Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-12-20

illustrated message from President
Roosevelt, portraying conditions as
he found them on the Isthmus OF
Panama i'll his recent visit, occupied
the Senate during the greater portion
Of its session. Printed copies. of the
message, handsomely bound, were
placed on the desk of each Senator,
and the reading Of the document was
closely followed. Preceding the Pan
anna message, the Presidents recon-
na.ndations respecting public lands
and the naval personnel were recely-
ed and read. @f
Presidents Message.
To the Senate and House Of Repres.
entatives:
Inethe month Of November I visit
ed the Isthmus of Panama, going
over the canal zone with considerable
care; and also visited the cities of
Panama and Colon, which are not
in the zone or under the United
States. flag, but as to which the
United States government, through
its agents, exercises control for Ger.
tain sanitary purposes.
The u. S. S. Louisiana, on which
l was, anchored off Colon about half
past 2 on Wednesday afternoon, No
vember IA. | came aboard her, after
my stay on shore, at about half past
8 on Saturday evening, November II,
On Wednesday afternoon and even
ing / received the President Of Pana-
ma and his suite, and saw members
Of the canal commission, and various
other gentlemen, perfecting the ar
rangement for my visit, SO that every
hour that / was ashore could be EN-.
ployed to advantage. ! was three
days ashore-not a sufficient length
Of time to allow of an exhaustive in.
yestigation of, the minutiae Of the
work of any single department, still
less to pass Judgment on the engineer
ing problems, but enough to- enable
me to get a clear idea of the salient
features Of the great work and OF
the progress that has been made a.
regards the sanitation Of the zone
and housing Of the employees, and the
actual digging Of the canal. The
sone is a narrow strip of land, and i
can be inspected much as one can in
spect so OR so miles Of a great rail
road, at the point where it run.
through mountains or overcomes otE
er natural obstacles.
[ chose the month Of November fol
+, my visit partly because it is tn
rainiest month Of the year, the montl
in which the work goes forward a
the greatest disadvantage, and one O.
the two months which the medica
! department Of the French Canal Com
pany found. most unhealthy.
Immediately after anchoring on tn
afternoon Of Wednesday there was
violent storm of wind and rain. From
that time we did not again see tn
sun until Saturday morning, the raj
continuing almost steadily, but vary
ing from a fine drizzle to a torrentia
downpour. During that time in ff
teen minutes at Cristobad LOS inche
Of ram fell from l to 3 a. M, Nov
ember 16, 3.2 inches fell; for tn
"a hours ending noon, November II
4.6S inches fell, and for the six day
ending noon, November 16, 1924 inch
es fell. The Charges rose in foo
to a greater height than it mad at
tanned during the last Is year:
tearing out the track in one place. ]
would have been impossible to Sc
the work going on under more III
favorable weather conditions. O
Saturday, November II, the su
shone now and then for a few mir
utes, although the day was general
overcast and there were heavy show
ers at intervals.
Here the President goes over hi
trip day by day, from the time Of h
landing until he and party embark
ed for home. In speaking Of the acr
ual conditions on the Isthmus til
President says in substance:
The wisdom of the canal manar,
men has been shown in nothin
more clearly that in the way j
which the foundations of the wor
have been laid.
Hospitals and Their Treatment.
l inspected the large hospitals {
Ancon and Colon, which are exec
lent examples of what tropical no,
pitfalls should be. | also inspected Il
receiving hospitals in various settl,
ments. Il went through a number {
wards in which the colored men Al
treated, a number af those in whie
the white men are treated-Amer
cans and Spaniards. Both viii
men and black men are treated e,
actly alike, and their treatment is ,
1-I