Oxford Democrat., 1913-10-07

The foregoing figures not only cover
those actually at work on the canal,
but as well include those who. while
not regularly employed. are the wards
Of the commission when Idle. From
1907 onward health has been normal
on the isthmus within the canal zone.
with q death rate among the Ameri-
cans frequently lower than in large
centers of population in the United
States.
President Roosevelt selected Colonel
william Crawford Gorgas to clean up
the isthmus because Of his record In
sanitary work In Cuba and elsewhere
Chief Engineer Wallace doubted his
capacity, and 30 did Secretary Of War
Taft, but by 1905 the latter was ready
10 acknowledge his mistake. Colonel
Gorgas Is a southern man, native OF
Alabama. and so naturally quiet and
reserved In demeanor and department
that men accustomed to measure
man by bluster and self assertiveness
make the mistake Of assuming that he
Is not strong. His manner and meth
DDS suggest General Robert e. Lee.
There were two prime needs, as Colo
mel Gorgas viewed the isthmus In 1904.
in any campaign for improved health
conditions. One was to make the 18TH
mus clean and the other was to kill
the mosquitoes, which he considered
means Of propagating disease. Prach-
cally everything done by the health de
partment had been along these maip
lines Of theory.
The United States prof1ted by the
mistakes of the French to the extent
Of reserving. IN the treaty with the
republic Of Panama. the exclusive right
to control the sanitation Of Panama
and Colon.
80 In 1904 the engineers Immediately
went to work on q sewer. waterworks
and street paving plan that would
make of these two Enthusiastically
filthy Central American cities. clean.
decent, sanitary places Of abode.
The native population dumped all
garbage and matter usually consigned
to sewers into the streets. These
streets were mudholes, which, with
the admi1ture of refuse. made condi-
tion inconceivably dirty and naturally
unhealthful. The Americans made
reservoir In the mountains dozen
miles away for the water supply OF
Panama, dug sewers and forced the
native houses to connect with them
and then paved the streets with brick.
A system of garbage collection was or,
ganized. and the city was cleared OF all
rubbish. Today the tourist sees some
evidence of slovenly living. but condi
lions generally are surprisingly smart
The second part Of the program-kill-
Ing the mosquitoes-was accomplished
principally by the use Of crude OIL
Every stagnant pool Of water and
most of the running streams-e1cept
rivers-were treated with oil, and the
rank grass and tropical growths were
kept cut by hundreds Of scythe men.
As further war measure all houses
were screened. the amount spent on
this item alone amounting to q sum
between $75o.0Oo and 100000
Having cleaned up within. rigid
quarantine regulations were made to
keep out persons who might be brought
in a diseased condition from other
ports. Vaccination Of every person
who enters the canal zone Is compul-
sorry unless good scar can be shown.
i In 1906 a shipload Of natives from
4 Martinique. imported to work on the
i canal. refused to land because they
thought vaccination was plan to
brand them so they could never re-
turn to their home. They were forced
cut at the point Of the bayonet and
vaccinated.
4 II was before these plans had been
matured that the first and only cpl
demic of yellow fever occurred In the
canal zone. In April. 1905. an en-
ployee In the administration building
In Panama became sick with the fever
and from then on to September the
canal zone was In the throes Of fear
that was featured by the wholesale
departure Of employees. The. news