Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-01-27

2oWil, either at Panama or at some other
POM on the isthmus, the French com
Hpaily concluded to sell for $109, 000, 900. ]
AS this was far il, excess of the value of
their unfinished work that proposition
was not favorably received and the house
of representatives promptly passed a bill
for the construction Of a canal IN Near
aqua.
This bill passed the house BY such an
Overwhelming majority that it was evil
dent to the French company, and to the
world at large, that the. government was
in earnest in its intention to build al
canal Of its own AS the amount of
2connerc esin prospect was not sufficient
5f for two canals, lit looked as though the
French company would have to abandon
their canal at Panama if the United
States built one alongside Of it at Mic
aragua. The company became alarmed
and, fearing the loss Of all their proper
ty, they offered to sell for $1,000, 000.s
This amount was the estimated value to
the United States Of the. French work,
as made by the Isthmian Canal commits
sion in 1901. It consisted Of the follow
ing items. viz:
/. The excavation done by the French
companies, valued at about $27, 500, 600.
The Panama railroad, nearly all
the stock Of which was owned BY the
French company, and valued at about
$e,s5O, 900.
8. The maps, drawings and records,
which were valued at about $2,000,000
A. The buildings, storehouses, hospi-
tails, land, equipment and everything OF
that nature, which were valued at about
$4,000, 900.
have described to you what the stu
alton was when the Americans came
into possession. What have we done
Isince that date2 j shall not weary you
i with the details Of what was done, but
Eshall sketch for you very briefly the re-
suits as they exist today We have in
| the first place made the isthmus as safe
"a place to work in and live iii, SO far
| as danger from disease is concerned, as
any other tropical country, and even
safer than many parts Of the United
States. tsss
We have definitely settled the ques-
| ton As to the origin and transmission
! !ofgSyellow fever and have entirely
stamped out that dreaded disease on
/ the isthn1us. There has been no authen-
/ tic case there for fourteen months. AS
1 the lifeH offthe Stegonyia has been dem
stfated to be only three months, it is
impossible that any sioaded" mosquito
Of this character is there. It's. there
flor, impossible to have Al recurrence Of
yellow fever except BY imp ortation from
abroad To guard against this we main
tain a most rigid quarantine service. 4
The entire scientific world now rec
tognizes the correctness Of the mosquito
theory as. to yellow fever. The theory
THAT malaria is conveyed only by means
Of another species Of mosquito Isl not
Lyet 50 generally received We aresder1.
lonstrating, however, the correctness 81
this theory and believe that in Al few
months we will be able to submit such
4 proof to the scientific world as willses
tablish it as conclusively as has been
done in regard to yellow fever. We have
! already shown that Just in proportion as
we destroy the malaria bearing mosqui-
to that extent does the prevalence III
malaria decrease. We now examine the
1 blood Of all West Indian negroes as
they land and find that SO per cent have
4 malaria in their systems. When we be
gan tos compel these new arrivals tc
sleep behind wire screens and to keeI
i them out Of the reach Of mosquitoes
during the hours that the mosquitoes
were active, ii Immediately resulted il
a decrease Of malaria among the white
4 employees.
To illustrate further: When the first
/ installment Of laborers from Spain ar
4 rived they came in the dry season and
were allowed to live in unscreened quar-
tiers. A considerable per cent Of their
l got malaria later installment, arriv-
ing during the rainy o. supposedly uil.
Ehealthy season, were placed il screened
quarters and. only a very few Of them
got malaria. From the moment all EN-,
! ployes were housed behind screens the
sick rate began to drop. and the death
rate with it
Still another illustration: The regu-
lar marine garrison at Bias Obispo
which, has been on the isthnl,ls fol
nearly two years, living in screened
houses, has enjoyed good health with
only small percentage 81 malaria
4 When, however, fear of possible trouble
( at the time Of the recent election II
Panama induced the government sto send
several hundred additional marines e
1.-The isthmus for temporary duty, this adj
r. y