The Washington times., 1906-12-20
Report of Panama Com
mission on Preparatory
Features of Great
Undertaking.
EXCAVATION ADVANCES
lSthmuS Is Free of Fever and
4 Improvement in Caring for
Employees IS Noted.

Rapid progress in preparatory en-
gineeTiIg work. increasing raptdity or
excavation from the canal prism gen
orally and from the Culebra cut in par
ticular, stamping out Of yellow fever,
great advancement in sanitation. and
material betteTmenJ in providing for the
welfare and comfort OF employees, are
among the important facts set forth in
the annual report of the Isthmian Canal
Commission for the year ending Decem-
Der /, l9Od The report was made public
AT the same time President Roosevelt
sent his special message on the canal TO
Congress
First Stage of Canal Work.
The report has this 10 say of the pre-
paratory features OF the canal work:
During the year the first stage of canal
work. that of preparation. has virtually
been passed and the commission finds it
self in position 10 enter upon the second
stage, that Of actual construction of a
lock canal az an elevation of eighty
i've feet. authorized by Congress in
June last
OF these two stages the first was at
once the more difficult and the more i'm
portant If not done thoroughly and in
telhgenJly in every part the actual work
OF construction would be handicapped
from The start. II was necessary. as In
,he launching OF any great enterprise. to
create an organization with which To
work L was necessary also TO make
the lsthmus by thorough sanitation. a
healthful place in which to work; to
provide suitable quarters and food for
employees, 10 construct proper terminal
All 5.-t
mediate wards for the handling of the
vast quantities OF materials and sun
plies to install a system of railway
tracks through the cuts: 10 mt the
various levels in the cut in proper con-
dluon Tor the installation and ODeratiOn
oI lHe hl.Slnum number of steam shoV-
tlSF 10 purchase and assemble the ulaur
TOT constructing the canal. 10 work ont
al engineering problems; TO perfect a
government and create system of ac-
'9uHIs. ana 10 formulate "a preliminary
pidn Tor carrying forward the work in
each department
Emphatic testimony 10 the thorough
ne7S WITH Which the preliminary work
mas been done was borne by the Senate
Committee on InJerOcsanlc Canals i'm its
majority report. made TO the Senate or,
May IT, 1915, after an investigation which
extended over a period or six months
'''-1 '''1'''u'd every detail OF the work.
Sanitary Work Progressing.
Progress in sanitary work is thus de-
scribed:
The work Of sanitation throughout the
Canal Zone has been continued with
great energy during the year. The most
serious problem that confronted the
health department when 1t was organ
lied two years ago was the elimination
OF yellow fever. which had been an i'm
puTtdnI factor in the failure of the
D W. rF..I
one OF the most formidable obstacles 10
american success This obstacle has
Ierh completely removed Although
l4eFc has never been so large number
or non-immunes on the isthmus as dur
ing the past year, there has not been
q single Observation-Disclosures case of vel
low IeVer during that period The last
case IN fanamd was on November II
-JiJ. There was a single case in Colon
on May L. 1875. which was officially de
clared 20 bc yellow fever, but the med
lGll authorities were not clear that this
diagnosis was correct. Ii did not result
IN the spread Of the infection.
The isthmus is now completely free
OF this disease. an achievement which
demonstrates the high efficiency of the
health department. In combating other
diseases the department has been
scarcely less successful. The average
dally SICK rate among employees of the
commission during the ten months from
January /. 1896, To October 81 1906, was
tWenJy-elght per thousand, which is no
equal body Of labOrers engaged in con
sJructIon work In any part of the world.
during the same period the death rate
among the whites was about seventeen
and one-half per thousand, and among
the blacks nearly hfty-three per thou
sand
Smallpox has been introduced twice
IN the year. but has beSl stamNed out
and there was no case OF plague.
Engineering Work Delayed.
A substantial beginning is reported
III engineering and excavation. On this
subject the commission reports:
The engineering work of the year has
been almost entirely preparatory. OW-
ing 10 the delay Ia the decision as 10
tie type of canal il was ImpractiCable
10 locate permanent and well-arranged
dumping grounds Tor the disposal Of
waste material The general plan of
the work which has been done in the
Culebra cut has been in putting the
various levels i'm proper condition for
tie installation Of IN" maximum number
of steam shoyels. and the construction
OF a system of railways on each level
and a double track at the bottom. con-
Meeting with yards established along
the line Of the Panama Railroad. While
no special effort has been made TO get
out yardase, yet during the fiscal year
the amount of material eNcavated from
the canal prism was 600.OW cubic yards.
as against 1920 cubic yards the pre-
Ei0us fiscal year.
Notwithstanding the rainy season.
which extends from the end Of April
To the end Of December, there was dur
ing the month of August, 1906 a total
excavation in the Culebra cut Of pa. .S44
cubic yards. which was the largest
amount taken out up To that time dur
ing any one month since the canal has
been under American control. In Sep
tember, 1906. the total excavation was
29l, 450 cubic yards, and In October. 1905.
IL was $4,000 cubic yards. Most of the
material hauled out during the year was
taken 10 the old French dumps. for the
reason stated above Several new dumps
have recently been plaeed-Jwo at Mira
flores. two at Pedro Miguel. one at Rio
Grande. one At Mamei. one at Bas