Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-06-02
REPoRTTo CONGRESS.
Continued from Page ~

thing in and about it. Yellow fever
has been completely stamped out.
There is no more sickness on the can
al relatively than there would be
among a body of workmen Of the same
size operating between Washington
and Baltimore Mosquitoes now give
no more annoyance than they do In
Iowa. Mr.. Mabry says that the day
he arrived in Washington he submit
ted to a blood test in the Office of the
surgeon general with view to ascer-,
tanning the condition of his blood. Aft
err an exhaustive analysis the experts
were unable to find a trace of malaria
in his blood.
Rebuilt Panama Railroad.
Mr.. Mabry says if people Of the north
who may be disposed to carp at the
deliberation with which the work is
being carried on could from personal
observation get an impression of the
immensely of the, project, all criticism
would cease. The preliminary work
on a great enterprise never shows up
very large, yet it is just as important
as the subsequent operations. The
Panama railroad, when the United
States took charge. was merely cou-
pie of streaks of rust, wholly incapable
of handling the traffic that was certain
| to be thrown upon it. 1t has been ne
cessary to practically rebuild the road
and double track it and put it in shape
to do big business.
It was necessary to build hospitals,
administration Offices, hotels and lodg-
ing houses. The old junk must be
cleared off, the weeds cut down, roads
put in shape, the equipment put in
working order before good results
could be expected. This has practical.
ly all been done and in a few months
the stupendous dredges will tackle the
earth and the transportation depart
ment will be in shape to handle the
stuff as it comes from the dredges
One of the most serious problems tc
solve has been what to do with the
immense masses or dirt.
According to the viey Of Mr.. Mabry
the type of canal should be the sea
level He says the recent earthquakes
in California and the disposition o.
that section to feel the effects Of
earth-jars makes 1t advisable to dis
pense with locks as far as practica
BILE.
Types Of Canal.
4 Some misapprehension appears Il
exist as to what constitutes in thi.
particular case, sea-level canal. Sea
level does not mean that there will bt
straight canal from Colon to Pana
ma through which water will flow un
INSTRUCTED. On the contrary, ever
what is termed sea-level canal will
require three locks and nearly 8 mile!
, of the 20 will be IS feet above sea-lev
\ ell. This 8 miles must he cut through
a mountain of dirt SO high that while
1t would be possible to cut 1t down t.
sea-level it is not considered practica
Bile. Not only must this mountain
s miles long but cut down the width o
the canal but the entire mountain 70
that miles must be terraced back t
prevent the dirt washing into the CO
nal when the tremendous rains occur
Even under the most farovable cond
lions constant dredging, after the CT
nal is completed and In operation, wi
, be. required to prevent the dirt tina
4 will slide from these terraces film
up the canal.
J, Mr.. Mabry says that in his judgmen
! eight years will be required to con
plete the job under reasonably favo
n able conditions. The help problem
serious one, the chief difficulty bein
+ to get men who will work. When
s becomes known, however, that tn
zone is healthful it is believed labc
: will become plenty.
a Frank J. stillman.