Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-12-27

also visited the cities OF Panama and
Colon which Sl,, are not IN the h1 zone 9 9
which the United States government
Through it's agents, exercises control for
certain sanNtSry purpose NV v ehoS naTtly
Because II is the rainest month OF the
year, the month in which the work goes
nS oSe Of se tyre @ontSs when tRe
medical department OF the French Canal
company found most unhealthy.
Following the Introduction to the mes
sage the president gives a resume OF his
programme during the days he was on
the isthmus, and then says;
20 the amount OF work done by the
Wrench Canal company under very DIM
Quilt circumstances. Many OF the build,
fngs they put up were excellent and
are sull in use, though, naturally, the
houses are now getting out of repair and
arc being used as dwellings only 9ht "
other houses can be built, and much OF
the work they did I'm the Culebra cut,
and some of the work they did In Dig
ging has been OF direct and real benefit.
This country has never made better
investment than the $40,0OOiO00 which It
paid to the French company for work
and betterments, including especially the
An Inspection on the ground at the
height of the rainy season served to con-
vince me OF the wisdom of congress- In
refusing to adopt either a high-level or
q sea-level canal There seems 10 be a
universal agreement among. all people
route, the one actually chosen, is much
superior 90 both the Nicaragua ana
Darleh routes.
Preliminary Work Being Done.
The wisdom OF the canal management
has been shown in nothing more clearly
than in the way in which the founda-
tions OF the work have been laid To
have yielded to the natural impotence
or ill-informed outsiders and begun all
Kinds of experiments in work prior to
thorough sanitation of the isthmus, and
20 a fairly satisfactory working out OF
the problem of getting and keeping a
buhicient labor supply, would have been
Jneasures had to be taken first; and
these could not be taken so as to allow
as to begin the real work of construc-
year II then became necessary to have
ehe type of the canal decided, and the
only delay has been the necessary delay
until the 18th day of June, the date
when the congress definitely and wisely
Bettled that we should have an 85-foot
level canal Immediately after that the
work began in hard earnest and has
been continued with Increasing vigor
ever since; and It will continue so to
tracts are let the conditions will be such
as to insure a constantly increasing
amount Of performance.
Successful Sanitation.
The first great problem to be solved
upon the solution of which the success Of
the rest of the work depended was the
problem Of sanitation lon This was from
W. G. Gorgas, who Is TO be made a full
member of the commission. 1t must be
remembered that his work was not mere
sanitation as the term is understood In
our ordinary municipal work. Through
out the zone and in the two cities of
Panama and Colon, In addition to the
do all the work that the Marine hospital
service does as regards the nation, that
various states and cities, and that Col.
Warning did in New York when. he
cleaned It's streets, The results have
q byword for deadly unhealthfulness.
Now, after two years of our occupation
the conditions as regards sickness and
reasonably healthy localities In the
United States Especial care has been
devoted to minimizing the risk due to the
presence OF those species of mosquitoes
which have been found to propagate
malarial and yellow feVers. In all the
settlements, the little temporary towns
employes, which grow up here and
there In the tropic jungle as the needs
exercised TO keep the conditions healthy.
Everywhere are to be seen the drainage
bitches which in removing the water
mosquitoes, while the whole Jungle is
cut away for considerable space around
the habitations, thus destroying the
&Sr. These drainage bitches and clearings
are In evidence in every settlement, and
together with the invariable presence OF
MOSQUITO screens around the piazzas, and
Of mosquito doors to the houses, not tC
speak OF the careful fumigation that has
gone on IN all infected houses, doubtless
explain the extraordinary absence OF
amosquitoes. AS a matter of fact, but
- single mosquito and this not of the
dangerous species, was seen by any
tmember of our party during my three
days on the isthmus. Equal care II
taken by the inspectors Of the health de
-Dartment TO secure cleanliness in tn,
fhouses and proper hygienic conditions o.
every kind. Inspected between 20 and
90 Water-closets, both those used by thu
white employees and those used by thu
.eolored iaborers. In almost every case
found the conditions perfect. In but ont
ease did / find them really bad. In tht
case Affecting a settlement OF unmar
si1ed white employees, i found them yer!
BAD indeed, but the buildings We're al
Inherited from the French company am
Buildings were in the course of construc
Eion; and right near the directive waite
closet new and excellent closet with
good sewer pipe was IN process Of con
,gfriiction and nearly finished. Neverthe
les this did not excuse the fact that tn
bad condition had been allowed TO pre-
snu Temporary accommodations, eve
n only such as soldiers use when campo
IN the field, should have been provided
Orders. 20 this etteet were issues az ~
cident I was struck, however, Dy N
Fact that In this instance, as Ia almos
every other where q complaint was mad
which proved TO have any 1pstihcauo
AsvhateVer. Ii appeared that steps had ~
ready been taken 20 remedy the ~
-eonDIained OF, and that the trouble wa
mainly due 70 she extreme 9iinelisl.ys IN
often imposaibility, Of providing In ever
Mace for the constant increase IN ~
numbers Of employees. Generally the PIT
SSfEinn IL Made In advance, but II Is nc
possible that THIS should always be q
raae. when Il Is not there ensne5
Deriod 81 time during which the como
tons are unsatisfactory. until renee
can De provided; but ! never touna
eaes where the remedy was not De4
provided az speedily as possible
improvements h Cities.
q'hs sanitatioa work IN tho cities
aaanama and Colon has been just 9
emDortant aa ~ the gone itself ana
u1auy respects much more dlhcniN p.
-anra n WAS necessary 20 deal w
Ire already existing pQpnlaton, WY
Maturally had scAnt syHpt ~
Ir0oiufionary changes fne tatne
fch they we're tpf totk III. ~, ~
rt,fe ~ nerchiVe. ~ Colon the pQh0u
.flafefas rffaIV Of cOluItu EAh1