Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-19
BIGELOW OEFIES
CANAL COMMITTEE
toontInued from rage onsl


himself ready to appear tomorrow II
wanted.
When the public hearing in the in
vestigations Of questions relating to
the Panaa canal was begun today be-
fore the senate committee on inter-
oceanic canals, Mr.. Bigelow was the
first witness. On motion of Mr.. Nor
gan the oath was presented to the wit
ness, but Mr.. Bigelow said he was q
Quaker, and therefore he was per-
mitted to affirm" rather than swear" :"
He was then asked to tell his story
In his own way.
Il am embarrassed to appear in any
capacity before a respectable body
after having been described as a sem
sation monger from an official source" 3"
said Mr.. Bigelow.
Tells of His Work
He asked to be allowed to put him
self right, and proceeded to tell of his
public works, where he had lectured
and the respectable bodies that have
done him honor. He said he was not
attempting to get advertising or to
sell his books by such testimony. but
believed that in the face of the attack
made upon his such testimony is perth
nent In terms of great familiarity
he referred to men of letters and pub
licists Of high standing in an effort to
set himself right.
"As to what 1 saw personally on
tn isthmus" said Mr.. Bigelow, II will
say that l had the better part of two
days, arriving at Colon at o'clock
in the morning"
Going to a map of the isthmus, he
pointed out that laborers were landed
in an oozy swamp of a pestilential
nNo I, Na1 NI,aA I,n
sanitation. was of the worst. He said
that to use names would subject the
persons who helped him in getting his
information to embarrassment and
make their names worth nothing by
the time the official replies were con-
cluded." In reference to his article in
the Independent, he said that it had
been declined by Harper's and Col
lier's Weeklies before 1t was accepted
by the Independent.
Replying to an inquiry by Mr.. Cor
man, the witness said he had not rep
resented any American interests on the
isthmus Returning to discussion of
his visit to the isthmus, Mr.. Bigelow
said he spent most of his time investi-
eating sanitary conditions. He thought
he had been in grave danger there be-
cause of the fact that Secretary Taft
and GOVERNOR Magoon had not been
through these swamps. and that there
must have been some good reason for
their avoidance of these places.
His testimony was general and on
motion Of Mr.. Knox the witness was
instructed to confine 1t to stating the
facts on which he based his article on
the mismanagement of canal affairs
He replied that his article was based
on his personal visit to 100 shackS
which Secretary Taft, Mr.. Stevens and
Mr. Shonts had pronounced to be in
good, healthful condition and which he
found to be without water or santa
tion. He was interrupted again and
told that Impressions were valueless,
and asked to give facts.
"Well, here is fact" said the wit
ness. MANY engineers Of note de-
clined to accept government employ
ment in clearing UP these sanitary con-
ditions."
Name them" demanded Mr.. Knox.
"I think it would be embarrassing to
them to have their names made pub
lic" said he.
Upon insistence being made, Mr.
Bigelow named John Freeman of Bos-
ton and said there were others, but
he declined to give the names.
Several members of the committee.
notably Mr.. Hopkins, Mr.. Knox and
Mr.. Simmons, urged that Mr.. Bigelow
be compelled to answer.
"Mr. Roosevelt can tell you," said
Mr. Bigelow.
"Mr. Roosevelt is not on the stand" ="
said Mr.. Knox severely.