Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-27
CHAIRMAN SHoNTS IN CHICAGO
No Need TO Fear Yellow Fever
( on Isthmus IL His
..4- Opinion.

i
CHICAGO. Jan. z6.-Theodore P. shonts
/ whose resignation as chairman OF the
| Isthmian CApal commission was announced
| WedneAday last, arrived yesterday from
Kansas City and spent the night with rela-
tives at Beverly HIS. 49,. s.
FROM a sanitary standpoint Panama is
just as good as any place in the United
States that | can think Of" said Mr.
Shonts. 1.-THE separation OF governmental
| and sanitary functions en- the isthtnus has
revolutionized conditions so far as health
10 concerned. The people who have feared
yellow fever on the Isthrnus needn't worry
/ about II any longer. I would feel just as
safe about going to Panama as to Texas.
This condition isn't confined to the ditch
itself, either! .s.- @s s.
! IT am a convert to the theory that mo-
| sauitoes have been responsible for the
! spread OF yellow fever. But the sanitary
/ authorities have COPIED with the situation
/ successfully and now there is nothing to
! fear"
| Mr. shonts delivered an address before
the Chicago Commercial club tonight.
! In opening Mr. Shonts said:
! 1t has been suggested to me by one Of
| your members who is valued friend OF
! mine that cannot do better In speaking
! to you this evening about the Panama
'First"The amount OF work done by the
second-The amodnt of wor1. done by the
Americans since the French. abandoned the
Third|What the actual conditions on the
With your permission will follow this
outline In. my earlier, remarks though IN
doing so I may repeat some or the state
ments' which l made before the knife and
Fork club at Kansas 1Ctty +on Thursday
The French were altogether about twelve
years on the isthmus,e about ten years OF
which. were devoted to the active work or
construction. During that period they
spent over $780, 600 and accomplished a
yards 1t is generally believed that iarss
portion of this money was Incorporated
doubtedly in the purchase OF useless ma
chinery. AS the greater part OF the ex-
| cavation was for a sea-level canal, much
Of 1t will be OF no value In the cons iI,
tion of lock canal. Roughly speaking.
| however, II may be said that one-haif tne
excavation was in the oaekbone. OF the %, a.
part OF the excavated material was so de,
posted along the proposed line OF ,canal
present work because the canal We are
constructing will be more than twice the
width of that proposed by the Frepch
z feet wide and 295 feet deep; their sub.
sequent lock plan was for canal IS feet
wide and 296 feet deep
l Onhnht
The canal we are constructing will bay'
through the great cut a. bottom width o.
200 feet and depth of 45 feet. For two
thirds OF It's entire son lssngth viii rr may,
had finished either one OF the canals con
temPlated by them would now be IS, ;,
shipping that It would be closed to naviga
tion and be In process OF reconstruction
into canal double width and depth
The French had on the isthmus wheI
| thew Rave possession to the Americana
about 1000 buildings mostly houses for m
employees, some excellent hospitals am
Many OF these buildings were capable o
repair and have been put into service
They left vast 9SaHtisy e Si ysars oSt o
date and Virtually worthless Their. loco
E motives and rolling stock for the railway
, as well as the rails Of the road. were ais
out of date. too light for modern use. am
utilized only because no others were avail
. able They had constructed only sucl
, docks and wharves as were absolutely nee
essary for the discharge Of material AM
machinery shipped from abroad. and the!
a had no terminal or switching yards on tn
Aside from erecting fine hospitals the!
had done nothing for the preservation -, Q
3 health. Modern methods Of preventing dis
0 ease were unknown in their time -.
When the United States purchased from
the French TeDFtv SsS tS ts s Of
for them. This was not poor bargain a.
is sometimes popularity supposed; IL vas
: reasonable estimate OF the value OF I'M
T property OF the Panama Canal company.
Disease Decreases.
: The speaker then referred to the worl
done by the United States government am
{ continued:
We have already shown that Just In pro
? portion as we destroy the malaria bearing
Z mosquito TO that extent does the preyalene
, OF malaria decrease. We now examine IN
blood OF all West Indian negroes as the
land and ind that IS per cent have ualarii
in their systems. When we began 20 com
: pei these new arrivals TO sleep bshind wiz
screens and TO keep them out OF the reacl
! OF mosquitoes during the hours that IN
mosquitoes were active. II Immediately re
suited in a decrease Of malaria among tn
white employees
. To illustrate further: When the nrst In
{ stallment OF laborers from Spain arrive
, they came In the dry season ana were al
lowed 70 live In unscresned quarters.
considerable per cent OF them got malar ria
A later lnstallInent. arriving during tn