Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-17
President Follows Visit to PAN
ANA With u Report to
Congress
PLEASED WITH PROGRESS MADE
Preliminary Plans Well Under Way and
President is confident Of Ultimate
Success Of Big undertakins-HeaIth
Showing Remarkably Good-Respects
Is slandsrers.

( the Panama Canal WIS ISdu IL ooSA
houses Of congress this afternoon.
Its principal features are quoted IN
full below. with its, minor matters
spitomized:
In the month Of November visited
the isthmus of Panama, going over
the canal zone with considerable care,
and also visited the cities Of Panama
and Colon, which are not in the zone
Or under the United States flag, but as
to which the United States govern
ment, through Its agents. exercises
control for certain sanitary purposes.
The u. s. S. Louisiana, on which !
vas, anchored on Colon about haI
past 2 on Wednesday afternoon, Nov
Il. I came aboard her, after my stay
On shore, at about half past on
saturday evening. Nov. II. On Wed
snesday afternoon arid evening re-
ceiyed the president Of Panama and
his suite, and saw members OF the
canal commission, and various otner
gentlemen, perfecting the arrange
ment for my visit, SO that every hour
that was ashore could be employed
to advantage. was three days ashore
mot suhfcient length OF time to al
low OF an exhaustive investigation OF
the minutiae Of the work OF any single
department, still, less to pass judg-
ment on the engineering problems,
but enough to enable me to get q
clear idea Of the salient features OF
the great work and of the progress
that has been made 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 gone is narrow
strip Of land, and can be inspected
much az one can inspect SO or so miles
of 1 great railroad, ut the point where
st runs through mountains or over
comes other natural obstacles.
chose the month OF November
for my visit partly because 1t is the
rainiest month of the year. the month
Ia which the work goes forward az
the greatest disadvantage, and one OF
the two months which the medical de-
partment of the French Canal compa-
nv found the most unhealthy
Immediately after anchoring on the
afternoon of Wednesday there was
violent storm of wind and rain. From
that time we did not again see the
sun until Saturday morning, the rain
continuing almost steadily, but vary.
ing from . fine drizzle to toFrentiai
downpour.
First Day Ashore.
On Thursday we landed at about mar
past I and went slowly over the line
81 the Panama railway. ending with an
expedition in tug at the Pacific en-
trance Of the canal cut to the islands
where the dredging for the canal Will
cease. we took our dinner at one OF
the eating houses furnished by the
commission for the use Of the govern
ment employees mo warning OF our
coming being given. inspected the
Ancon hospital, going through various
wards both for white patients and col
.ered patients. inspected portions OF
the constabulary Zone poltce), exam
ming the men individually. I also ex-
AHMED certain of the schools. and
saw the school children. both white
ana colored. speaking with certain OF
the teachers. In the afternoon OF this
day was formally received IN Pana-
ma by President Amador, who. to-
rether with the government and all
the people Of Panama. treated me
With the most considerate courtesy,
for which hereby extend my most
earnest thanks. was driven through
Panama and in q Nlblic square was
formally received and welcomed by
the president and other members OF
the government, and in the evening l
attended q dinner given by the presi-
dent. and reception, which was also
= aoyernmaRt function. I also drove
through the streets OF Panama for the
eurpose Of observing what had been
done. We slept at the Hotel Tivoli, at
Ancon, which is on a hn directly out
ride Of the city Of Panama, but in the
gone.
Second Day.
on friday morning we left the hotel
q Z o'clock and spent the entire day
going through the Culebra cut-the
spot IN which most work will have to
be done In any event. We watched
the different steam shovels working;
we saw the drilling and blasting; we
saw many Of the. dirt trains (of the
two different types used, both carry
ing the earth away from the steam
shovels and depositing it on the dumps
some Of the dumps being run out In
the jungle merely to get rid OF the
earth. while in other cases they are
being used for douh1e-tracking the
railway. and in preparing to build the
great dams. visited many Of the
different villages, inspecting thorough
u many different buildings. l also
saw and had talks with two deputa-
tions-one Of machinists and one rep
resenting the railway men of the dirt
traius-listening to what they had to
say as to the rate Of pay and various
other matters and going over. as
much in detail as possible. all the
different questions they brought up.
AS to some matters was able to meet
their wishes; as to others. I felt that
what they requested could not be done
consistently with my duty to the
United States government as a,wdole;
- = yet others ! reserved judgment