The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-04
BRISTOW ON THE CANAL
Eansan Gives Facts and Figures About
the Big Ditch.

Kansas City. May At is estimated
by the engineers that it will take sixty
work trains a day six years to remove
the earth and rock that must be taken
out of Culebra cut"
This statement, made this afternoon
by ]. L. Bristow, gives some idea of
the vast amount of work yet to be done
on the Panama canal.
Mr.. BristoW is making a tour of the
large cities, gathering information for
the president and Secretary Taft. He
has been in Kansas few weeks and is
now on his way east. He viii spend
few days in st. Louis, then go to Chi
cago before going to Washington.
Il can't talk any politics" Mr.. Bris-
tow said, when asked about some Doltu-
cal matters. I am most interested now
in the Panama canal. The task the gov
eminent has there is immense. The
engineers estimate the work can be done
in ten years, and that means fast and
hard work. They are putting in an ad-
ditional steam shovel outfit at the rate
of about one each month and using
three of the old digging machines that
the French had there. The soil is loose,
and when there is a heavy rain at
night part of the bank comes down and
often buries part of the machinery as
we'll as cars.
There are about 5000 men working
there now and there viii be more as
the work progresses There is gen
eral apprehension in this country as
to the extent of yellow fever in that
country. There is something sensation
al about dying with yellow fever that
makes many people afraid of that coun-
try. We don't think anything about
pneumonia Yet man going from Pana-
ma to New York in winter time is
much more likely to contract pneumOn-
la and die of it than a New York man
is to catch yellow fever going to Pana-
ma. The death rate from yellow fever
in Panama is much lower than the
death rate from pneumonia in New
York.
"One man who came there to live was
married on Saturday, contracted yellow
fever on Monday and died on Wednes-
day. The conditions attracted special
attention to his case and frightened a
great many people about that country.
But really the health conditions there
are not bad and the most serious trou-
bic is that people get hOmesick. Most
Of the labOrerS there are Jamaica
negroes but the men who direct the
work are mostly Americans. The
change in conditions of living make
them uneasy.
THE Panama railroad is to be dou-
bic tracked. People in the gulf port
cities are anxious that the Panama rail-
road be used to carry on s. much as
possible of the traffic that the canal Will
ultimately carry. They want to build
up the business by way of Panama and
the government is disposed to give them
g chance. though the railroad has to be
used in connection with the canal work.
The great mass of earth taken out OF
Culebra cut has to be taken somewhere
and some of it may have to be hauled
as much as twenty miles. There is one
problem the engineers will have to settle
by experience as the cut is made deep
er. That is what method Of hauling
the dirt is best, whether to run the
loaded cars ten or fifteen miles down
hill by gravity and push the cars back
or haul them two miles up a heavy
grade. There are a good many interest
ing engineering questions that enter in
TO this big task"