Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-19

open. It's fellow who carries the malaria
germ is born in the stagnant pools that are
found In the meadows and on the hills and
in the valleys. but the yellow-fever mos
quito Is ordinarily to be found in the for
gotten corners of the cellars and dark
rooms of tropical houses, in neglected uten-
sis, in cisterns, puddles of water within the
back yards or In the closets of the resi-
dents.
While with petroleum and with drainage
a large part of the surface which generates
the malaria mosquito may be reduced the
yellow-fever mosquitoes must be attacked
in houses by ton, either with sui
phur or pyrethrum.
The Water Problem.
THE work of furnishing water Of in
stallIng sewers and of building houses is
not now in the sanitation department, but
is under the engineering and construction
department, but soon as the work is
completed 1t will be turned over to the
sanitation department for maintenance.
Good food is now furnished by a commits
sary at reasonable rates. The carrying
of refrigerated fruits and foods and meats
on refrigerator cars from Colon across the
isthmus has just been begun. There is an
ice plant at La Boca, another one at Colon,
and others along the way are to be con-
structed so that ice-that most healthful
form of liquid in the tropics-will be at
hand for all
"A hotel has been erected at Corozal.
where the American employees of the COM
mission may live and run in to their busi-
ness in Panama in a few minutes by rail-
way A hotel of 12S rooms is being con-
structed at Ancon, which is the Pacific ter
minus of the terminating township of the
governmental isthmian strip. The French
had an excellent hospital at Ancon. They
had also rather a large hospital at Colon. 1t
was necessary, however, in view of the de-
cay and lack of repair in which these hos
pitals Were found to reft them entirely.
And now we have a hospital at Ancon, one
at Panama, a conyalescent hospital at Ia
| boga, an island some ten miles off the
coast in Panama bay, where very health
full water, healthful bathing and fine
fruits can be had, so that in all the hos
pital accommodation has been increased
from about $50 to upward of 1000 beds.
Hospitals for the Sick.
American trained nurses may be had at
any point on The isthmus, and any employee
or laborer and any member of his family
will be taken care of at these hospitals. In
addition to this, and to protect itself the
commission has taken over the general
hospital of Panama and has accepted $50
900 Mexican, a fund which had been voted
by Panama for its improvement, and is
now completely rebuilding it. 1t has also
taken care of the insane and lepers of
Panama, charging a certain rate per day.
It exercises by right of law and by agree
ment complete quarantine jurisdiction over
Panama, Colon, and the lSthmian canal
strip and this quarantine is division of
the sanitation bureau under Governor Ma
COON and Colonel GorgaS.
I'm regard to the pure work of construc-
ton. AS already said. the New French
Panama Canal Company had bought the
Panama railroad for its use in the con-
structIon of the canal. When the property
of the French Canal Company was trans
ferred, the railroad was, from the stand
point of modern railroads, most made
quately equipped. 1t had a single track
very Insignificant yards at the termini, and
a large number of thin. light rails, quite
insufficient for the heavy traffic which was
carried over it.
The Railway Facilities.
1.-THE laying of the track with heavier
rails had been projected by the company
before the transfer, but only a few miles
had been laid. The commission, acquiring
control of the railroad company, directed
the purchase of rails so as to lay COM
pletely the whole line with the heavier
rails and now all but nine miles of the
road is so equipped. The roadbed is as
fine as any roadbed in the United States,
ballasted in gravel and rock, and seems to
be completely free from any possibility of
washouts, but with this exception every
other feature of the road as to structure
and equipment is subject to criticism, and
must be changed before ii can be an ade-
quate instrument in the hands of the COM