish can &C
to church. Your correspondent is
not sure of the number who attend
church or of the number who go in
bathing. This island is the Atlantic
city of the south as it is singularly
free of sharks and boasts of the finest
springs. The latter fact is attested tc
by the number of steamers that stoI
to supply their ships with water.
Your correspondent regards this
island as the greatest gift Panama has
furnished the United States. On
Tabago island the government has es-
tablished large sanitarium. To this
retreat are sent all the incurable non
contagious diseases that occur on the
zone. They are accepted free Of
charge by the government, provided
they have been in the employ of the
government and are given the best Of
attention by several trained nurses and
the physicians in charge; and the
United States service in Panama have
the best nurses and medical equip.
ment. This island is ideal and can
handle and isolate thousands of Amer
ican patients in case Of an epidemic
of any serious contagious and uncon.
trolable malady.
Col. Gorgas, with whom your cor
respondent is personally acquainted,
has arranged to accommodate SOC
patients at the island, in case of an
epidemic Of yellow fever or plague.
Col. Gorgas. the great 81 am" in
Panama, has rid Cuba Of yellow fever
and has reduced the mortality of the
Sdlu0 uIOdO UlS0dS0 III I dudud AVV pO1
cent. He has instilled in the minds
of his subordinates his one object
cleanliness. hygiene and duty. HI
is the man on the Canal zone today
He was not placed on the canal com
ission because the colonel was doc
tor but every official who comes dowl
to Panama goes and asks the Col. fo1
advice and after he gets information
Immediately goes to secluded spot
screened properly and rides with eau
tion on his poor and unsystemati'
tours Of inspection Of the, canal AM
then goes back to Washington an
calls meeting Of the board Of tn
consulting engineers.
The coral zone can boast Of a goo
governor but they cannot boast Of
good deceni brave commission.