Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-17

dangerous mosquitoes had been completely
destroyed. The result is that Corozal for
the las. six months dixie La Boca, which
formerly also had very nsanitary rrec-
ord), shows one of the lest sick rates in the
zone having less than / per cent a week
admitted to the hospital. At Corozal there
is big hotel filed with employees of the
isthmian canal commission, some of them
with their wives and families. Yet this
healthy and attractive spot was stigmatiZed
as a ''hog wallow' by one of the least
scrupulous and most foolish Of the profess
sional scandal-mongers who from time to
time have written about the commission
work.
improvements in Panama and Colon.
The sanitation work in the cities OF
Panama and Colon has been just as impor-
tant as in the zone itself, and in many re-
spects much more difficult because it was
necessary to deal with the already existing
popu alton, which naturally had scant sym
pathy with revolutionary changes, the value
, of which they were for IA long time not able
to perceive. In Colon the population con-
ssts largely of colorei latorers who, hav-
ing come from the West Indies to
work on the canal abandon the work and
either take to the brush lie idle in Colon
itself; thus Peep ing Colon with the least
desirable among the imported laborers, for
| the good and steady men OF course continue
at the work. Yet astonishing progress has
/ been made in both cities. In Panama 30
at all are already paved with an excellent
/ brick pavement laid in heavy concrete, a
! few of the streets being still in process OF
| paving. The sewer and water services in
! the city ARE of the geat modern hygienic
I type. some of the service having just been
| completed.
! In Colon the conditions are peculiar, and
: it is as regards Colon that most of the
+ very bitter complaint has been made. Colon
is built a low coral island covered
at more or less shallow depths with vege-
, table Accommodations or mold. which affords
sustenance and strength TO many varieties
: of low-lying tropical plants. One-half OF
the surface of the island is covered with
{ water at high tide. the average height OF
| the land being 112 feet above low tide
! The slight undulations furnish shallow,
! natural reservoirs or fresh-water breeding
/ the ground tends to be lowest in the mid
die. When the town was originally built
no attempt made to fill the low ground
either in the streets or on the building
sites. so that the entire surface was prac-
| tically quagmre; when the Quagmire be-
came impossible certain of the street:
We're crudely improved by filling especially
| had mud holes with soft rock or Other
| material. In September, 1865, a syste atiC
effort was begun to formulate a 81 Iera
pan for the proper sanitation of the city
i'm February last temporary relief measures
were taken while in July the prosecu
to- &C the work was begun in good earn
est. The results are already visible il
me seHciing, draining, guttering and paw
ing of the streets. Some four months viii
be required before the work of sewerag,
and street Improvement will be completed
but the progress already made is yer.
naked. bitches have been dug thrcugl
the town. connecting the salt water OIL
both -.1es, and into these the ponds. which
have served as breeding places for thu