The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1912-03-14
PANAMA CANAL AND LIFE IN
ISTHMUS ABLY PORTRAYED
oraphlc but Unvarnshed Description of Our Great Ma
dona Project is one of the Very Best Written
and Worthy of Perusal.

py places, and clearing up dis
ease-ridden pest hole and MAX
ing IL fit place to live and
work in. The Americans were
confronted with the failure of
the French companies in their
undertaking to build canal and
the great loss of life in their
forces, and they realized that
success in this tremendous under
taking necessitated at the outset
making the canal zone a suitable
place for Americans to live in.
The mortality among the Ameri-
cans is less than in many Ameri-
can cities. Yellow fever has
been wiped out; only one case
has been reported in five years
and this was person who con-
tracted the disease in South Amer
lea. However, it is only through
a ceaseless battle with the mos
quito and unsanitary conditions
that such good health cnoditions
prevail. Vegetation is kept cut
close for certain width along the
canal and good drainage of all
water is maintained. If this9is
impossible, oil is sprinkled over
the surface Of standing water
and all for the purpose of pre-
venting breeding places for the
skeeters. " All buildings are
made mosquito proof by the use
of screening, but it has become
rather a rare sight to see a mos
quito at all.
Along the line of the canal are
dozen or more towns, most of
which retain the old Spanish
names, but are mostly inhabited
now by Americans. The work
along the entire length of the
canal lis being carried on stimuli
taneously and the procedure of
construction is being carried out
so that the various phases of
the work will near completion at
the same time.
$4,000 Workmen Employed.
About 1900 Americans are en-
ployed on the canal and over
250O0 laborers. OF the latter,
about 10000 are negroes from the
West Indies and the remaining
5000 are Europeans, mostly Span
lards with sprinkling of Ital-
ians. The West Indians are paid
10 cents per hour with the ex-
ception of few more skilled
workmen who receive 16 cents
an hour The Spaniards are
greatly superior and receive 20
cents per hour.
All supplies such as feed, cloth
ing, ice, etc, are furnished
through the subsistence depart
ment, which is divided into two
departments, viz: commissary and
hotel. As nearly all supplies
have to be transported from the
U. S. it is necessary to have
large cold storage plants and
bakeries, and these are located
at Cristobal on the Atlantic
bordering Colon. There are 90
commissaries or stores located in
the different towns and all trad
ing is done through the use of
the commissaries and hotels. One
ticket, representing 80 cents, is
charged per meal and these are
accepted at any of the commits
sion hotels. Deductions from the
employe s salary are made to COW
er the coupons issued. Each
morning a supply train Of about
l6 ears C of which are refrig-
orator cars leaves Cristobal to
distribute foodstuffs, ice and laun
dry to the commissaries and ho-
tells along the line.
Since 1907, the work has been
under the direct supervision of
the Secretary Of War and is be-
ing executed by the Isthmian
Canal Commission which is com
posed chiefly of members of
corps of engineers, United States
Army. Col. George w. Goethals
lis chairman and chief engineer
of the commission. The work is
divided into departments, as fol
lows:
Construction and Engineering.
Subsistence.
Quartermasters
Civil Administration.
Law.
Sanitation.