Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-08-28
An Iowan Returns From the
Isthmus and Tells of Condi-
tions There
EAGER TO GET AWAY
Most Of Them Are Returning to tho
United States as Fast as Opportunity
offers-lmprovement Of Conditions
Undertaken by the United States
Government.
Special to Times Republican.
Government,


Waterloo, Ia, Aug. 2S.-E. H. Shull,
who for the past five months has been
in the employ of the government on
the Panama canal. returned to his
home in this city Thursday afternoon.
He was engaged in work along the en-
tire construction, and was close OBJ
server of existing conditions. He re-
lates in an interesting manner his DIFF
ferent experience while In the canal
work.
Mr.. Shull was asked why 1t was that
so many of the, railroad men who have
gone to Panama from Iowa have re-
turned home III poor physical condition
in very short time after their de-
parture from here. He stated that the
main trouble was with the food pro-
vided the men. 1t costs $25 month
for board and lodging, and the food
was not fit for any human being. Ice
is SOS ton, and meat is very scarce.
The meat that Is furnished is gener-
ally killed in the morning. placed In
the sun and consumed as 1t is re-
quired.
Il have seen half beef strung up
on which could have caught in one
attempt two handsful OF flies. The
food renders 1t almost impossible for
a working man to work in the hot cli-
mate,N and when once in poor condi-
ton he is very liable to an attack OF
yellow fever or smallpox. l never
heard of so many deaths in so short
time in my life.
EAGER to Return.
81 will, venture the assertion that
during the five months spent In the
canal zone 5000 laboring men arrived
in Panama and noting the conditions
returned on the next boat. The aver
age length Of their stay is 30 days.
When ]. informed the superintendent
of my intention to resign he said that
he dfsliked to see me go, for had been
longer In his employ thant any other
man. He had 1000 men in his charge
and l had been there just five months.
You would be surprised at the small
amount OF liquor consumed on the
isthmus The only liquor is rum, and
this is consumed mostly by young men
from the states. The young men get
to drinking rum and when working in
the, sun tile warm condition soon sick
ems them and they are taken to tho
hospital with we'll developed case OF
fever, which soon turns into yellow
fever. The water that we had to drink
came from the mountains and was
.lukewarm at times. cool glass OF
we'll water would command high
price in Panama"
Work Progressing Slowly.
Mr.. Shull stated that the work of ex-
cavating was progressing very slowly.
The engineers in charge made the mis-
take of starting the work with the Old
French equipment, using the worn out
French railroad as basis for opera
lions. This railroad is in dilapitated
condition and it is impossible to run a
train faster than six or seven miles
an hour on any portion of it. None of
the rolling stock is equipped with air
brakes and the method used in stop
ping a train is to place small bar
through the wheels in such manner
as to cause the wheels to slide. Con-
siderable trouble is experienced by the
cars jumping the track and it Is a
common occurrence to have from three
to eight trains derailed at the same
time. When Mr.. Shull came away he
said it was impossible to tell what
had been accomplished during the time
he was there. Work at the present
time is almost at a standstill. The
government is going to place a new
track in the canal and furnish new
rolling stock throughout. 1t will be
impossible for any Roadway to be made
until this is done.
A Lack Of System.
There seems to be an absolute lack
Of system" said Mr.. Shull This is
caused by incompetency of the work
men. There are foremen in charge
down there who never engaged in en-
cheering work Of any character and
who obtain their positions through
some pull. In every department Of the
work the incompetency Of the laborer
or official and the lack Of system is
apparent.
Mr.. Shull is apparently in poor ply
steal condition. but states that he is 50
glad to be home that he Is paying lit.
tie attention to this fact. He says that
a man who has spent five months in
Panama under the present conditions
should never have a complaint to offer
about anything upon his return to the
states alive.