The chronicle=news., 1914-09-26
The Big Ditch About
Completed Permanent
CitiesInC Course ofETsc-
ton . Facts About the
Canal. .s

>HE Panama Canal-tho tik Ior-
ty-seven- ditch reaching
from the Caribbean Sea to the
~ Pacific ocean, Ia almost conf
plete. When finished 1t will cost the
United States Government $375.20O.-
900. or this amount about $150.O0o.-
600 was paid out for salaries and
wages.
The Americans began work on May
eth, 1904. with 746 employees. These
were increased from time to time until
the number at the busiest period
reached 44.681. Between five and six
thousand of the workers were Amer.
leans who nllsd such positions as enGi-
'nssrs. foremen. clerks and policemen. n.
OF these the greater number came
from Pennsylvania. New York was \
close second In furnishing employe as
for the Canal and Ohio third. Men
from eighty-seven countries worked
on the ditch as laborers.
b. -!TAe average temperature of the
Canal Zone. which comprises 44s
SQUARE miles, 10 So degrees. The vege-
sAtion ID tropical and the rainfall
heavy. the annual average on the t
lantio side being 1870 inches. and on
the Pacific 70 inches. These condi-
fions coupled with excessive humidity
naturally brought illness to the nortn-
arner, and during the early days many
of the workers died from malaria. In
1905 there was u yellow fever epidemic
and thirty-seven employees were
among its victims. When Colone ell
William C. Gorgas came to Panama to
clean up, iske death rate was 49.e4 per
1000. In 1914 In the same places 1t
was 11.lg, 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 1t cost
hhe Government $1G,500,00O to make
the place a livabie one for the white
man. The money was well spent, foT
II u doubtful whether the canal could
nAve been built at all II the sanitary
squad had relaxed its vigilance.
T. During the period extending over
6pn years Of American rule on tho
Zone about six thousand employees
died, eleven hundred being killed hy
accidents, such as dynamite explosions ;.
ibsing run over by trains. hit by cranes.
etc. 4 ~ - Ess 81 (
Each employee was given thirty
,nnd free medical attention. Twenty
-four out of every thousand employees
have been, constantly on sick leave.
che most of them In the hospitals
which have capacity of about twelve
HUNDRED patients. Six weeks Vaca-
ition with pay was allowed to the
American employees. e.-
/, Canal Commission Abolished.
on April first Of this year the 18TH
,niAn Canal Commission was abolished
and the permanent organization for
the. operation and maintenance of the
canal was put into effect. with. Colonel
George w. 0oethals as Governor.
Ever since the canal work was taker
over by the Americans a Canal Com
mission has existed. From time te
thine changes were made by the re-
,drement of different members. There
was, however, little change made In
the policy Of that body after 1908
when Colonel Goethals became its
chairman. The labors CT the Comn1is.
sion were by no means easy. and man,
itfmes their plans were untustly at
Hacked by a hostile press. Time ant
again muck rakers visited the cann
.And when they were unable to find tht
slightest trace Of graft they set, abou
90 cr4ticise certain plans of the canal
FOR instance. the Gatun Dam was re
ported a. sinking. This Is one OF th'
worlds greatest pieces Of engineering
md was set up to dam the chaEre
River and form Gatun Lake. the lar
Gsst artifc,al body Of water in th'
world. The construction of this dan
alone colt thirteen and one half mil
ilioe doiiaEs. It was oommsnceo u
,1S6S, and finished in 1914: For tn
'Afss two or three years tns plans Q