The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-01-28


Of a canal in Nicaragua
This bill passed the House by sucE
an Overwhelming majority that it was
evident to b French Company, and
| 10 the world at large, that the Gov
eminent was in earnes in it's inten
ton to build a canal of its own. As
the amount of commerce in prospect
was not sufficient for two canals, II
looked as though the French Com
pany would have to abandon their
canal at Panama If the United States
built n alongside of it at Nicaragua.
The company became alarmed and,
fearing the loss OF all their property,
they offered to sell for $40, 900.
This amount was h estimated value
to the United States of the French
work, as made by the Isthmiam Ca
nal Commission in 1901.
1t consisted of the following items;
viz:
L. The excavation work done by
the French companies valued at about
S27, 500, 900.
The Panama Railroad, nearly all
the stock of which was owned by the
French Company, n valued at
about S6,S50. 900.
8. The maps, drawings, n records
which were valued at about 81, 900 900
4. The buildings, storehouses, hos
pitfalls, land, equipment, and. every
thing of that nature, which were val
ned at about 81, 900, 900.
| have described to you what the
situation was when the Americans
came into possession. What have we
done since that date?. l shall not
weary you with the details of what
was done, but snail sketch for you
very briefly h results as they exist
to-day. We have in the first place
made h Isthmus as safe a place to
work in and live in, so far as danger
from disease is concerned, as any
other tropical country, and even safer
than many parts of the United States.
We have definitely settled the ques-
ion as to the origin and transmission
Of yellow fever and have entirely
stamped out that dreaded disease on
the Isthmus. There has been no au-
lhentic cast there for fourteen months
AS the life of the Stegomyia has been
demontrated to be only three months,
it is impossible that any loaded"
mosquito of this character is there.
II is, therefore, impossible to have a
recurrence of yellow fever except by
importation from abroad. To guard
against this we maintain a most rigid
quarantine service.
The entire scientific world now re
cogniZes the correctness of the mos
quito theory as 10 yellow fever The
theory that malaria is conveyed only
by means of another species of mos
quito is not yet so generally received.
We are demonstrating, however, the
correctness of this theory, and be-
that in a few months we will be
able to submit UGH proof to the sci
entific world as will establish it as
colclusively as has been lone in re-
gard to yellow fever. We have al
ready shown that just in proportion
as we destroy the malaria bearing mos
quito to that extent does the preva-
lence of malaria decrease. We now
examine the blood of all West Indian
negroes as they and and find hat 9S
per cen have malaria in heir system
When we began to compel these new
arrivals to sleep behind wire screens
and to keep them out of reach of mos
during the hours hat the mos
%quitoes were active, it Immediately
in a decrease of malaria
among the white employees.
To illustrate further: When the
first installme1t of laborers from
Spain arrived they came in the dry
season and were allowed to live in
u~nscreened quarters. A considerable
per cent of them got malaria. A later
installment, arriving during the rainy
or supposedly unhealthy season, were
placed in screened quarters and only
a few of them got malaria. From the
moment all employees were housed
screens the sick rate began to
drop, Il the death rate 9th it.
Still another illustration: The reg
nlar marine garrison at Bas Obispo,
has been on the Isthmus for
fWn vnarc LIVING in Snrannnd
houses. has enjoyed good health, with
only a small percentage of malaria.
When, however, fear of possible trou-
Die at the time of the recent election
in Panama induced the Government
to send several hundred additional
to the Isthmus for temporary
duty, this additional force was en-
in temporary tents, o prop
orly screened. Although they were
IN the IstAmus only five or six weeks,
practically the entire contingent sue
to malaria.
General health conditions have so
improved under Doctor Gorgas' scien-
life methods for the prevention of dis
and the effect mas been so re-
markable among the white employees
rs to u us to revise our former
as TO their ability to with
stand the rigors of the climate. We
had since the 1st of March, 1906.
IN average of 300 Spanish laborers on
rolls, and of them only one has
lied from disease. They have mala-
ia in about the same degree as the
Americans, but not at all to the
that the negroes have it. and
here has not been a single case of
fever among them. Their gen
sral condition is about as good as it
vas in their homes in Spain( and
hey stand the climate very much bet
.er than the negroes.
During the three and one-half
at n height of the rainy sea-
'on, supposed to be most sickly,
lmong 5000 Americans. including l.
90 women and children. 40 death oc-
from disease. During Octo-
Der. among $500 white employees of
III nationalities, there were but 2
from disease. as against Sc
from disease among the me-
sroes- If the negro employees had po-
the power to resist disease as
,ffectually as the white employees
lid. there would have been but 6
instead of Sc among them.
In view OF hes statistics down to
october 81, and of the gradual de-
in both sickness and death RAT