New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-06
death COMES TO
COLONEL GAILLARD
Army Engineer Who Dug the
Great Culebra Cut a Victim
of OverWOrk.

Baltimore, Dec 5.-Lieutenant Colonel
David du Bose Gaillard. who directed the
engineering work in the Culebra Cut divi-
sion of the Panama Canal, died at Johns
Hopkins Hospital to-day.
Lieutenant Colonel Gaillard had been
patient in the hospital since August II
last, suffering from a growth in the head.
the result of seven years ar'iuous labor in
the tropical climate OF the Canal Zone
He failed gradually but steadily, and for
the last two months had been in state
OF coma due TO the pressure Of the cranial
growth upon the brain cells The physi-
clans decided some time ago that an
operation was useless and might hasten
his death
He leaves a wife and a son. Lieutenant
David p. Gallard. Both were at the bed
side when the end came.
A bill was introduced in Congress last
month promoting Lieutenant Colonel
Gaillard to the rank of colonel I'm recog-
milton OF his services which eliminated
in the great engineering feat H. the Guile
bra cut. When the cut was flooded by the
blasting Of Gamboa dixie on october 10
last the Lieutenant Colonel Gaillard was
|
unconscious in the hospital here.
Final arrangements for, the funeral
have not been made, but the burial will
be in the National Cemetry at Arlington
on Monday afternoon
Lieutenant Colonel David du Bose Gail.
/ lard was invaded home from the Canal
Zone soon after he mad completed the
! digging of the Cuebra cut. He held the
place OF chief OF the central division OF
canal construction and was on the 18th
mus most of the seven years after the
Roosevelt administration put the work OF
the Panama Canal In the hands Of the
army.
Culebra cut was dug 20 the bottom but
| new problems presented themselves. At
Cucuracha and vicinity there we're slides
| that for months tried the temper OF the
men at work on the big excavation. The
main trouble was at cucuracha and
| Lieutenant Colonel Gaillard was contend
| ing with the slides there when he was
compelled to seek rest He had completed
all of the dry digging when he left the
Zone last August and there remained
work only for the dredges after the water
had been turned into the canal.
For the greater part Of the time that he
was digging at Culebra Lieutenant Colo
mel Gailard was without the assistance OF
man sufficiently competent to look after
the details and he had TO do ii all by
! himself Probably II was partly his own
| fault that he had no chief assistant, for
l ba MAKING
saving money for the government, and it
is said that his close attention 10 detail
actually caused a saving of more than
| SIS, 10000.
| The constant strain, the tropical climate
and the annoyances we're too much for
! him, but 1t was not until ne saw his work
all but completed that he reluctantly
came back to the United States. lie went
to the Johns Hopkins Hospital. at Balti-
more directly after landing here from the
steamship Zacapa on August II.
Lieutenant Colonel Gaillard was born
at Winnsboro, S c., September I. 1859,
and was a member OF one OF the oldest
French Hugenot families IN the South
| He was appointed a cadet at West Point
| in 1850 and was graduated in 1854. fifth
man in one of the most noted classes the
military academy has turned out He
was a classmate OF Lieutenant Colonel
! William l.. Siebert, who was assigned
with him 10 work on the Panama Canal
under Colonel Goethals in 1906
After graduation Gaillard and Slebert
were sent to Willets Point under Colonel
| Black. who is now at Governors Island,
and later they were under Colonel Black
on river improvement work in Florida
| In tie Spanish War Gaillard was colonel
of the Sd Volunteer Engineers. He was
APPOINTED TO the General staff In l9l3