The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-06-29

A Greensboro lar Who Has Just Re-
turned From Panama Canal lone
Gives some Interesting Side LiShsR
on Life in the Tropics.


A sun-kissed man direct from the
Panama canal Is in Greensboro.
He left here just nine months ago
for the Isthmus. through which Ua1le
Sam Is energeticaiiy engaged at the
present time in digging his big ditch"
This individual, who after almost a
years soiourn IN that miasmatic re-
sioR. the former home of the dreaded
yellow Jack" and its progenitor The
SteSomyia ~fasciata. Is none other than
Carl ] .Clapp. who for a long time
this city.
He is now visiting his relatives in
South Greensboro. and renewing old
acQIainsances throughout the city.
Mr.. Clapp. who despite his long res
idence in the tropics, shows no sign
of the dreaded malaria. and talked in
terestingly Il a reporter OF the Daily
Industrial News last night in regard
TO the progress hat is no wbelng
made in the digging of a canal that
is expected to revoiutionize commerce.
There are at present about 1,5s0
laborers OF all kinds, classes and condi-
work eight hours a day. OF course. this
in the preliminary work Of construct
ing the canal.
A great majority of these workers
get twenty cents an hour in Panama
money, which Is equivalent to about
ten cents in American coin, and rs a
rule work eight hours a day. OF
course this price is only paid to he
cheapest sort of manual labor. The
men who are engagen in steam-shev-
elilng are getting at the present
time over 5000 a month. There is a
demand for high-priced larbor there at
all times.
WORKING IN THE CULEBRA cut.
: When | left Panama there were 35
steam shovels constantly at work in
the Culebra cut, which at the present
tim is the deepest excavation in the
canal zone BY means of these steam
shOvels the ground, which rs <six
hundred feet above the sea level. at
the point that | have mentioned is be-
ing leveled.
The cut at h present time is from
on TO one and a half miles long, and
nearly Il quarter of n mile wide.
Il was located at Cristobal, which is
the largest American settlement on
the lsthmus. 1t is, as you know. sit
uated on the coast OF the caribbean Sea
adjoining Colon
"A wrong impression hac gone for
ward" said Mr.. Clapp in regard to
the climate and temperature in Pan
anna. | was here last Saturday and at
no time since | have been on the 18TH
mus have / felt the heat as keenly.
The temperature down there Sci
dom registers over so degrees on an
average throughout the year.
The nights are invariably cool, and
many times one os obliged to sleep un-
der cover
AT the present the rainy season is !,
on. This begins about the middle OF
May in each year, and generally con-
inues through nine months During
that time never a day passes without
rain. Sometimes 1t will pour all
through the day, and on other occas-
ions there will De intermittent show
erS but you can count On some kind
of rainfall during each day.
yellow fever conditions on the
lsthmus have been materially fmproy-
ed since Uncle Sam took charge, In
fact, the dreaded disease has been al
most entirely stamped ut. Up to the
time / left Panama only two cases of
Yellow Jack had been reported. This
time a year go, the victims were
dying in droves.
This condition Of affairs Is directly
attributable TO the sanitary measures
and precautions adopted by the United
States government. The engineers
and others who were sent there . o
improve hygenic conditions immediate
ly went TO work to cut down the IN
dergrowth and drain all marshes and
low places.
SANITARY CONDITIONS IMPROVED
All these houses in Colon were
raised two feet six inches above
ground. The cisterns which abound
in that country, and wherein the yell
low fever germs would lurk in the
form of the mosquito have all ben
carefully screened.
In fact one is but little worried by
mosquitoes down ther nowadays. as
all the doors and windows Of the hous-
Is are screened and every one sleeps
beneath a bar.
"A number of people have gone Ia
Panama 10 work but a great many
have returned D the States, as there
are n 10 attractions there. and moth
ing TO hold the men. They get home
sick and light out at the first oppor-
tunity.
However. there Is ND scarcity of
laborers and they are pouring into the
place each day.
From 500 I'd 1900 West Indians
are being shipped on the Isthmus
every week, and the government viii
experience no difficulty In getting
men TO carry on the work"
HIS JOURNEY HOME
Mr. Clapp left Panama Friday June
/, n arrived in New York Just sew
en- days later, travelling TO the states
by WAY Of the Panama Steamshin