The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-12-26
GAVE UP LIFE
TO GREAT WORK
Regret Felt In Oahu Over Death
OF Army Officer Who Con-
quered Culcbra Cut.

anything but cncouras ing for the past
three months, the ncws of his recent
Heath was distinct shock to that oil
Ger IS many friends in the military col.
ony of Oahu. In many cases his death
is Il personal loss but throughout thb
army there has been felt a great pride
IN his colossal achievement in conquer
ing the Culcbra Cut in Panama and
there is a feeling of deep regret that he
could not have lived to see the ,ohpic-
ton OF his work. While there is wide
spread appreciation throughout the
country for the immense work which
the army BIAS accomplished in construct
ing the Canal it is as nothing when
compared to the feeling of enthusiasm
which the entire service feels Tor the
three master.mipds of the Panama Ca
nal who have ADDED SO much ustcr 20
the United States Army. 1t amounts
almost to distinction to have been
4 classmate at the Military Academy
with these men or even to have known
any of them ut some time. The mod
,st, unassumipg and efficient manner in
which these officers have completed
thtlI EiGdl thSh Is Nuhth Tvs IL uldlltI
of course and rs quite in the spirit
of the service which can find no task
too big for accomplishment.
Results Were Just In Sight.
The death of Lieutenant Colonel Gail
lard came at q time when he was just
beginning to see results in his tremen-
| lous work. Culebra Cut has been the
most stupcpdous task of the gigantic
undertaking at Panama and to Colonel
| GaiIlard must go chief credit for ear
rying through this huge labor.
He was invaded to the States last
| July, suffering from a nervous break
| down, and was critically i'll ut Boston,
and at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, ever
since his arrival last summer.
1T was in 1897, that Colonel Gaillard
then a major on the general staff of the
Army, was detailed to the Canal as
assistant to Colonel Goethals. When
he reached the Canal Zone and looked
over the scene of his coming labors, he
was given the chief charge of the Gu
Zebra Division. He found that the
French had completed thirty per cent
\ of the digging at Culebra necessary fol
a canal 200 feet in width.
| his 11tlI LUZ Iut tu1lHttl
seventy per cent of the labor necessary
for a 200-foot channel and all the ad
ditional work required for the 300-foot
| channel, which the American plans in
GUIDED Tho Culebra Cut runs through
the backbone of the American cont
nent. 1t is eight miles long, and it was
the only place on the Isthmus which
presented continual problem of DIR,
4 iigging. The work up to last October
was entirely steam shovel work.
Colonel Gaillard dug the Culcbra Gu
tto the bottom but at Cururacha anC
IN its immediate vicinity, the earth ant
the rocks of the mountains, finding ;
portion of their foundation removed
began to move towards and into the eX
cavation, seeking for a new foothold
The army engineer dug indomitably
hill after hill found its angle of repose
and the landslide stopped, save at Curu
eacha and at points close TO it, wher,
the sliding was persistent. Colone
Gaillard was fighting his last and Wis
IDLY weakened enemy when he was com
PEELED to seek rest.
The entire work of dry digging il
the Culebra cut had been completed
however, and the little that RENAME,
to be done has been accomplished OF
his plans. When he started his 18th
niian work, Colonel Gaillard knew tina
he must overcome landslides whicl
were certain to start, when the noun
tains through which he was making hi
way, showed that their foothills wer,
becoming insecure lie had to make hi
way fighting.
Literally his work meant TO shack,
the feet of the great hills. He accom-
plished it,, and the engineers of tn,
world say that his work is for all time
Ii is said that in the early days of th
construction, he never. knew what tn,
morning was to bring forth. Over nigh
the mountains were likely to breal
loose and to cover with their deposi
the tracks in the cut. Steam shovel
we're often overturned and there wa
always danger in the rainy season tina
the slides would form dams. cut off tn
drainage of the cut and flood the en-
tire scene of their work.
Directed Every Detail.
For the greater part of his time o.
the Canal, Colonel Gaillard was with
out chief assistant whose dnty it wa
to look after details The efforts o
. | al Nht NnltiN VI ltiNlNibl was W NdN
money If possible. Colonel Gailar
gave his attention not only to tn
greater engineering problems whie
confronted him. but to all the detail
Of shovel work, train work and drain
age. lie checked ur on small thing
and il Is reported that the saving h
accomplished by his individual an
careful oversight amounted TO 1900
600. IL yyas the seven years of faith
full application to duty in the tropicl
years which were made dOubly hard b
the constant necessity Of solving mes
aud sometimes unexpected enginoein
problems, which finally proved "a
, murh for his strength and health.
Is believed here that he died a poe
, man. During the closing days OF lh
recent special session Of eOngress,
bill VIA introduced 10 give him III
rank Of colonel ia the army withou
irlny W that Ia case Of his death hi
widow wOnld have the pension While
. iha RdiitiOual grade w0uld rafIy, bl
y congress allowed Tho bin ~ be- shrlye
. aul be- died without the ln' rohse
i rank,
b l.irulrpaHi iol0nol Ialllhm vas
Y eonih fsToiHian VI French Hagen,
rkilprilaD, pnl ARH h0in Dn AFpirinh'