Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-09-03

After two and half years spent in
the widest jungle in the world. sur
rounded by fever-laden atmosphere,
head hunting savages, deadly reptiles
and jungle beasts of every description.
DIR. E. II. Brannon has returned to Bal
timore, his former headquarters, thank
ful for having come out alive and full Of
thrilling accounts Of the strange coun-
try he has seen and his experiences
there. This land is part of the ANA
zon territory, part that even the ma
tive Indians shun because Of its terrors.
Malignant fevers lurk in every breath.
Millions of mosquitoes and kindred pests
swarm from swamp areas.
Yet through all this vast tangle of
wilderness the spirit of business enter
prise is making its way. American gen.
ius and pluck. backed by Brazilian mil
lions, are blazing a path through this
chaos of swamps and forests to lay a
railroad connecting navigable portions
of the Amazon. 1t is in this enterprise
that DIR. Brannon has been engaged. he
being in charge of field hospital, a
necessary adjunct of every camp.
Difficulties In Way.
The road is known as the MADEIRA
Mamore Railway Company. When com
pleted it will be $50 miles long. but so
great have been the difficulties encount-
cred in building it that in three years
only IS miles have been constructed and
So, 900, 600 has been spent. Only the
vast commercial possibilities of the ANA
zon have led the Brazilian Government
to put so much capital in the enterprise.
The Government, in spite of the cost.
however, is anxious to push the work.
Many efforts were made to get it started
in the first place. but until Philadel-
phia firm became interested nothing was
done.
The Amazon is navigable with large
boats for 1000 miles from its mouth
before it comes to the distractions that
have made the railroad necessary. At
that point begins series of falls that
make the river impossible for about l50
miles. Above that point the river is
navigable for another 1000 miles and
has branches north and south navigable
for distance of about 1000 miles.
Miles From Settlement.
THE railroad" says Dr. Brannon,
"begins 800 miles from the nearest set
tlement of any kind and ends $50 miles
farther away. II begins nowhere and
ends nowhere. so far as name is con-
cerned. There is nothing but jungle.
Jungle, Jungle. and then more jungle !;
one mass of twisted vines, massive trees,
bushes. vegetation of every kind, and
all of it alive with insects and animals.
Life by day is weary grind and by
night a nightmare of chattering monk
eys, screaming jaguars and ferocious
mosquitoes.
"Yet," continued the Doctor in re-
lating his story. these discomforts can
be borne, for one can get accustomed to
the Jungle and its noises. The most
dreadful thing that must be combatted
is fever. Without any exception, ! con-
slider the territory in which this road is
being built the most unhealthful place
in the world. No man has lived there
for six months without being stricken
with the fever. The average man is
stricken in three months. OF our force
of laborers and there are always sew
eral hundred-60 per cent. are always
sick.
"The varieties of disease to be met
with include malarial fever, yellow
fever, typhoid fever. black water fever.
small pox and beri-berl.
''The death rate ranges in the neigh
borhood Of 40 month per 1000. The
death rate is % per 1000 year in Bal
timore. Our yearly death rate would be
about 4sO per 1000. In each camp a
space is reserved as grave yard, and
in this the dead are buried without cere-
mony.
Tribes Of Cannibafs.
"The Indian tribes inhabiting that
section are mostly nomadic and abso-
lutely primitive. They never saw white
men until we entered their forests.
They wear absolutely no clothing, nei-
ther men nor women. Their idea Of
decoration is to have stick run through
the nose and shells in the ears. So ewl