The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-01-05
THURSDAY, JAt AIRY y = log so'.
q Sea-Level Canal.

a Sea-Level Canal.
sovera days ago in discussing the l AZ 4
4 ma Canal The Times Dlspattcch eSpiresse1
81 !, s. on,nion that 1T should by MI means
\ Ia 4 scale level canal. said that that tfe
\ Z dvantages Of q sea-level cana ca were ~
great sthat8the question Of several rnlllaoh
stdoilars and or ~ years time II az =
dtion we're not to be consider q. Isl
iris view is admirably sustained Nj by
george w Crlchtielld in5asn sl l' ~
tho North American Review for jan ia,
8uary written from co ntractor IS 3 sttl'iu-
point. Nlr. Crichfield says that lft the WORK
Il III culebra Cut is the easiest and SIM SIN
plcst Of all tho work TO be done OH ne
n canal, the most difficult work Ri p PEN
Y through tic marshes on the Atlantic niid.
Il Pacific sides, especially the Former. 81 q
says tina from Colon to l3as y Oblspo, y q
II dlstance III twenty-nine miles, the tcrrl-5
tory is! low, inarsly land, covered WIZ
& the densest tropical grow y, OF trees, vines
and $undebr,lsh, SO as to be entirely3 y
" penetrable III most parts. except for I. g
& maj 4 with heavy boots and a machelee'
Il During tie rainy season, which, COM
1I,,-ises about nine months in. each year,
the larger portion OF sthsi territory IS Coy \
III cred withI water, which, as the vet sea SCI
son draws to a close IN, places becomes
n staEnuntS ground is Of the s: sotttes;t,
* richest Il, oa1. the product Of the decay
&. Of thousands years ense trppic ' !
forests and this, under water, becomes :es
z mud of the worst ma ure. fl ll.led Win
S8ro item logs Il stnmps, onous SS, vines,
3sithcrns. 3 dangerous n prickly plants and
many trees of poisonous sap. lie further
Y saws that the mosquitoes in these 5lnend-
\ ing swamps are terrible, not only IN their
II number, but In The amount Of poison son
Il Which they convey in heir stlngs. me ne
8undergrowtll5 is so dense that they are a $
numerous and vicious BIZ dry as by night
aud IA t will be Impossible for WORT
B men on this section of the canal to pro-
stect themselves ngainst these pests, This
Il MOSQUITO poison, lie tells lis, produces
The grayestS consequences, among them,
malaria iii It's most malignant form, frc-i
u uently resulting in DEATH and nervous
arrangements which 50 seriously affect s,
the heart in trcpcat countries. In ad-
b dltion TO the mosquitoes are snakes Of
< yenomous type, the most dangerous be-
sing small snakes. which are hard to de-
sl.s,, AZ bn
The climate IN this section Of the canal
Il gone is intolerable. \. M
on the Pacific side from Panama to
Pedro Miguel, a distance Of nine miles.
VI by no means SO bad. IT is through these
marshes, according to Mr.. Crlchfield that
tie most dangerous work Is to be donc8f
The intermediate section comprises what
N is known as Culebra Cut, about eight
miles lii length. According to his de-
!. scrlption, the ground here rises With con-
siderable nbruptness from each side aud
& at Cnlebra the lowest part Of the ground
is $50 feet above tho level Of the sea,
while the hills extend higher, This, he
Il tells lis. IS the most picturesque and
L llealthful section of Panama, yellow fever
i neyerrcnches It, except sporadically, even
when epidemic at Colon; there are no
mosquitoes to speak Of aud there Is no
reason why an army could not be en-
! camped upon any part Of this territory rs
safely as upon the heights Of the IIua.
son. u ,5
~ GIVING so,,c L, ,ia,.s =, ~. ,s
53S y. ,ochs and lakes, according to no Mo.
poged plan, Mr.. Crichfeld expresses iii,
4 ,,issent. !. .rhe canal commission. Govern,