The Washington times., 1906-08-13
PANAMA PROBLEMS
IN RAINYSEASON
Amount Of EXCaVdng Done
Thus Far Exceeding
ly Small.
MALARIA FILLS BSPITALS
Conditions Show Difficult Of Under
taking, Put Chief EngiHG Stevens
Not Discouraged

When President Roosevelt tgOes TO the
canal zone next NOvemberle Is likely
10 get some new impressils Of the
tremendous difficulties in le way OF
construction OF the isthmiaE -aterway
IL is seldom unbiased lr0ruation
reaches this country as tOthe actual
state of things on the CanalzOne. Re
ports from there are either diclal and
given a rJseate tlnge OF the are born
OF hostility 70 the canal and re blacker
than the facts warrant I1ely, how
ever, Information, from impartial
sources as 10 just what is aing on IN
the canal zone. has been reaching
Washington ana IL is decIddIy inter-
estiHg This Information deIcts q So
bering view of the situation here and.
while not discouraging as 10 the ulti-
mate construction of the caal, il is
not calculated 20 promote unde optlm-
ism or give rise 20 the beIefthat this
Government. has undertaken anything
else thames gigantic. eXpensiv, and eX-
tremely trying task.
Little Dirt Flying Yet
There has been "a lot of tax about
making the dirt fy." bur IL facts
are. as persons who have JraveEed the
zone thoroughly this summer say. that
little has yet been done in the way OF
digging. Much Improvement las been
made on the Panama railroad, t5uges-
tiOu If traffic has been relieved. the
grades Of the road are being put IN
good shape. and constant improvements
on the railroad line are being made
Sanitation work on the zone has also
progressed favorobly There have been
various improvements ia Panama,
sewerage system and Waterw0Tks have
been put iu and the city well cleaned.
Colon is not py any means In a salts
factory sanitary condition, buL improve
ments there are planned and are being
pushed as T8pldlE as Is feasible. lel-
low fever seems 10 be stamped out COM
Iletely and the slight outbreak or small
poN that disturbed Colon recently is
tully under control
Wet Season Fills Hospitals.
When il comes. however. 20 labor con-
diuous 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
isJhmus. although they are unwilling to
be quoted II the terms in which they
talk privately. The rainy season is a
great obstacle 90 the successful prose-
CutiOn Of canal construction. The heavy
tropical rains not only prevent the Gov
ernment from working the lab0rers 20
their capacity, but the machinery can
not be made 20 operate with anything
Ike FUN efficiency. There are frEiF-slN
heavy steam shOvels IN The tule5Ta sec
ton Of the canal, where the great bulk
Of the excavation has n De done Al
present, less than half. about twenty IN
Iact of the shOvels are working.
The hospitals are Overlooking and II is
said on good authority that there is all
most no hope Of getting sanitary condl-
lions in the zone so improved as 70 pre-
vent heavy ravages by malaria. There
are great reaches Z jungle and swamp
and i'm the wet season the hot sun forces
I'D stezming emanauOnS from the soaked
earth that no amount of precauti0n can
prevent being extremely unhealthy.
Seeking New Machinery.
There is reason 10 believe Chief En-
gineer Stevens is seeking 10 discover
machinery that viii be ar improvement
I'm excavation over she biE, steam-sh0veis
now in use. 1t IS entirely possible ma
chinery will be found that can be used
with fair effectiveness In the wet sea-
son. II so. IL VIII he a great stride
forward The Culebra cut eXcaVat ton,
for a distance of about twelve miles, IS
recognized as the big end OF the canal
work. To prevent slides or eartn Mf-
Stevens is making this eonslcefAnll
wider than the French had IT, II VIII
he 5O0 feet wide at the bottom, ana. as
the sides slope az an angie OF apoLL -
degrees. an immense Quahu'F % e-'i '-'
has 10 be removed