Norwich bulletin., 1911-11-08
Congressman Higgins Returns Home
Much Improved by His Isthman Visit and Says That the Panama Canal Will be Opened Schedule
 Time-Move Should be Made For Merchant Marine.

All but two members of the congress sionaI committee that went to the isthmus of Panama last month reached New York city Tuesday satis- would be fulfilled and that the canal would be finished and open Tor business by 1913. As a result of thelr visit. congress probably will be urged to pass at the earliest possible mo- u1ent ieglsIat ton regulating the gov eruInent of the canal and settling the question of the tolls. The party that arrived from Cristobal on the steamer Ancon included Senators Brandegee. Connecticut. chairman of the inter oceanic canals committee; Brlstow oI Kansas Cummins of Iowa. Page of Xerrno ont and OVerman of North Car sAna: and Representative Higgins of Connecticut Senators Wetmore of Rhode Island and Thornton of Louis jana were on the isthmus with the party but the former remained there to nurse an attack of bronchitis, while Senator Thornton returned to New Orleans by another steamer senator Wetmore. who was joined by his wife iast Sunday, expects Q come back next week. Sergeant at Arms Rams dell of the senate and several stenog- ra pfers and attendants also were with the party.
 Congressman Tells Of Trip.
 Leaving New York as soon as possi- ble after the arrival there at 10.SO.
 
 Mrs Higgins, who accompanied him on the trip, reached this city at 4.4o o'clock.
 When seen in the evening regarding his trip, Congressman Higgins desrib- ed the visit to the big canal in the following interview:
 We reached Colon October 21, mak- ing headquarters on the isthmus in Panama the Pacific coast port of the canal, and stopped at the Tivoli hotel. The committee of the senate on ocean ic canals. of which Senator Brandegee is chairman, conducted hearings to predicate future legislation flor the canal The residents of Panama are a shiftIess lot. for the most part made up of a mixture Of several races
 Visited Old City.
 The party was afforded every facil- ity for inspecting the canal work in all it's different features by the canal commission. The president of the Panama. republic with members of his cabinet, accompanied the party on trip to old Panama, which was settled ln 151T. known as the richest city or the world of its time and destroyed by the buccaneer. Morgan. in 1871, after he had pi1laged and sacked the city. Renns ins of the city still stand. covered with the tropical growth of the jungle, and evidences of it's wealth and i'm portance can still be seen in it's ruins. The history of the attempts to con struct the canal covers period of over four centuries. Spain. England, Portugal and France have all attempt ed il. Medical and sanitary science has played an important and almost vital part in the construction of the canal The discovery by American physicians, that yellow fever came from the mosquito inaugurated 8 cam paign against this insect which has driven the disease off the isthmus and the death rate in the zone is now less than in many American cities.
 Canal 45 Miles Long.
 The canal zone is five miles in width on either side of the canal as the cen ter line, and 45 miles in length from sea to sea, with area. of about AS ouare miles. Additional land is owned iu the republic Of Panama by the Pan ma Railroad company. which is own ed by the government but operated as separate corporation.
 This railroad, completed in 1855, was promoted and constructed by Ameri- can capital and enterprise. and was afterwards acquired by the French company. and was part Of our pur- chase in 1904 from the French.
 The estimated cost Of canal is S375.- c0e, 900; $2e3, ,000;000 having already been appropriated, including a pay