The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-07-08
ISTHMUs OF PANAMA.
Judge Thomas canty Describes the
Unsanitary Conditions.

Judge Thomas canty Describes the:
Unsanitary Conditions.
Judge Thomas Canty, who has trav--
eled extensively in tropical countries.
and especially in Central America, is
OF the opinion that it will take twenty
years to build the Panama canal and
that it will cost hundred million of
dollars and thousands of lives.
The Panama railroad" he says,
cost $4,000 mile, chiefly because
so many men were in the hospital, or
became discouraged at the amount of
sickness and wanted to leave the work..
which kept the government busy TAX
ing men away and hauling them into
the works. And that was on a level
country with no serious obstacles ex-
cept the climate. The bad climate was
also the real cause OF the failure of the
French canal company. 1t found SO
many men had to go to the hospitals
and the death rate so frightful, that
little was being accomplished while
millions were being spent.
cat Panama, in the interior of the
isthmus the ridge which divides the
waters is generally from 1900 to 2,eoo
feet high, but where the canal route
crosses the ridge it sinks down to 34s
feet above the sea level. The canal
passes across the isthmus, through
trough or depression much of which is
very little above sea level. and the
greater portion is swampy or subject
to inundation. This depression in the
tropics. with everything flowing to it
makes this canal zone the most TILL
healthy place on the face of the globe
The government intends to house most
OF its employees in this awful pest hole
and the rest of them in the cities OF
Colon and Panama which are not
much better.
"The cities down there are very un-
sanitary In order to put Colon in
condition, for instance, it would be
necessary not only to pave the streets
but it will be necessary to tear down
all the old buildings and pave the
whole surface of the city with asphalt
or cement that will Theoretically seal
the accumulated filth and keep it sealed
UP for at least ten years. The shore
lines, between high and low water
should be sloped to an angle of from
20 to 20 degrees and paved or rip
raped with stone to cover up the ex-
posed mud. This is hardly sufficient.
The city is on the edge of vast man.
grove swamp, which fills up and drains
Off the water at every tide. This
should be damned with the water in,
to make lake of the swamp and pre-
vent rotting of vegetation.
"This is only part, for the people
themselves in that locality are unsani-
tary and cannot be made to observe
sanitary rules. They never call a physi-
clan when they are sick, and they al
ways conceal the infectious diseases.
Colon cannot be made sanitary for cpl
denies will be constantly breaking out.
The lessons of Havana does not apply
to Colon, for they are very differently
located
even the highlands are unhealthy
because of the decaying vegetation. In
the places selected for the homes, the
ground should be scared over by burn
ing the vegetation. The forest should
be cut down and the creepers and
vines allowed to lay for at least six
months. and then at the end of the dry
season it should be burned which can
be done by simply setting it a6re. The
fire will burn up all OF the fallen jungle
except the tree trunks, and will ale
burn up the lower rotting vegetation.
and thoroughly disinfect the ground,
To prevent instant regrowth, guinea
grass should be sowed at once, in the
| ashes of the fire. 1t will grow ranI~
and furnish masses of dry straw to
burn up the rest of the young sprout-
ing bushes. After the other growth is
killed off, the grass should be kept
down by moving every month or two"