Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-15
CONTINUED FROM JULY il.

qua -aIiine regulations were made to
keep out persons who might he brought
In diseased condition from other
ports. Vaccination of every person
who enters the canal zone Is compuI-
sorry unless good scar can be shown.
In 1907 shiplond of natives from
Martinique. imported to work on the
canal. refused TO land because they
thought vaccination was a. plan TO
brand them so they could never re-
turn to their home. They were forced
out al the point of the bayanet and
yaccinated. r..
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. 1907. 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 II ear
that was featured by the wholesale
departure OF employees. The news
papers gave the epidemic wide and
ofteutimes erroneous publicity. with
the consequence that the government
had to pay for the fear Of the isthmus
thus created in greatly Increased sal
aries and gratuitieS to secure Ameri
can employees. o.. T.. ...-... :.
By October. 1906 Colonel GOrgaS had
mastered the epidemic. and, although
Isolated cases have occurred since vel
low fever was permanently baniShed
rs the hugbear Of Panama. From
July l.. 1904 to Nov. /. 1903. forty
four employees succumbed to tlIis dis
ease While the epidemic ragged from
April to September, 1905. there were
thirty-seven deaths among employees,
mainly among Americans. with whom
the epidemic started
There was siege with smallpox
and the plague. but they, too. were
eradicated in so far as epidemics are
concerned and malaria. pneumonia
and tuberculosis remain as the most
frequent attributed causes of death.
QuinIne has been bought by the ton
for the canal zone dispenslries and
hospitals. In 1903 each employee av-
eraged about an ounce Of quinine and
was advised to take three grains daily.
The French had left hospital build
ings IN Colon and on the side Of Ancon
hill. just outside of Panama. The
Americans renovated these and added
to them until the present vast facilities
came into form, They sometimes have
more than 100 patients. A large asy-
lum for the insane also Is maintained.
Hospital ears are attached TO the pas
selIger trims TO bring In patients to
the Ancon and Colon hospitals each
day. In every town or settlement
there Is dispensary with physician
in charge and sanitary officer 10 In
spect conditions of living. There are
about twentyfour employees out Of
every 1000 constantly sick.
For the canal zone. Panama and
Colon, in 1905 the death rate was 1921
per 1000. In 1911 1t was 81 .46. or cut
down more than one-half. In 1906 the
death rate among the Americans from
disease was &c. and in 1911 it was
2S2. In 1908 and 1910 there were more
Americans killed in accidents or died
from violence than died from disease.
1t necessarily follows from an engi.
neering task of this magnitude. where
vast quantities of explosives are han
died. where there is a considerable
railroad mileage and other hazardous
features Of construction. that the death
rate from accidents would be large.
Every month since the American oc-
cupation began in May. 1904. there has
been an average of ten employees Kill
ed or have died from external causes
The total 10 II,,y 1. 1919. was Do and
by the time t:1e canal is completed.
barring unusual catastrophes. the
deaths from this cause will be around
LOO. Under the head of violence are
included deaths by drowning. suicide.
dynamite explosions, railroad accidents.
poisonings. homicides. electric shocks,
burns. lightning and accidental tralI
matism of various kinds.
Dynamite Explosion In Culebra.
Scores of deaths have resulted from
the practice of the native employees
in using the railroad tracks as public
highways. There have been bad col
llsions and wrecks with fatalities. and
dynamite has claimed about one-tenth
of the victims Of external violence. In
Jan 10. 1900. at Paraiso, two killed,
ten injured.
July %, 1909. on Panama railroad.
four killed. nine injured. IA
Aug. 80, 1910. at Ancon quarry, four
killed f In
July 10, 1911. at Ancon quarry, four
killed. two injured.
Forty deaths from dynamite explo.
sions are noted for the year 1908. the
largest number for any one year OF
canal construction. and this does not
take into account several Individual
fatalities (sbiaf Lnn,,,o,. a, o,4hoI. a.