The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-07-18
The Big Ditch About.
Compile Permanent
CitiesInC ourse ofErec-
ton Facts About the
Canal.
1HE Panama canal-the big for

oHE Panama Canal-the big for
ty-seven-mile ditch reaching
from the Caribbean Sea to the
Pacific ocean. is almost COM
\ plete. When finished 1t will cost the
United States Government 1875, 20o,-
600. OF this amount about $3.50, 000.-
i 900 was paid out for salaries and
wages.
me Americans began work on May
4 4th, 1904. with 746 employees. These
Il we're increased from time to time until
the number at the busiest period
reached 1861. Between five and six
thousand OF the workers were Amer
leans who filled such positions as engi-
neera, foremen. clerks and policemen.
f0f these the greater number came
from. Pennsylvania. New York was a
close second In furnishing employees
Tor the Canal and Ohio third. Men
from eighty-seven countries worked
on the ditch as laborers.
The average temperature of ths
Canal Zone. which comprises 44s
square miles, is So degrees. The yere-
talon is tropical and the rainfall
heavy, the annual average on the At
lanuc side being $50 inches, and on
the, Pacific 40 inches. These condi-i
tons coupled with excessive humidity
naturally brought illness to the north
erner. and during the early days many
OF the workers died from malaria. In
1905 there was a yellow fever epidemic
and thirty-seven employees were
among it's victims. When Colonel.
William g. Gorgas came to Panama to
clean up. the death rate was 1884 per
I. 1000. In 1914 in the same places it
was 21.1s.- cut down more. than one
\ half. This decrease in the death rate
was brought about by cleaning up the
cities; killing the mosquitoes and en-
Forcing rigid quarantine. Thirteen
hundred employees were required In
the sanitary department to carry out
the reform in. cleanliness, and it cost
the Government $16.500.O00 to make
the place a livable one for the white
man. The money was well spent. for
It's doubtful whether the canal could
nave been built at all IL the sanitary
squad had relaxed Its vigilance.
During the period extending over
ten years of American rule on the
Zone about six thousand employees
died, eleven hundred being killed by
accidents. such as dynamite explosions.
being run over by trains, hit by cranes,
etc
Each employee was given thirty.
,zdays' sick leave each year with pay
and free medical attention. Twenty
four out Of every thousand employees,
have been constantly on sick leave,
the most Of them IN the hospitals
which have a capacity Of about twelve
hundred patients. Six weeks vaca-
ton with pay was allowed to the.
American employees,
Canal Commission Abolished.
On April ffst Of this year the 18th
milan Canal Commission was abolished
and the permanent organization for.
the operation and maintenance Of the
canal was put into effect, with Colonel
George w Goethais as Governor.
Ever since the canal work was taken
( over by the Americans Canal Com.
mission has existed. From time to
: time changes were made by the re-
efement Of different members. There
Z was, however, little change made In
the policy Of that body after 1908.
when Colonel Goethals became its
chairman. The labors Of the Commits
sion were by no means easy, and many
times their plans were unjustly at
lacked by hostile press. Time and
4kAin muck rakers visited the canal
ana when they were unable to find the
highest trace Of graft they set about
70 cr1ticise certain plans of the canal.
For instance, the Gatun Dam was re-
ported as sinking. This Is one OF the
worlds greatest pieces of engineering,
and was set up to dam the chagres
River and form. Gatun Lake. the lar
rest artificial body OF water in the
world. The construction of this dam
alone cost thirteen and one half NIL
Hon dollars. It was commenced In
1906, and fniShed in 1914. For the
af5t two OF threa years the. plans Of
iHS dat, Hero essAiledi IN the mort