Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-02-22
WORK ON THE CANAL.
Canal Commissioners Reach New
 York and Discuss the Prospect.

New York, Feb 22.-Reports of sub- stantial progress in the actual work Of digging the great isthmian canal at Panama were brought to this city to- day by Canal Commissioners William Barclay Parsons and w. H. Burr, who arrived on the steamer Allianca from Colon.
 Prof Burr made the subjoined state ment:
 ''The committee on engineering of the isthmian canal commission report that they found the work generally in much better and more advanced con- dition than they anticipated. In the great Culebra cut the detail of con- struction that will take the most time and most money, the chief engineer has installed and has at work three large American steam shovels and is erecting five more Four thousand la borers are now at work on different portions of the work and 1000 more have already been engaged in the West IEdias and Central America. Substan tial progress is therefore being made.
 "While on the isthmus the commit. tee was in daily conference with the chief engineer with view to formu- lating certain plans, contracts for which can be let at an early date. These plans and the accompanying data will be submitted to the commis, sion in Washington.
 "At Panama and Colon the laying of sewers and water pipes is progressing steadily, so that in the near future both of those 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, as this disease is always present in tropical countries in America unless long continued sani- tary precautions have been taken. Prior to the sanitary work of the com mission no precautions or scientific measures have been taken on the isth- mus to guard against this disease. The same medical officers who succeeded in eliminating the fever from Havana are now repeating the crusade in Pan- anna. Beyond any question equally successful results will be produced. At the present time there is nothing approaching an epidemic. and the con- ditions are greatly improved over those found in former years. Some of the newspaper accounts that have reached the isthmus from the north were much exaggerated.
 "The committee returned more than satisfied with the general conditions of the enterprise and believes that completion can be attained in less time than is popularly supposed. Some time has been of necessity devoted by the engineering staff to the study and investigation of certain details not fully determined by the French. This preliminary work is now really ended and the actual work of construction on a large scale can soon begin"
 Mir Parsons. whose attention was called to the investigatIo,i of the af- fairs of the Panama railroad. and in the matter of fees. said: "These fees are all right, we all got them. All cor porations pass them. Ten dollars is handed each after each meeting. They amount to S15O or 5000 a year."
 Judge c. F. Little. Who will defend lottery company's right to sell lot tery tickets in the canaf zone. also ar rived on the Allianca. The case is on appeal to the supreme court of the United States.