The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1911-12-02
GZlzE VIII a. DfD E2GZlzZ LOCKS


Probably the country does not
know the inside history connected with the final
employment of army engineers to build the Pan
anna canal The engineer corps Of the army at
the outset thought that 1t should be given charge
of the canal work, but influential civilians brought
pressure to bear the administration on behalf
of engineers in civil life. 1t was said by certain
civilians of prominence that the army was not
accustomed to handling great business PROPOSE
tons and that army engineer ever had done
work of anything like the magnitude of the one
proposed. There were all sorts of attempts to
belittle the engineering work Of the army.
This sort of thing had its effect, although it is
probable that it was with considerable reluctance
that the administration disappointed the proper
ambition Of army engineers to be assigned to
the work of canal building. When three civilian
engineers, one after another, had given over the
work, President Roosevelt and Secretary of War
Taft concluded that the time had come to give
the army chance. In effect the president told
the secretary that army officer would desert
his post, even by the resignation route for dis
cipline and inculcated will to do his duty would
keep him at the digging until it finished, or
until failure had come. Moreover, it was known
that no army officer would flee in the face of
yellow fever in fear of death from any cause.
Colonel George w. Goethals of the West Point
class of 1880 selected by the secretary of war
to take up the work that the civilian engineers
had dropped. Colonel Goethals is still at it and
colonel chose at the outset as two chief assistants
Lieutenant Colonels David D. Gaiard and William
L. Sibert who graduated from the military acad
envy in the class of 1884 Since that time other
army officers have been detailed in addition to the
three who were first assigned, three who are still
working and who hope to be present when the
first ship pokes it's PROV into the completed canal
Colonel George w. Goethals is tall, slender
with firmly knit figure and snow white
hair. He has face remarkably youthful and
neither the climate, the hard work nor the anxi-
cites of the isthmian life have touched his vigor
He Is sort of court Of last resort in the isthmus
He travels from place to place certain days
and establishes headquarters for the hearing of
complaints. He brings hard. common sense to
bear on all kinds of matters from the settling Of
family row to controversies as to seniority in
rank of some Of the civilian superintendent. La
borers can go to him with complaints Of bad
food and be sure of hearing, and also be sure
that any kind of wrong will be righted. He is
a sort of shepherd of the flock father of a
family of $4,000 children.
Colonel Gaillard, who is the engineer in charge
of the central division Of the work, and Colonel
William l.. Sibert, engineer in charge Of the At.
lantic division, as has been said were classmates
at West Point. Gaillard's first name Is David
When he and Sibert entered the military academy
as "plebes" they took great liking to each other
They were chums and confidants all through their
cadet course. 6ibert IL big man, physically.
and the cadets nicknamed him Goliath. Gaillard