Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-26
himself firmly in their minds and
hearts as thoroughly competent en-
gineer and just administrator.
CHAPTER TX.
The Canal Under Goethals.

educated to the point Wher6
the canal could be put exclusive
ly in the hands of the government en-
gineers. The personnel Of the third
commission he appointed on April 1.
1907. was as follows:
Lieutenant Colonel George W. Goe-
thals. chairman and chief engineer;
Major d. d. Gaillard. o. 8. A.; Major
William L. Sibert, q. s. A.; b. b.
Rousseau, U. S. N; Colonel W. @. Cor
gas, q. 8. A., medical corps; ]. G. 8.
Blackburn, Jackson Smith. Joseph
Bucklin Bishop. secretary.
The president also took advantage OF
the reorganization Of the commission
to further consolidate power in the
chairman. Not only was Colonel Goe-
thals made chairman Of the isthmian
canal commission and chief engineer
Of the Panama canal. but the execu-
tive power in the canal zone. formerly
exercised by the governor, was vested
in him, as well as the presidency OF
the Panama Railroad company. thus
making every official and employee
and the members of the commission
subordinate to him. -
Colonel Goethals appreciated the
feelings the employees had over the
prospect Of army engineers for direc-
tors Of the enterprise and In his hrst
speech In the canal zone dispelled the
idea Of militarism In the canal man.
agement. He promised fair hear
ing to every man with grievance,
the manner In which he carried out
this promise being one Of the distinc-
lively great qualities he later revealed
as an administrator. Few persons In
the canal zone had heard Of Colonel
Goethals before his appointment asl
chief engineer. Yet his previous ex-
perience had qualified him ideally for
the important work now in hand. bel
had been building locks and dams, had
been chief Of engineers In the Spanish
American war. was graduate OF and
had taught in West Point and had
seen other construction experience that
made him at home in any kind Of work
the canal should require.
Contrast for moment the situation
as faced by Colonel Goethals with that
faced by Mr.. Stevens in 1905. In 1907
Gre was under the boiler and steam
was up. When Mr.. Stevens relinquish-
ed the throttle the army Of workers
had begun to come close to the mil
Hon mark in monthly excavations II
the Culebra cut. There were sixty
three steam shovels at work on the ca
nal. The Panama railroad had been
double tracked throughout and the
mileage in the Culebra cut and else
where brought up to 106.7S miles; the
machine shops at Gorgona and Empire
were equipped for any kind Of repair
work or original construction.
There were approximately $4,000 en-
ployees, and the recruiting agencies In
Europe, the West Indies and the Unit |
ed States constantly were sending ad-
ditions. Quarters for employees, office
buildings and all other structures con-
sisted of 2,OO9 buildings Of American |
design and 1886 remodeled French
buildings. The commissary for supply |
ing food, clothing and general mer-
chandise to employees was organized
and had branches In seven canal zone |
towns. There were fifteen hotels In
operation for bachelor employees, and
four recreation clubhouses had been |
constructed, besides church and lodge
buildings. Twenty-four public schools |
afforded educational facilities to the |
canal zone children. The police sys-
TEN, the courts, postofices and fire de- |
partments were thoroughly organized.
In short, the preparatory stage OF the
canal had passed and the constructive
stage had begun.
Necessarily all the basic work ac- |
complished under Wallace and Stevens |
Is lost sight Of in view Of the magnih- |
cent superstructure erected under Colo
mel Goethals. The modern sightseer
has nothing to remind him Of the
wretched conditions Of the first two |
years, the battle with disease. the ar
duous labor Of creating in the jungle
duplicate American civilization. the |
tantalizing struggle with government |
red tape before a stick Of timber, a
pound Of iron, shipment Of food or |
an efficient workman could be secured. |
Colonel Goethals deserves the admi-
ration that his service on the canal has
evoked. but the generality Of writers.
looking at what exists today and heed
less Of the beginnings Of the task. lose
their perspective and commonly fall
into the error Of ignoring the very. re-
markable and wholly vital preparatory |
work under John F. Stevens.
President Roosevelt had selected In
Messrs. Gaillard. Sibert. Rousseau and,
later, Hodges engineers Of exceptional
ability, who, with s. B. Williamson.
picked by Colonel Goethals. demon
strated capacities which in a large
measure account for the splendid prog
ress of the Goethals administration.
1t would be erroneous to assume that
Colonel Goethals had nothing to do but
sit back and watch the signals on the
main line Of canal construction, as in
dicated by his predecessors. The decks,
indeed, had been cleared for action and
the blueprints nicely finished and tied
with ribbon. but the real struggle was
just beginning.
The first annual report of the COM
mission. to be written as Of June 80.
the end of the governments fiscal year.
was issued by Colonel Goethals in 1907.
three months after Mr.. Stevens resign |
ed. The president had asked Colonel |