The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-12-17

TO be a universal agreement among all
people competent to judge that the
Panama route the one actually chosen,
Is much superior to both the Nicaragua
and Darlen routes.
Preliminary work.
The wisdom OF the canal manage
ment has been shown in nothing more
clearly than in the way In which the
foundations Of the work have been
laid.
The first great problem to be solved,
upon the solution Of which the success
Of the rest Of the work depended, was
the problem OF sanitation. This was
from the outset under the direction Of
DR.. w G. Gorgas. who is to be made
a full member OF the commission. The
results have been astounding The
isthmus had been byword for deadly
unhealthfulness Now. after two years
Of our occupation, the conditions as
regards sickness and the death rate
compare fayorably with reasonably
healthy localities Ia the United States.
Especial care has been devoted to min
inizing the risk due to those species
of mosquitoes which have been found
to propagate malarial and yellow
feyerss Everywhere are to be seen the
drainage bitches which have removed
the breeding places Of tho mosquitoes,
while the whole jungle Is cut away
for a considerable space around the
habitations. thus destroying the places
In which the mosquitoes take shelter.
saw Only One Mosquito.
AS d matter Of fact, but single
mosquito, and this not OF the danger
Gus species, was seen by any member
of our party during my three days
on the isthmus. Equal care Is taken by
the inspectors of the health depart
ment to secure cleanliness In tho
houses and proper hyglenic conditions
of every kind
inspected the large hospitals at An
con and Colon. which are excellent
examples of what tropical hospitals
should be. also inspected the receiv-
Ing hospitals In various settlements. |
went through a number Of the wards
In which the colored men are treated,
number Of those in which the white
men are treated Americans and Span
iards. Both white men and black men
are treated exactly alike, and their
treatment 10 as good as that which
could be obtained In oar FIRST class hos
pitfalls at home.
Health Showing Remarkably Good.
In October there were ninety-nine
deaths among the employees OF the
isthmus. There were then on the rolls
$500 whites, seven-eighths OF them
Americans. OF these whites but two
died Of disease, and neither was an
American. or the 5000 white Amerl-
cans, including some 1900 women and
children, not single death has oc-
Cured in the past three months, where
as In an average city In the United
States the number Of deaths for sim
liar number Of people in that time
would have been about thirty from
disease. This very remarkable show
Ing cannot, Of course, permanently OBJ
tain, but il certainly goes to prove
that IL good care Is taken the isthmus
is not particularly unhealthy place.
Corozal, some four miles from La
Boca, was formerly one Of the most
insanitary places on the isthmus,
probably the most inssnitsry. There
was a marsh, with q pond In the mid
die Or. Gorgns had both the marsh
and pond drained and the brush clear
ed off. so that now, when I went over
the ground, 1t appeared like smooth
meadow intersected by drainage
bitches. The breeding places and shell
tering spots Of the dangerous mosqui-
toes had heen completely destroyed.
The result is that Corczal for the last