The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-23
HUSTLING ON THE BIG CANAL.
ENGiNEERS mack TO SAY TINE
PREIJHfN4Rl WORK rs DONE.
1000 Men AT Work Now. and Jobs Going
at the Hate or 1000 a Monih-Ycliow
Fever Almost Wiped Ont 81. tOO. 900
In Machinery We Get for Nothing.

William II. Burr and William Barcla,
Parsons Of the engineering committee o
the Panama Canal Commission returned
yesterday on the AllianCa. They will go e
Washington in few days TO report or
their three weeks observation of the progress
OF canal work. II had been agreed be
tween them that Prof. Burr should do thu
talking for publication. He gave out &
statement. in which he said:
The committee on engineering OF the
Isthmian Canal Commission report that they
found the work generally in much better
and more advanced condition than they an.
! tioipated. In the great Culebra cut. the
detail of construction that will take tho
most time and most money. the chief engi-
neer has at work three large American steam
shovels, and is erecting five more. Four
/ thousand laborers are now at work on differ
ent portions Of The work, and 900 moro have
already been engaged in the West Indies
and Central America. Substantial progress
is therefore being made.
While on the 1sthmus the committee
was in daily conference with the chief en-
gineer. with a view TO formulating certain
plans. contracts for which can be let at an
early date. These plans and the accom-
panying data will be submitted to the COM
mission at Washington. At Panama and
Colon the laying OF sewers and water pipes
IL progressing steadily, so that in the near
future both cities will for the first time be
furnished with system Of sewers and
water supply with abundance OF wholesome
water The presence OF yellow fever Is to be
regretted, but was to be expected, az this
disease il always present in tropical coun-
tries in America, unless long continued
sanitary precautions have been taken
Prior 10 the sanitary work OF the com
mission no precaution or scientific measures
had been taken on the Isthmus to guard
against this disease. The same medical
officers who succeeded in eliminating the
fever from Havana are now repeating the
crusade in Panama. Beyond any question
equally successful results will be produced
AZ present there - nothing approaching
an epidemic and the conditions are
greatly improved over those in previous
years.
THE committee returned more than sat
isfied with the general conditions OF the
enterprise, and believes that completion can
be attained in less time than is popularity
supposed. The preliminary work is now
really ended. and the actual work Of con-
structlon on large scale can soon begin.
Prof Burr supplemented this state
ment by chat regarding certain matters
the commission. He said that the labor
situation on the Isthmus was excellent.
The workmen are Jamaica negroes and
natives Of Panama and the adjacent coun-
tries They do not work a. effectively as
do able bodied laborers in this climate.
but do much better work than would prob
ably be accomplished by able bodied
laborers imported to the Isthmus from this
neighborhood
A very pleasant solution OF oomplica-
"a. - ~.
would have led TO a revolution. said Prof
Burr was the result of the canal situation
You remember that last fall the Panama
army was disbanded, except for some
fifteen Generals and three privates re-
tanned as guard for the President Of the
Republic. There were 800 or 900 men thrown
on their own resources In those parts
that would mean a Governmental up
heaval under normal conditions But the
Panama army. instead Of declaring the
revolution very sensibly picked up picks
and shovels and went to work on the canal.
Such discipline 10 they bad learned in the
army helped them 10 lie efficient work
men
Another great source Of satisfaction I
to the commission was the discovery of /
the availability of much Of the machinery
left on the Isthmus by the French com !
pany The earlier commission refused
to yet any value on this machinery, saying
that il had better be thrown in as good /
he cha rged for it. The commission has /,
found that there are about twenty large |
warehouses along the line Of the canal. /
all OF them full Of machinery which has |
been very systematically cared for. Much !
Of II is machinery of type which the Com |
mission would not buy to-day, but il is
not for that reason worthless.
Then all along the line OF the canal .
whenever one steps out into the jungle 1
he finds himself tripping over rails and .
int
cars, We have repaired and put in use .
MANY locomotives and have already in Z
use hundreds OF these cars. Moreover, /
three large machine shops, convenient to .
the work, have been resuscitated and are 4
in excellently effective shape. Altogether
my ofhand estimate Of the matter il that .
We will get s. 900 900 or 100000 Of value Z
out Of that machinery, which cost US
Regarding the public health on the 18TH
mus, Prof Burr said that Col. Gorgas and .
his command have done truly marvellous
work The recent excitement about yell
low fever at Panama Prof Burr attributes
to the fact that for the first time records
Of every case have been kept systemati-
ally. Speaking from the experience OF /
Ave visits to the Isthmus, Prof Burr said
he never saw no little yellow fever there
as there il to-day. He was sure that the
plague was almost wiped out and that
almost any one of the new cases now re-
ported might be the last
a here are very few fever infected mos
Iutoes now on the lsthmus. Prof Burr
aid II has been customary of late TO
get after the mosquitoes by fumigating
not only the house Of the sick but the
whole neighborhood, with strong sulphur
o kill the mosquitoes; meantime a general
umigation OF the whole city has been
going on and is almost completed Before
ong Prof. Burr thought. one Of the worst
plague spots Of the world will be so only
n history Political and police conditions
II the Canal Zone he said, were excellent
Judge c. f. Little, who Ia attorney for
he Panama lottery interests was also a
passenger on the Alhanca He is 10 argue
he appeal OF the lottery case now pending
,efore the United States Supreme Court