The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-21
Special Message to Congress
on the Subject
DETAILS OF THE VISIT
Received With Marked Hospitality
by People of Panama.

The President Arrived 1T I'anani on
November II ana left on fifth
Tint. nof Sufficient TO Make IN En-
haIl-tiy. investigation Of the Wort.
ST .ln5 Single Dcpartrncnt-Inspcct-
ca schools, Hospitals and Quarter
oc rig Nork'ncn and Found Moth
ing 20 CnndCnn-JnforcSc"n Diff
cTGt.o~ NH Arise a. The Work Pro
erc>7"9,. bat They viii be Removed
a. Soon a. Observation-Disclosures
Pay High Tribute to Canal Com
mt--iOI-1'nahic to Find a Single
RrysUtaBir Person NIlo had Heard OF
any accusation Affecting the Hon
csGy oG OF Commission or Of any Re
~poneifIr Officer Under It-Libelcrs
u Scandal NonscrS Get "a Rap.
To the Senate and House of RepreSen-
tativeS:
In the month of November | visited
III aoLA4iEttS VI 4 dlCIId, SotIiS IVA TIC
Canal Zone with considerable care; and
also visited the cities of Panama M
Col0U, which are not in the zOne or
under the United States flag, but as TO
which the Uniter States government,
thru It's agents, exercises contrOi for
certain sanitary purposes.
The u s. S. Louisiana, on which |
was anchored off Colon about half past
> on Wednesday afternoon, November
-. I came aboard her after my stay
on shore, at about half past 9 Or Sat
ur1ay evening, November II. On We'd
p neSday afternoon and evening | receiy-
ed the president Of Panama and his
suite. and saw members of the canal
commission, and various other gentle
men, perfectirrg the arrangement for
my visit, so that every hour that was
ashore conld be employed to advantage.
[ was three DAYS aShOre-nOt a SlltfiCl-
ent length of time to allow an eXhaus-
tive Investigation of the minutiae 'jf
1.-THE work Of any single department, still
less to pass Judgment on the engineer
ing problems, but enough to enable me
to get O. clear idea Of the salient feat
ures Of the great work and Of the prog
TaSS that has been mad as regards
the sanitation of the zone, Colon. and
Panama, the caring for and housing Of
the employees, and the actual digging
of the canal. The zone Is a narrow strip
of land, and it can be inspected much
as one can inspect so or so miles of 4
great railroad; at the point where 1t
r1Ens thru mountains or overcomes
other natural obstacles.
| chose the month Of November fCr
my visit partly because it is the ain
lest month of the year, the month in
which the work goes forward at the
greatest disadvantage, and one Of the
two months which the medical depart
ment Of the French Canal Company
found most unhealthy.
Immediately after anchoring on the
afternoon of Wednesday there WIS q
violent storm of wind and rain From
that time we did not again see the sur
until Saturday morning, the rain con
tinuing almost steadily, but varying
from a fine drizZle to q ~tOrTential down
DOur. During that time in fifteen min
utes at CristObal los inches of rain
fell, from l to : a. m. November 10
% inches fell; for the twenty-foul
hours ending noon, November II, 4.O:
inches fell. and for the six days ending
November Is. 1924 inches fell. The
ChagreS rose in flood to a greale'
height than it had attained during Ine
last fifteen years, tearing out the traci
in one place. 1t would have beer
imDOssIble to see the work going or
under more u~nfavorab1e weather con
ditions. On Saturday, November II
the sun shone now and then for a few
minutes, aIthO the day was generally
overcast and there were heavy shower:
at intervals.
FIRST DAY ASHORE.
On Thursday morning We landed a
about half past sever and Went sloWl!
over the line of the Panama Railway
ending with anIexpeditiOn in a tug a
the Pacific entrance Of the canal out u
the islands where the dredging for tn
canal will cease. We took dinner a
one Of the government eating house
furnished by the commission for tn
use Of the government employees
warming of our coming having Seel
given. [ inspected the Ancon hospital
going thru various wards both TO
white patients and for colored patient
[ inspected portions of the constabu
larry Zone pOlice), examining the me
individually. l also examined CERTAIN
of the schools and saw the school child
ZEN, both white and colored; speaking
with certain of the teachers. In tn
afternoon Of this day I was formail
received in Panama by President Anna
dor, who, together with the goVernmen
and all the people of Panama. treate
me with the m c~onsfdeFate courtesy
for which I hereby extend my mos
earnest thanks. l was driven thr
Panama and in a public square wa
formally received and welcomed by tn
president and other members of t b
government; and in the evening | al