The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-02-10
|lHE CANAL ZONE
A HISTORIC GROUND
EVIDENCES OF SPANISH CONQUEST AND
FRENCH EXTRAvACANCE.
RiATUN DAM IS s7UPENDoUs
Congressman Conner Believes Engineers Have
4 Solved Problem And That Lock Sys-
! tenn Will Succeed.

hdlt0r Review:
In closing my former letter men,
soned that our party would on the
|sxt morning. Monday, January 4,
eoceed to investigate conditions
(ong the line of the canal. This we
ID. leaving the hotel between seven
I'D eight o'clock. We were met at
lae station by several of the engin-
Iers, who had come into Panama on
The early morning train to accompany
US on our trip.
I regard as worthy of special men,
tion. the fact, that the engineers.
each and all of them live in the
country along the canal. where their
work requires their attention, rather
than in the city of Panama. where
most of the officers and engineers of
the old French Canal Co. spent their
time, many of them in riotous living.
Our engineers are most of them Army
\ Officers, graduates of West Point.
and it is my judgment, everything
else being equal. that Army Engin-
GERS. for work of this kind. are
preferable to civilians.
We took the train at Panama for
Gatun Dam and were soon passing
over ground which will always be
historic because of the tremendous
events which have transpired and are
transporting there. At almost every
point on the way we were reminded
of important events which TRANSFERRED
during the centuries the Spaniards
held sway here, and since the French
people commenced the construction
of the canal. This company spent
two hundred and sixty millions of dol
lars to prove that it was not equal to
the emergency of building the canal.
From an engineering standpoint. it
is conceded by every one. that the
best route in the neighborhood for
the canal. was selected and the work
of the engineers was of the highest
skill. and this is proved, in part at
least. by the fact that the canal which
the United States is building is
identical in location. for a large part
Of the way across the Isthmus. with
that of the French canal.
Graft and dissipation had much to
do with the failure of the French in
handling the proposition. On every
J hand can now be seen evidences of
the extreme recklessness of their adj
ministration. From one side of the
Isthmus to the other are wrecks Of
cars. engines. dredges. and other
equipment which were shipped over
from France during the French
Regime. only to rust and fall into
~ decay.
It is safe to say that there is not
on the face IF the earth spot SC
interesting, and where human energy
is more actively engaged than or
this soil.
In the neighborhood of IS, 900 people
are seemingly vying with each other
to bring about the contamination Of
this great work, and under the master.
full mind of the chief engineer. Col.
Cocktails, one cannot but believe that
the work will be completed and the
canal in operation by the first Of
January 1915 as those on the grount
predict will be the case.
The solution of the sanitary ques
ton, by Colonel Gorgas, in charge o,
this department in reducing the rat,
of mortality as low as it is in many
parts Of the United States, is in it.
self wonderful accomplishment. II
is SAID that while the French wer,
engaged in the work on the canal
there was a death. from yellow feve
or other causes. for every tic upol
the railroad.
We were about two hours in goin,
from Panama over to Gatun where tn
Dam is to be constructed. Sigh