The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-30
DIRT FLEW TOO
SOON ON CANAL
Worlds Work Tells Of Confu
sion's Reign in Panama Prior
to Aug. 10.
snecial 70 Tho Journal.

United States took hold Of the enter
prise, there was popular demand that !
dirt should fly, and dirt few-but in
bucketfuls when it should have been
by trainloads. There was not enough
machinery to do anything worth men
tioning, and what there was was han
died in about the worst possible man
ner. The result was that the forces
were fast becoming disorganized, and
the outlook for the completion Of the
canal was receding into a far distant
future. Up to the. 10th Of last August
this condition prevailed and was grow
So says Eugene P. Lyle, Jr., in the
Worlds Work for. November. Then.
hope was revived thru the methods
The great problem, as yet, says. Mr.
Lyle, is to organize the work. The
absolutely imperative need of such or
ganization is shown by what Mr.. Lyle
tells Of conditions in the canal zone
up to Aug. TO- At that date there
were eleven steam shovels, only two or
three of which were working at any one
time. The trouble then was there was
no organization Of trackage.. A train
would be loaded Gin no timeo and
would be off, but there 7ou1d be no
other to take it's place, Steam shovel
1
another train could be brought up. 1t
might be an hour, or two or six hours.
Yet there would be trains near, two
or three sometimes; but because Of the
( lack Of track arrangements they could
not be switched into position. So the
train crews were idle also.
tsRed Tape'' at It's Worst.
i Another trouble that has blocked ef
fective work has been cred tape, very
red and very, long: Mr.. Lyle tells o.
day to move two cars Of lumber dis
tance Of two miles, taking whole
train crew IS time to do the job, ane
delaying an equal time the work Of
those who were waiting for the mate
: rial. a.
The Jamaica negro who has been de
pended upon for much Of the work, MT
Lyle says, is about the poorest labore1
in the human race. foreman is quote.c
Uthe LATEST brute Of the human king
! DOM Chief Engineer Stevens say.
5 the white mans worth as laborer i
; reduced go per cent, but that even thel
) one white man equals three negroes.
: The problem Of food supply is des
& perate one. but is being solved by tn
!: efforts Of Governor Magoon Of the com
8 sometimes took to the jungles in searc]
'of food.
Ambition seems to have been throt
!: tied in Panama. Young. men, highl
!: trained, capable and ambitious, on al
:: irving at Culebra cut, have been Sc
I: to counting empty dirt cars, or at othe
s subordinate work, while incompeten
!: men, appointees from home, have bee
8 put over them. Often such experts RI
s turn by the same boat or the next boa
!. at the latest. Mr.. Lyle says npolitics
) with his JOB, outlasting appointe,e
!: such appointees their work, he has ofte
+ failed Of promotion. Such work h.
. been disheartening, and has influence
the whole force for the worse.
/. The disease which Mr.. Lyle says
: most dangerous to the canal forces
i anemia, from soil pollution. Mr.. Ly
s says it's dangers are even worse tina
. those Of yellow fever or malaria. It
i: due to the absence Of latrines, and I
/. to Aug. 10 there had been no adequa
Z provision Of these. The death rate h,
s not been large IN the canal forces, bl
. they have been working in dry so
s Mr.. Lyle says that when they get in
/. the marshes, malaria is likely to
come Iar more seiiOus pioUiem.
/. Change Under Stevens.
Z But there has been change sin
!. Stevens took hold. The order of Au
8 10, suspending digging, was absolute
3 imperative. Mr.. Stevens saw the nece
. sity Of complete reorganization Of Il
forces and equipment before the wo
!. of making dirt fly could begin in ca
/. nest. So at the risk Of sharp CRITICS
. he suspended work. But there b
. been a change of heart among t