The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-01-31
THlR7Y-TWO MILLIONS
Have Been Spent So Far in Canal
Work, Says Retiring Chairman
Shonts in Banquet Speech.

Theodore P. Shonts, who On We'd
nesday resigned the chairmanship OF
the isthmian canal commission, was
the guest OF honor in Kansas City on
Thursday evening at the monthly din
ner of the Knife and Fork Club, and
delivered an interesting address touch
ing the Panama canal.
The creative rerlod," declared Mr..
Sbonts, has come to an end, and
the period of active construction has
begin. AS to the manner in which
the creative task has been performed
we arc content to let the facts speak
1or themselves
In closing Mr.. shonts quoted as
fellows from President Roosevelts
message, written after the chief exec
utive returned from the isthmus:
Tho wisdom of the canal manage.
ment has been shown in nothing more
clearly than in the way in which the
foundations have been laid
Mr.. shents denied that his resigna-
tion of the craftsmanship had result
ed from any disagreement with Pres
ident Roosevelt, or: any member: of the
comission, and declared that the best
Of relations existed between himself
and all his canal associates.
Regarding the necessary preliminary
work he said:
"In this preliminary work, We have
spent down to January 1, 1907, about
'$32, ,00O, 900. Of this amount $4,500,000
have been spent in government and
sanitation; about $1,000 in construc-
tion Of quarters and other buildings,
docks, wharves, railway enlargement,
water works and sewers in the zone,
and in engineering work, and abour
$12,c0G,0O in permanent plants; over
$4,500, 900 in miscellaneous materials
and supplies, and over $1,500,o00 in
the construction of sewers and water
works and street paving and improve
ments in Panama and Colon. The last
named will be refunded ultimately to
the government.
"we have driven yellow fever per-
manently from the: isthmus. That is
the supreme achievement. For four.
teen months there has not been, a
single case of this terror Of the trop-
les. The stegomyia mosquito OF which
the extreme period Of life is three
rIonths, and which is the bearer OF
the yellow fever germ, has been al
most thrown out of business.
$50 far as general health condi-
tions are concerned I, can give you
no stronger evidence Of their favor
allie character than by stating the fact
that among about 5000 white Ameri.
cans, Including women and children,
on the isthmus, there was for three
months in the rainy season of last
year-August, September and October
hot a single death from disease"
Continuing in his detailing OF ac-
complishments, he, said:
"As I said TO- you in the opening
part of my address, the work of ac-
tual excavation was restricted during
the creative period to merely pre-
paratory lines. Still, something has
been done in the direction of making
the dirt fly During the fiscal year
ending with June last 100000 cubic
yards were taken from the canal prism
against 742.ooo yards removed during,
the previous year.
altogether. the surface in the Gu
Zebra cut has been brought down IS
feet below the level left by the
French. A large amount Of the exca'
vated material has been used in filling
for railroad yards and double-tracking