Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-24

abandoned French machinery. the cost val
ne Of which b said TO reach o30,000,oOO.
This machinery 10 valueiess. out Of date.
and the efforts to use II have proven dis
estrous because had It been recognized In
the beginning that better appliances must
supercede the devices which were modern
twenty-odd years ago orders would then
have been placed for the best machines OF
our day. and they would have been ar
irving now In such quantities as the nesds
upon the work OF the French-they left be-
hind them evidence OF engineering skill
and successful battle with diffculties which
convinced me that IL the honest workers
had been sustained and the vast sums
which were diverted into robber channels
had been legitimately applied II might to-
day be the mission of the United states
only to enlarge the Panama canal which
would have become Inadequate for the traf-
fic seeking It. because ships have grown
beyond any gift OF prophecy possessed ny
seers of that day.
doing this work by contract. This Is
question OF policy about which hold very
positive views. but. inasmuch as there mas
to. refrain from giving expression to my
convictions.
Food Of the Workmen.
''As to the feeding of the men: On my
last day in Panama. after hours of tramp
ing In the rain. through the mud of the
Culebra cut. and laborious climbing up the
jungle-clad hills. arrived with two others
of our party at a government hash house.
We went In unannounced and ordered din
ner. There was delay In serving aud
there was reasonable variety Of we'll
cooked wholesome food. Set ter than / have
found In 20 per cent of the many contrac-
tors camps in which ] have eaten IN the
last thfrty-seven years. The charge for this
board is 25 cents per meal. or $3.50 per
month.
The rainy season was still prevailing
during our stay, and the precipitation is
enormous. The records covering thirty
three years show average annual rain
fall of 12S inches at Colon. 146 inches at
Boho dropping to G6.S inches at Panama.
The averages for the two last named places
are. respectively, for seven years at Bohio
and four years at Panama. On the day
that We called on President Amador of tho
republic of Panama the windows of heaven
seemed to have been opened. and the streets
of the city resembled mountain torrents.
The hospitals are a source Of just pride
to our people. II sickness could ever be re-
garded as a boon 1t may be so thought of
in Ancon and Colon. One of the privileges
of our trip was meeting Col. Gorgas, whose
work as medical director places him in the
front rank of that noble profession which
honors him for the honor he has won for Il.
In Colon met a son of the first friend that
i ever made In Chicago, away back In 1872.
He Is one of the stan physicians In the
Colon Hospital, happy and enthusiastic in
his work.
No Agreement Yet Reached.
You will no doubt have seen statements
which purport to have come from members
OF our board of consulting engineers fore
shadowing our report. All such statements
you can set down as pure speculation. We
are working earnestly and laboriousIy to
reach conclusions which embody the fruits
or our labors. Our report, our reports
should we fall to agree. will embody our
convictions as to the best type of canal. its
probaple cost and the reasonable time with
In which we believe that the waterway can
be constructed. Until we are ready to make
our official statement and sign our names
to 1t we are not giving out individual
statements relating to any of the funda-
mentals of the project, to have them find
their way into the press through personal
friends. who would make capital of our
confidence"
Secretary Taft's Statement.
Secretary Taft has made the following
statement in regard to work on the Pana-
ma canal:
The question whether the canal will be
built by contract it is not of course pos
sible now to determine. Mr. Wallace. the
former chief engineer of the canal ex-
pressed tentative opinion that probably
much or the work, except the Culebra cut
could be let by contract. II Is impossible
however. TO make plans for this until the
data are obtained, which are now being
secured. have not discussed the matter
with MIR. Shonts, or with Mr.. Stevens the
chief engineer, because the question has not
yet come up-for- settlemsnt---I- give you
only the impression that / received from
conversations with Mr.. Wallace on the
ground. There is nothing in the policy thus
far pursued which would prevent the let
ting of any part Of the work by contract II
found to be profitable to the government
Lieut.. Mark Brooke, Corps of Engineers.
Will accompany Secretary Taft TO Panama
for the purpose OF Investigating and MAX
ing preliminary report upon Qualifications
for the isthmian canal. Lieut.. Brooke was
the officer to whom the canal property was
turned over when the United States bought
1t from the French canal company.