The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-11-14

OOT6 L. SQOQIS, the CudlTIudu Ol tue
Isthmian Canal Commission, was the
principal speaker at a joint meeting of
the American Hardware Manufacture
ers' Association and the National
Hardware Association at the new vii
lard Hotel tonight. There was a large
attendance of members of both a35o-
Citations by whom Mr.. Shonts was Civ
en- Il hearty reception as he entered
the nall. Mr.. Shonts spoke as follows.
president Birgc aid members Of the
American Hardware Manufacturers
Association
when | received Mr.. LuDton's invi-
ta:iCn TO come before YOU association
ana talk ON the Panama Canal. l ac-
Ce.;c.I i: with Iteasure because of The
opportunity it afforded Of talking to
n;;-:neso Mca H. 4 business way o.
what Is a great business project. l DrD-
pose. in what 1 have to say to you, TO
talk as a practical man to practical!
men HIO are themselves engaged in
large commercial enterprises, and
VIZ hIIO" t1OIlL SApCl III tuC L
ties to be me- and the enormous
amour. Of thought and labor involved
in the inauguration of great undertook
ings in the United States. You will
be able to appreciate, therefore, how
every difficulty was aggravated in an
enterprise Of the magnitude of the tsn-
milan Canal. in which the preparatory
work had to be carried on two thous-
and miles from the base of supplies.
But this is not all: The work had to be
done in a hostile climate and under
health conditions which. through CEN
turtles of neglect Of all sanitary princi-
pies, had become a menace to the lives
OF all persons save natives Of the
troDics
In order, therefore, to make :he
Isthmus a place fit to live in and to
work in. there were three fundamental
tasks which had to be performed in
advance Of all others.
First. Thorough sanitation Of the
Isthmus.
Second. Providing suitable habita
lions for all classes of employees.
Third. Providing a system of food
supply which would afford to all en-
ployees opportunity of obtaining
Wholesome food at reasonable cost.
WORK OF SANITATION.
list, In regard to sanitation: When
the United States began this work
there were no systems of waterWorks.
of sewerage, or Of drainage on the
Isthmus. The people depended largely
on unprotected cisterns for their wa
ter supply, filled during the rainy sea-
son, 1nd on barrels filled from neigh
boring streams all breeding places for
mosquitoes. The filth Of ages had &C
cumulated around the dwellings and
in the streets undisturbed except when
washed away by torrential rains. Pools
of stagnant wat5r had existed for years
in proximity to dwellings and insect
breeding Swampg lay undrained ada
cent 20 the cities and many Of the
towns. Seventy per cent of Panama
is now supplied with pure mountain
water, fed from d storage largo
enough to furnish sixty gallons per
day to each inhabitant after it's pres-
emit population shall have increased
n hall Fifty per cent. of a complete
modern sewerage system has been in
stalled, and work on the remainder is
being carried rapidly forward. The first
million of brick for paving it's streets
are on the ground. The city has Deen
fumigated time and again, first house
by house, to stop the spread of dis
ease, and again as a unit, that is, the
entire city at r time. A large force
is just finishing a thorough cleaning
of the city-the first s%crubbing it has
had during it's centuries of existence;
and Governor Magoon, under whose
jurisdiction all this work has been &C
complished, is arranging to raZe many
of the worst shacks and replace them
with modern sanitary buildings, With
in a year it may confidently be pre-
dicted, Panama will be a city we'll wa
tered, well severed, well paved, and
clean and healthy.
What has been done for Panama is
being lone for Colon and every impor-
tant labor camp across the Isthm,is.
Work on Colon's water reservoir is
we'll under way, and temporary mea-
sures are being employed to safeguard
the city's health pending the report OF
a board appointed to recommend plans
for permanent improvements. An
abundant supply of pure water from
mountain springs has been provided al
Culebra and at other important labor
centers along tire line of the canal, and
adequate drainage is being installed In
them also.
-Four thousand one hundred men are
now empoyed in these sanitary under
takings. So effective has been the work
that yellow fever has been virtually ex-
tirpated from the Isthmus. In June,
last, there were 81 cases of yellow few
er there; in July, AZ; in August, q; in
SeDtember. 6. and in October, the worst
month of the year for yellow fever,
no one of the latter among the en-
ployees, and all originating many mics
from the line Of the canal. In regard
to general health condition, | was told
when on the Isthmus in October that
there were v "a hundred less pa
tients in Ancon hospital than there bad
been for many months. although we
had brought 1900 additional laborars
during the previous two months and it
was from the new arrivals that tbs