The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-12-18
and Finest Line Of Holiday Goods in the City>~>>P

taccident, and one by a dynamite ex-
plosion. There has been for the last
six months well-nign steady decline
in the death rate for the population of
| the Zone. this being largely due to
the decrease in deaths from pneumo-
| MIA, which has been the most fatal
| disease on the Isthmus. In October
there were ninety nine deaths of ev-
cry kind among the employees of the
Isthmus. There~were then on the
rolls $500 whites, seven-eighths of
them being Americans. OF these
whites but two died of disease and it
happened neither was an American.
Of the 5000 white Americans, includ-
ing some 1900 women and children,
not a single death has occurred in
the past three months, whereas in an
average city in the United States the
number of deaths for similar num-
Der of people in that time would have
been about thirty from disease. This
very remarkable showing can not of
course permanently obtain, but it ce--
tainly goes to prove that if good care
Is taken the Isthmus is not particu-
larly unhealthy place. In October,
of the 10000 negroes on the roll Sc
died from disease; pneumonia being
the most destructive disease, and ma
larial fever coming second. The diff
Guilty of exercising a thoro supervis-
ion over tne colored laborers is of
course greater than is the case among
the whites, and they are also less
competent to take care of themselves,
which accounts for the fact that their
death rate is so much higher than
that of the whites, in spite of the fact
that they have been used to similar
climatic conditions. Even among the
colored employees it will be seen that
the death rate is not high.
Dminution of Mosquitoes.
In Panama and Colon the death
rate mas also been greatly reduced,
shis being directly due to the vigor
ous work of the special brigade of en-
oloyees who have been inspecting the
houses where the stegomyia mosquito
S to be found and destroying its lar
vac and breeding places, and doing
similar work in exterminating the ma
arial moSQuitoeS-in short, in per-
forming all kinds of hygienic labor.
4 little over year ago all kinds of
mosquitoes, including the two fatal
species, were numerous about the Cul
abra cut. In this cut during last Oc-
tober every room of every house was
carefully examined, and only two mos
quitoes, neither of them of the two
atal species were found. Unfaltering
energy in inspection and in diSinfect-
ing and in the work of draining and
clearing brush are responsible for the
change.
Improvements in Panama and Colon.
The sanitation work in the cities
of Panama and Colon has been just
4 important as in the Zone itself, and
il many respects much more difficult;
1gAs1I
with the already existing population,
which naturally had scant sympathy
with revolutionary changes, the value
of which they were for a long time
not able to perceive. In Colon the
population consists largely of color
ed laboTers who having come over
from the West Indies to work on the
canal, abandon the work and either
take to the brush Or lie idle in Colon
itself; thus peopling Colon with the
least desirable among the imported
laborers, for the good and steady men
of course continue at the work. Yet
astonishing progress has been made
in both cities. In Panama 80 per cent
of the streets that are to be paved
at all are already paved with an ex-
cellent brick pavement laid in heavy
concrete, a few of the streets being
still in process of paving. The sew
ST anu wafer SeIVlC0S III Tile CITY dTo
of the most modern hygenic type,
some of the service having just been
completed.
In Colon the condition are peculiar
and it is as regards Colon that most
Of the very bitter complaint has been
made. Colon is built on a low coral
island, covered at more or less shall
low depths with vegetable accumula-
tions or mold, which affords susie.
nance and strength to many varieties
of low-lying tropical plants. One-half
Of the surface of the island is cover
ed with water at higl tide, the aver
age height of the land being l 1a feet
above low tide. The slight undula-
tons furnish shallow, natural reser-
voirs Or fresnwater breeding places
for every variety of mosquito, an l the
ground tends to be lowest in the mid
die. When the town was originally
built no attempt was made 10 fill
the low ground, either in the streets
OF on the building sites, so that the
entire surface was practically q quag-
mire; when the quagmire became inn
passable certain of the streets were
crudely improved by filing especially
bad mud holes with soft rock or other
material. In September, 1905, a sys-
tematic effort was begun to formulate
a general plan for the proper sani-
| tation of the city; in February last
temporary relief measures were TAX
en-, while in July the prosecution of
the work was begun in good earnest.
Continued, Page Three.)
~ MeArHE1 an.ran