The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-05
MIR, GARRETT TALKS
 OF PANAMA CANAL General Manager of Q. & c. Says Railroad is Good CANAL LONG WAY OFF Says it Will Not Be Completed Dur ing Ills Life, Either With
 Locks or With Sea
 Level.
CANAL LONG WAY OFF

General Manager w. A. Garrett of the Queen and Crescent route passed through Birmingham Saturday en route to Gin cinnau after several weeks i'll Costa Riea and Panama. He gave the following interview on the conditions in Panama, which will be of interest:
 Our party consisted of w. G. Bes- Ter, vice president of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, of New York City Dr. ". A. McCandless. chief surgeon terminal railroad. St. Louis; R. N. Hess. land agent Frisco system, St. Louis; W. A. Garrett general manager Queen and Cres- cent system, Cincinnati.
 We spent four days in Costa Rica land ing at Limon. on the gulf side where is located the managers headquarters of the United Fruit company for Costa Rica. Iimon has population of coco, with good streets. regularly laid out. conereate gut ters well drained. modern side walks. cleo ,tric lighted streets, several large whole sale and retail stores, banks, churches and a good park with native shrubs and trees. The Northern railway has 300 miles of well built track. feet inch gauge, and besides handling the bananas from the lowlands and coffee from the high business for interior cities. The railway is operated on modern lines with Ameri- can standard rules. While the coaches are foreign built, many of the new engines are Baldwins, and the new freight cars and appliances come from the states.
 san Jose. the capital. with 25,O0O popu- latlon. is situated 102 miles from the coast and has a most delightful climate the year round. The government has completed 42 miles of new line west from San Jose toward the coast having paid 5,0O0 in gold per mile There is about 20 miles more to build. but the government is now without the funds
 Visited Canal Zone.
 "We visited the Panama canal zone, landing at Colon, and after inspecting the docks. erecting works and hospital at Colon. went over the Panama railway to Panama. The railway for the major part of its 4S miles runs along side the canal. and notwithstanding the claim that the road was blocked with freight we found the warehouses well cleared of freight and absolutely no congestion on the line. Sev eral modern engines and many 50-ton- capacity steel frame flat cars have lately been added to the equipment, and a ship ment of 250 Acton box cars are now re- ported on vessels en route to Colon.
 "The railroad is exceptionally well built with 56 50 and 70-pound rails, hard wood lignum vitae ties, many concreate water ways substantial bridges, large, commod- ious freight and passenger stations, many passing tracks. good water stations, and a well built telegraph line with metal poIes
 ''The grade toward Colon for distance of five miles is 50 feet to the mile but over this hill section for a distance of fifteen miles @ second main track is being built, and several passing tracks are be- ing heightened. The railroad Is operated on American standard rules, mostly by American railroad men. The time tables and the numerous printed forms are American. Besides running numerous la bor trains at convenient times between Panama and Corozal three miles dis tant, and between Gorgona and Calvbra, eight miles distant, to handle the 14O00 canal employees and the public, there are four scheduled passenger trains in each direction between Colon and Panama run ming daily, with three through freights each way at night and one local freight each way by day. The officers are trying
 ,t.rl,+ tohf a the canal work trains and the passenger trains can get good day service, and in this the management is succeeding.
 "The early morning passenger trains carry a box car from which liberal sup ply of ice is delivered at all stations. and to all gangs by the railroad company. The old French passenger equipment is still in service. and the cars are quite comfort able. The eight through passengers trains are allowed either two hours and ten minutes or two hours and fifteen minutes for the 47 e5 miles, making twenty-nine station stops. Between stations which high sneed the track rides much better than On many railroads in the states.
 Praises Surgeon ooreas.
  ican. has instituted many reforms and has the railroad management well in hand and the rank and file of yard, station and train service employees are rendering eff hcient service.
 .groo much praise cannot be given Col William B. Gorgas, assistant surgeon gen. eral of the army, a charming man with headauarters at Panama, who is in full charge of the hospitals and the sanitary work in the Panama zone, strip extend ing from the Pacific ocean to the gulf five miles on each side of the canal The san itary department outside of Panama and Colon. has cleaned out all the gutters and drains, cut and burned acres of weeds, cleaned all refuse from under the old houses and in all the new houses erected fl has superintended the sanitary work and water supply, screening and draining. All the new houses are thoroughly screen- ed with double screen door arranged vestibule style. the instructions calling for the opening of one door at time.