The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-11-27
MUCH WORK IS DONE
ON THE PANAMA CANAL
Annual Report of Commits
sion Shows Satisfactory
Progress During Year.
YELLOW FEVER IS CHECKED
Efforts at Sanitation is Satisfactory
But Labor Question is Still
Unsolved.

Washington, d. c.. Nov. 26.-There
has been spent already on the Panama
canal total Of $4S,285,11O, according
to the report made to Secretary Taft by
Colonel George w. Goethals. chairman
and chief engineer of the canal com
mission the report bringing the detail
Of accomplishment and expenditures up
to July 1, the close Of the last fiscal
year. OF this amount only $29782, $50
was spent on the actual work Of con-
struction, the remainder being for
buildings. preparatory work and sani-
tation.
Since the retirement of Chairman
Shonts on March and the resigna-
ton of Chief Engineer Stevens. effec-
tive April 1, 1907, the entire personnel
Of the commission has been changed.
The two important changes in the
methods of operation resulted from
combination of the position of chair
man and chief engineer and from the
requirement. that the commissioners
take station on the isthmus, where they
can be in direct touch with the work
committed to their charge.
Work of Preparation Finished.
Most of the actual digging has been
done on the Culebra division of the
canal. The first stage of the work
that Of preparation, was finished last
year, and 4,047,071 cubic yards Of earth
were removed from the CuIebra cut
during the first six months Of 1907
This division is ten miles long. and the
greatest difficulty of construction has
been found during the rainy season on
account of the dumps The freshly re-
moved earth after it Is wet sinks un-
der the loaded trains and often causes
a local cessation of the work until the
dump mas dried out
The commission finds, in fact, that
the great problem in the construction
of that portion of the canal included
in the. Culebra division is the DISPOSE
ton of the material that has been ex-
cavated. The construction of the dams
is intimately connected with the exca-
walton of the Culebra cut and the
dredging, and it is believed that this
part of the work can be done most
advantageously and economically by
the government rather than by contrac-
tors.
Laborers Soon Leave Tropics.
Conditions on the isthmus are pecul-
Tar Work in the tropics saps a mans
energy after time. and he is unable
to accomplish the same amount OF
work that he would perform in colder
climate. The men insist upon having
high pay and try to accumulate as
much money as possible in a short
time, with a view of returning home.
There are about 10000 men at work
on the canal at the end OF the fiscal
year. During the previous twelve
months 10000 were imported from the
United States. Europe and the West In
dies. and about 10000 men left the
isthmus. either because they were sick
or because they were tired of the worb
in that climate.
The commission says the labor ques-
tion is still an unsolved one" but the
chiefs of the departments are learning
how to handle the diversity of races
and nationallties that are gathered
there The commissioners clearly are
of the opinion that the government car
solve the question better than con
tractors can.
yellow Fever Stamped Out.
The matter of sanitation, thought
for years to be the greatest difficulty
in the way of building the canal, /:
being settled to the satisfaction of The
commission. No yellow fever origin
ated on the isthmus during the year
though one case was brought in from
a ship. The period OF infection forum
ately was passed, and the disease die
not spread
Six cases of smallpox were brought
into Colon by vessels. and thirty FIVE
or forty cases resulted in the city, bu
with prompt isolation and vaccination
the disease did not spread further
About 5000 persons who were expose,
TO smallpox or yellow fever during
the year were held in quarantine.