The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-11
vIRG|NIAN KILLED
LAST MOSQUITO
Lieut.. Anderson Stabbed Him in
Railroad Coach as He Was
Leaving Panama.
HEALTH FINE IN CANAL ZONE
Diseasc-Carrying Insects Exter,
minated as Result of Crusade
by Government.


been changed by The United states
government into one " the healthiest
regions In the world is told by Lieu
tenant w y. Alexander Anderson. son
of Major William A. Anderson. former
Attorney General OF Virginia. who is
now spending q furloush at his home.
Iii North Sixth street
Lieutenant Anderson. who is con-
nected with the army engineers spent
nineteen days In the canal zone cross.
ing the istlimus ffteen times. lie be-
came fully acquainted with the oper-
ations there and with the methods pur-
sued by the United States government
to rid this small strip Of land between
the seas of the pests which. during
the French efforts In the sos, annually
wiped out thousands Of men. Concert
ed and concentrated efforts have rid
the canal zone OF the mosquito and
the n.y. the last mosquito having been
killed by Lieutenant Anderson him
SELF 1t was the only mosquito he saw.
1t was crawling on window in the
railway car in which he was riding
and. with a quick movement, no
snuffed out its life.
Cleanliness Hnsir Principle.
According 10 the army officer. clean.
Illness. whici. he agrees is ncNt to GOO
iness, is tile basic principle pursued
by the government In its methods to
stamp out dread contagiou. Medical
science has proved that mosquitoes
carry yellow fever and malaria. and
That dies carry typhoid and possibly
other diseases. The stamping out or
these insects has resulted in reign
OF health where before men waited
for the cnd they knew would come.
The most wonderful thing OH
served" said Lieutenant Anderson.
was the absence of mosquitoes. They
have been driven out The next most
remarkabl, thing noticed was the
absence OF flies. / took my meals in
workinSmcn's houses. and 1 never saw
a ny"
The mortality during the Spanish
American War at Chicknmauga Park.
where more men died nf disease than
were killed in actual battle, was duo
to plague bearing flies. In other camps
tho mosquito hlazed the trail OF death.
and the United States government
called science TO Its aid. and investiga-
ton exposed the enemy which killed
more than the weapons Of man.
Explnins the Method.
Lieutenant Anderson explained the
method of Kidding the country OF these
pcstiferous insects. He said that mos
nuttoes evolve from wiggletails. such
as arc seen in rain water barrels. But
the wiggletails cannot live without
air, and they cannot swim up through
oil. All puddles and pools and swamp
places where water stands ana in when
the wigSletails appear are covered
with cheap crude oil. which kills out
the spawn at slight expense. This
work is supplemented by drama go
wherever that Is possible. The canal
zone In which the United states gov
eminent works Is divided into dis
trlcts. through each OF which n negro
goes every two days, carrying with
him, strapped on his back. can of
crude oil. The oil Is sprInkled on still
and brackish water. and the mosqni-
toes are killed-axterminated Flies
are eNtcrminated, he said. by simple
cleanliness. Regulations require that
all houses within the zone shall be
kept clean All are supplied with
garbage cans with tight covers. and
they are removed early every morning.
Neglect In this respect is punishable
by small fine. the salutary effect of
which is soon felt.
Could DO As Much Here.
III the people here" said Lieutenant
Anderson. would work together IN
an area. say OF nine blocks. tlies would
soon be exterminated. They might sur
round this area. but they would not
come inside Flies travel only about
400 feet from their breeding place, and
the travel distance for mosquitoes Is
about the same: so you can see how
easily Richmond could rid herself OF
these d!sease-carrying Insects
There Is very little malaria In the
canal zone" he said. land when a man
Is affected he is taken Immediately to
hospital and placed IN g net covered
bed. so that the mosquitoes won't con-
tract the disease. Mosquitoes eaten
the disease from patients and spread
II everywhere they go. Every town
has free dispensary. and. II occasion
arise. the patient is taken to a hospi-
tai. But the basic principle lies in
keeping everything clean, in drainage
and in careful attention to the sewage.
As result Of the work of the United
States government, the greatest plague
SPOT on earth has been changed into n
region healthier than the Atlantic sea-
board"
Canal Work Progressing.
Lieutenant Anderson said that towns,
varying In the number Of inhabitants
from 500 to more than 1000. are To-
Gated every five miles along the strip
of land. The government furnishes
homen 70 its employees. a room for two
men for bachelors. and an apartment
containing four rooms for married
couples. Settlements for Americans.
foreigners ana the Jamaica negroes
who DO the manual labcr arc separate
and distinct All the foremen. he said.
arc Americans. and no matter what
mn American does. he always has a
squad OF Jamaican negroes under him.
lie said that the work is progressing
much faster than 1t had been planned.
and that st would be completed within
three years. nearly three quarters OF
the work now being completed. The
concrete work Is about half finished,
and the locks will he finished within
two years time
I'm case Of emergency said Lieu
tenant Anderson. the gigantic under
taking could be completed by July.
1919"
lie smoke OF the fine spirit and en-
thnsiasm displayed by the officials and
workinsmcn, and said that all could
derive a lesson from seeing what is
being done ana how the work is being
pushed