Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-03

ent there are no cases OF yellow fever under
treatment In the city Of Panama and there
has not been q single new case since June
.. 1t is true that in Colon there are sew
dinicuit one owing to the lowness of the
city and the vastness OF the surrounding
swamps. But the city of Panama has al
ways been considered to be the worst place
on the isthmus. and the fact that there Is
SO little fever there now Is very encour-
aging and foretells better times ahead. We
who have been here for any length OF time
put great faith in the untiring efforts of
the sanitary department and look forward
to the time when yellow fever will be Grad
icated. which we all believe will be the case
in the near future.
Seasons Are Changing.
"Just at this time the seasons chang
ing. The dry season has just ended and
the rainy is setting in. Always at this
time of the year. especially in the months
of May and June. there is a good deal of
malaria and kindred fevers. The natives
look with some dread at the approach of
May, as they are then afflicted with what
they call the 'mayos' or mays sick
ness which Is peculiar to that month and
Is due to the change In water. as. beginning
with May or the rainy season. the people
begin to drink and use rain water. We had
our share OF malaria this year. Some died.
1t Is true. Ten people were killed by the
excessive heat In New York on July 10,
something unheard of on the isthmus. But
the frst-class hospitals and the skillfui
treatment offered has reduced the mortality
of this sickness to a very small percentage,
and the cleaning UP of the cit yand swamps
has done a great deal toward driving 1t out.
l believe that today there Is more malaria
among as many people in the city of Wash
ington than there Is In Panama
Much comment and alarming news have
been spread broadcast concerning the
plague. The situation in this regard is as
follows: ship from the South Pacific
came into port at La Boca the seaport Of
Panama and situated about two miles and
half from the latter city. having had a
case Of plague on board, the patient having
died and been buried at several days
out. The boat, its cargo and all it's passen-
gers were held up and not allowed to land.
No more sickness appearing the ship was
allowed to unload her cargo. Some days
later a negro laborer at work on the dock
was stricken with the plague and died A
strict quarantine was Immediately estab
lished, all communication between La Boca
and Panama being completely cut OFF. The
quarantine went into effect on or abou. the
10Th of June. and more cases have APP
peared since, and as fourteen days is the
usual length of time for such guarantees
1t is expected that 1t Will be lifted in few
days.
How Men Live.
II will give just a word here as to how
the men are living. We will take the force
ample. There are about 200 men In the
general offices here doing the clerical
work of the chief engineer and the va
rious offices under him. Most of them
are young. some just from school, and
many of them lack the knowledge of taking
care Of themselves when away from home
and under primitive circumstances. Still
more of them are careless with their health.
not understanding or approaching tropical
life. When 1 first came to the isthmus,
last December, all of these men were living
in Panama. 1t was rather hard life, AS
the accommodations In the houses and
hotels were limited and bad But the COM
mission saw this trouble and Immediately
went to work to remedy 1t. About three
miles from Panama at place called Coro-
zal founded by the old French company,
the commission erected large. f1rst-class
hotel, as good in Its appointments, ard in
some respects better than many summer
hotels 1 have seen in the United States.
In appearance it resembles summer re-
sort hotel, and, in fact, the whole settle
ment of Corozal resembles a cottage town
of some summer settlement In the states.
The building Is three stories high, has abou.
sixty rooms and accommodations for 225
men. On the first floor Is the dining room,
a long spacious room, set with tables. each
table accommodating four men. These ia
bles and all the other furnishings of the
loom are first class and very inviting. AT
meal times the people are served by ten or
twelve walters. The dining room has been
partitioned off at both ends, at one end
private dining room for state occasions be-
ing maintained, while at the other we have
a ball room, where give impromptu
dances once a week. On this floor also Is
the kitchen and store rooms.p The kitchen
being provided with modern ranges and pre-
sided over by competent cooks. the manage
ment is able to serve good and well-cooked
food.
THE second and third floors are given up
entirely to sleeping rooms and baths. Tho
rooms are about Is by 20 feet. and the men
are placed two in a room. AS the hotel has
running water from the Rio Grande reser-
yoir the shower baths form important
feature of the hastelry. The third floor Is
like the second. Around the entire structure
are wide verandas which form delightful
promenades and resting places. The rooms
are comfortably furnished with all the nee
essary furniture Down stairs one can get
something cool to drink from limeade to
circus pop. The expenses of the boys at
the hotel are reasonable, averaging not
more than $25 gold per month, including
meals and the care of the rooms. The men
here 90 hack and forth to and from