Milford chronicle., 1907-05-17
FROM MILFORD TO PANAMA.
WRITTEN BY JOHN R. BENNETT.
TC0ntinued From Issue Of May 3rd. ]

OF Panama, writer recently said that he saw
a horse move a few iEches so It could lear
against q telegraph pole. Every one move'
With a languid, lazy step. You should have
seen them stop and stare at us as we tore a
long at the usual Broadway gait. But we toe
soon began to feel languid from the neat OF the
sun. A great portion OF the Inhabitants o
Panama are low and degraded among this
class you can see children playing in the streets
with no clothes on at all.
After seeing the points OF interest In the
city, We climed the Old Sea Wall where we
had a good view OF the Pacific ocean.
On our return to Colon, we stopped at Guile
bra, where the canal is being cut through the
mountain. For a distance OF eight miles
through the mountain the depth Of the canal
will average from 400 to 500 feet, and Is from
$50 TO 800 feet wide. Just imagine the immen.
sity or this work! The French cut to a depth
of go feet through this mOsnIain. The Amer
leans now have 10 machine shovels at work
there, each capable OF loading 500 cars day
Il they were kept at work all the time, but II
Is impossible to move the dirt from them at
this rate. Just think Of moving 800 cars Of
dirt day over a single track road! They are
loading from 40 to so cars day to each shovel
From the top Of the hill to the bottom OF the
canal In this mountain It is now about 400
feet We reached the bottom easily, but
when we began to climb out 1t was not so easy,
as the sides are very steep. Alter sliding back
10 our starting point several times, we finally
reached the top exhausted and covered with
dirt We reached Colon about P. NJ, hot
and tired after our first days sight seeing.
On Monday received orders to report for
duty Tuesday night at Matachin, which is
Chinese town about 30 miles in the interior.
Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning were
spent in the office getting some idea OF the
work, learning the book OF rules, etc
Tuesday afternoon, taking my lunch, which
was a loaf OF bread cut lengthwise with ham
and raspberry jam between. left Colon on
the 4sO train for my first sights work at
Matachin. On my arrival there the day oper-
ator showed me schedule of trains gave me
few words Of adYice, and left me alone. Look
ing around, 1 could see only Chinese and
Negroes-not a white person in sight. after
wards learned that there we're few white
people living up among the hills a short dis
tance from the Chinese huts, but Of course
saw nothing of them during the night. Occas-
ionaliy an engineer or conductor would come
in for a few minutes while his train was
waiting.
The meaning OF the word "Mataehin" is
dead Chinaman, the name being derived from
the number Of Chinese that died there during
the construction Of the road. II is said that
$1,000 died and committed suicide here at that
time, and again that seven hundred died and
committed suicide ih one day while the
French we're working on the canal. II is said
that the ChiEese will commit suicide when
they see their people dying in large numbers
Just word about railrOading on the 18th
mus. II Is a slngle track road, although they
are now laying another track which is nearly
ready for use. over this single track they
run 2S scheduled trains besides the extras
which raises the number to fifty trains day.
The scheduled trains are eight passenger,
eight freight, and twelve labor trains.
The road has many sharp curves, and in
many places the grade is so steep that tire
quires two LOGON olives to take a short tram
up these grades. II is not uncommon for
trains to break loose and run for miles down
grade.
The articles of freight are principally canal
supplies and fruit, and is mainly through
freight going via the Isthmus to all parts OF
the world. There are four passenger trains
day each way, and as the doors and windows
OF the cars are kept open on account Of the
heat one is covered with dirt and cinders In a
short time
While working at Matachin boarded in
Colon, goil back and forth every day, and
! took The opportunity of stopping of at diff
erent stations to see what was being done IN
the way OF sanitary work. Where the Amer
lean quarters are, the grass and vegetation
are kept cl sely cut and the ponds and grass
are sprinkied with oil to kill the mosquitoes.
W Where there are 10 American quarters, prac-
tiealIy nothing has been done, and found all
I ms uf
There is a large hospital al Colon, and another
much larger is being built The largest and
best hospital on the Isthmus is at AncOn on
the Pacific side There are several INNER
gency hospitals on the iine between Colon
and Panama
There are also several cemetaries along the
road. The first one is Monkey Hill, which is
up on a bill back OF Mount HOpe--the first
station fro N Colon. A special train carry the
dead from Colon hospital to this cemetery. 1
inquired how many this train carried each
time and was told that 1t carried as many as
were ready when the train went out. A sup
ply Of eofins is kept at the different stations,
and only a short time passes from the time
one breathes their last until they are beneath
Ghe ground. The funeral services are ex-
trsmey simple. An undertaken is dispensed
with and the body is simply put In a box,
which is loaded on the special train and
shipped to the nearest cemetery. A fare Of
500 IS charged for this last ride-except TO
railroad employees who go for half fare.
man just from the States was assisting in
making report in the Auditors office, and It
was his duty to check these five dollar spec
ial car coupons After checking for some
tfme he turned to another man, who was
older in the service Of the company, and asked
what this special car was He was told that
it carried people on their last ride 10 the
grave. He told me the neXt day that he had |
decided not to send for his wife, but thought |
he would soon return home.
Pure water is one of the greatest necessities
OF the Isthmus. Rain water is saved during
the rainy season, but this does not often last
through The dry season and leaves nothing
but river water. which is very unhealthy
Arrangemen are now being made to supply
she entire Isthmus with water from the Little I
Rio 9rande, Which has its source IN the foot
bills OF the Andes mountains Bathing is
prohibited In this river and It's water is con-
Iidered the purest OF any river on the lsthmus.
In closing will say that my Impressions Of
grr rlIr1rs NJ n a q al