Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-21
ANICETO G. MENOCAL DEAD
SURVEYOR OF CANAL ROUTES
VICTIM OF DISEASE.
Injury Received on Duty Five
Years Ago Held Responsible
for Fatal Illness.

Aniceto G. Menocal, civil engineer OF
the United States Navy. retired, and the
expert who made the initial surveys af-
firming the practcability of ship canal
from the Atlantic to the Pacific at Mica
raugua or Panama. died yesterday after
noon at his home No. 2o1 West S1st
street. New York of arterio-sclerosis, at
the age of seventy-two years. He had
been i'll since November, the disease grad
ually hardening the arteries of the body
and sapping his life.
Though he had wrought many engineer
ing accomplishments of great moment,
Mr. Menocal had been most widely known
as the pioneer protector of an isthmian
canal. The solving of this problem was
for many years the chief aim of his life.
Repeatedly he had journeyed over the
area between the two oceans. both in
Nicaragua and in Panama:
Born in Havana, Cuba.
Born in Havana. Cuba, September 1.
1886. this engineer who gave so much of
his life to the solution of this great inter-
oceanic problem, which now is progress
ing toward accomplishment was a de-
scendant of an old Spanish family. He
was educated in the schools of his native
city and in 1862 was graduated from
the Troy Polytechnic Institute, Troy, n.
Y. He Immediately assumed the post of
sub-chief of the Havana water works,
1860 he returned to this country and was
connected with the department Of pub
lie works of New York city.
When Congress, in March, 1872. made
its first appropriation to determine the
practicability of an interoceanic canal
across Nicaragua, Gen. George B. Nc
Clelian, who then was in charge of the
department of docks. upon the request of
the Navy Department, recommended Mr..
Menocal as chief engineer of the expedi-
ton to that country. AS result of his
report upon this mission, which included
final plans and cost estimates. President
Grant appointed commission of military
and civil engineers to visit the different
canal routes surveyed by him in Panama
and in Nicaragua. This commission re-
ported favorably upon the latter route in
July, 1874.
Became Civil Engineer, q. S. N.
After completing his work for the
United States in connection with the
canal Mr.. MenOcal was appointed civil
the relative rank of lieutenant COM
mander. and was retained on duty in
Washington. In 1879 he was appointed a
delegate to the international canal con-
gress at Paris by President. Hayes, in
company with Admiral Daniel Ammen
where he advocated the Nicaraguan route
in opposition to the Panama route as
proposed by the De Lesseps syndicate
AT the close of that congress he was
decorated by President Grevy of the
French republic with the cross of the
Legion of Honor. How the De Lesseps
syndicate finally carried the day and lost
$4OO.OOO.U0O, with little or no ACCOMPLISH
ment, is a matter Of history.
In 1881 he was appointed consulting
engineer of the bureau of yards and
docks of the Navy Department. Mr..
Menocal was member of the commits
sion designated to select the site for the
principal naval coaling station in the
Philippines. While engaged in the work
of selecting site for a coaling station
on the coast of Liberia in 1902 he was
caught between the gangway of the
cruiser San Francisco and a cutter while
leaving the former vessel when a high
sea was running, and sustained injuries
which are held to have been in part re-
sponsible for his fatal Illness Within the
last two years he had perfected an irriea.
ton system for the northern provinces of
Cuba.
Mr. Menocal is survived by three sons
-Adolfo, of the civil engineering corps
OF the navy, and now stationed at Pen
sacola, Fla; Edward. lawyer in New
York city, and Daniel A. manager OF
the international Banking Corporation of
Canton, China