The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-12-18
To the Senate and House of Rep

To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
In the month of November l visited
the Istnmus 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, thru its agents, exercises con-
troll for certain sanitary purposes.
The U S. S. Louisiana, on which
was anchored off Colon about half
past 2 on Wednesday afternoon, No
vember IA. / came aboard her, after
my stay ashore, at about half past
9 on Saturday evening, November II.
On Wednesday afternoon and even
ing l received the President of Pana-
ma and his suite, and saw members
of the Canal Commission, and various
other gentlemen, perfecting the ar
rangement for my visit, so that every
hour that 1 was ashore could be en-
ployed to advantage. l was three
days ashore-not a sufficient length
of time to allow of an exhaustive in
vestigation of the minutiae of the
work of any single department. still
less to pass judgment on the engi-
neesipg problems, but enough to en-
able me to get a clear idea of the
salient features of the great work
and of the progress that mas 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
Zone is narrow strip of land, and 1T
can be inspected much as one can in
Spect so Or 60 miles of a great rail-
road, at the point where it runs thru
mo fainC Or n9tl1r-
al obstacles.
l chose the month of November for
my visit partly because it is the rain
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 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
varying from a fine drizzle to tor
rental downpour. During that time
in fifteen minutes at Cristobals LOS
inches of rain fell; from L to a. m.
November 16, 80 inches fell; for the
twenty-four hours ending noon, No
V0mD0T 10, 400 1uCuSS 10lI, dlll lOl
the six days ending noon, November
16, 1924 inches fell. The Chagres
rose in flood to a greater height than
it mas attained during the last fifteen
years, tearing out the track in one
place. 1t would have been impossi-
BILE to see the work going on under
more unfavorable weather conditions.
On Saturday, November II, the sun
shone now and then for a few min
utes, altho the day was generally ov-
ercast and there were heavy showers
at intervals.
Each day twelve to eighteen hours
were spent in going over and inspect
ing all there was to be seen, and in
examining various employees. Thru
out my trip l was accompanied by the
Surgeon-Genera1 of the Navy, Doc
tor Rixey; by the Chairman of the
Isthmian Canal Commission, Mr..
Shonts; by Chief Engineer Stevens;
by Doctor Gorgas, the Chief sanitary
officer of the Commission; by Mr.. Bis
hop, the Secretary of the Commission
by Mr.. Ripley, the Principal Assistant
Engineer; by Mr.. Jackson Smith, who
has had practical charge of collecting
and handling the labori1g force; by
Mr. Bierd, general manager of the
railway, and by Mr.. Rogers, the gen.
eral counsel of the Commission; and
many other officials joined US from
time to time.
At the outset 1 wish to pay trib-
ute to the amount of work lone by
tie French Canal Company under We
| ry difficult circumstances. Many OF
the buildings they put up were excel
lent and are still in use, tho, natur-
ally, the houses are now getting out
of repair and are being used as dwell
lings only until other houses can be
built, and much of the work they did
: in the Culebra cut, and some of the
work they did in digging has been of
direct and real benefit This country
has never made a better investment
tnan the $4O,000,OO0 which it paid to
!. the French Company for the work and
! betterments. including especially the
Panama Railroad.
An inspection on the ground at the
height of the rainy season served to
convince me of the wisdom of Con-
gress in refusing to adopt either a
high-level or a sea-level canal. There