The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-14
Everything is Not Rosy in The
Canal Zone
SHONTS TALKS ON LABOR
And oompers Comes Back and Says
Head of the Commission Has vio-
lated Word About the Em-
ployment of Chinese.

Washington. August 13-tspeciaL)-
When President Roosevelt goes to the
canal zone next November he is likely
to get some new Impressions Of the tre-
mendous difficulties in the way of con-
structlon of the isthmian waterway.
Information from impartial sources as to
just what is going on in the canal zone
has been reaching Washington and 1t Is
decidedly very interesting. This informa-
tion depicts SOLDERING view of the situ-
alton there. and while not discourage
ing as to the ultimate construction of
the canal, it is not calculated to pro-
mote undue optimism or give rise to
the belief that this government has
undertaken anything else than gi-
gantic, expensive and extremely try
ing task
There has been a lot of talk about
making the dirt fly" but the facts
are as persons who have traversed
. zone thoroughly this summer say,
that little has yet been done in tho
way of digging. Much Improvement has
been made on the Panama railroad,
congestion of traffic has been relieved,
the grades of the road are being put
in good shape. and constant improve
ments on the railroad line are being
made.
Sanitation Progresses Favorably.
Sanitation work. on the zone has
also progressed favorably. There have
been various Improvements in Panama
sewerage system and waters works
have been put in and the city well
cleaned Colon is not by any means
in a sanitary condition, but improve
ments there are planned and are be-
Ing pushed as rapidly as is feasible.
Yellow fever seems to be stamped out
completely and the slight outbreak of
smallpox that disturbed Colon recent
ly is fully under control.
When it comes, however, to labor
conditions and the actual pushing of
work on the canal itself conditions are
far from satisfactory. This is admitted
by officials who have lately been on
the isthmus, although they are nnwill-
ing to be quoted In the terms in which
they talk privately. The rainy season
Is a great obstacle to the successful
prosecution of the canal construction.
The heavy tropical rains not only pre-
vent the government from working the
Iaborers to their capacity but the ma
chinery cannot be made to operate with
ANYTHING like full efficiency. 1here are
forty-six heavy steamshovels in the
Culebra section of the canal, where the
great bulk of the excavation has to be
done At present less than half, about
twenty, in fact, of the shoyels are
working.
Hospitals Are Overlooking.
The hospitals are overfowing, and
it is said on good authority that there
is almost no hope of getting sanitary
conditions in the zone SO improved as
TO prevent heavy rayages by malaria.
There are great reaches of jungle and
swamp that it is hardly possible to
clean out, and in the wet season the
hot sun forces up steaming emanations
from the soaked earth that no amount
of precaution can prevent being ex-
tremely unhealthy.
Chief Engineer Stevens is seeking
to discover machinery that will be an
Improvement in excavation over the big
steam shovels now in use. 1t Is en-
tirely possible machinery will be found
that can be used with fair effectiveness
in the wet season. If SO, 1t will be
great stride forward. The Culebra cut
excavation, for a distance of about
twelve miles, is recognized as the big
end of the canal work. To prevent
slides of earth Mr.. Stevens is making
this considerably wider than the
French had it. II will be 500 feet wide
at the bottom and as the sides slope
at an angle of about 40 degrees, an i'm
mense quantity of earth has to be re-
moved.