New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-04
Cen. Corgas,
Army
Surgeon, Dies
Made Possible Building of
Panama Canal by Wiping
Out Yellow Fever; Also
Fought Disease in Cuba
Was Victim of Nephritis
Suffered Stroke on May 80.
After Trip to Continent;
Taken to London Hospital

taken to London Hospital
LoNDON, July 4.-Major General
William c. Gorgas, former surgeon pe en-.
eIaL OF the United States Army, died
early this morning at the Queen Alex
andra Military Hospital
General Gorgas had been in a critical
condltlon for the last three weeks.
although at intervals he showed inn
provement and quite recently it was
announced that he might be able to
return home. He went to London nre
paratory to a mission to West Africa
IN behalf of the British government to
investigate sanitary conditions, but
suffered stroke of apoplexy and was
sent to the hospital for treatment.
Several American officers have been
with General Gorgas during his illness.
including Brigader General Robert T.
Noble. assistant surgeon general Of
the United States Army, who is now
head of the mission.
,~Aerai torgas's death was very
PEACEFUL He was unconscious much Of
the time fer the last few DAYS. accord
ing to the hospital attendants. and
was not even able 20 recognize Mrs.
Gorgas or Brieadicr General Noble.
the only Ameicans present at the end.
Colonel Kennedy, medical consultant
inc on General Cor ", e''s ,s','' " at..
facility was atrordoI ~, +ln pr;+;ai
military aIthori+;as eor sne n1 i:i
attention.
It was stated bv cenaro1 Noh1o +,,o.
Brigbt's disease (nanbritisI r,as w. w.
immediate cause of death
-~e'''''
William Crawford Cor,as r,bosa
name will ever be insenarably associ-
ated with one of the most baroic nar
formances of the Jrnitod S+ates arr,,,
and one of the most snIandid acb w.
ments Of nineteenth century science.
I.t o. one OF me historic faml-
i'ea - .I'e Nouth. MS grandlatner was
o.iS ~ 'te early governors or Alabama,
a.tu ms iatler' General JOSIAH Gorgas,
WAS one OF the west Polnt-bred otf-
Neia vi me COhleCerate army his
noIier' AmeEa NGayle) Gorgas, was
J.''ease similar 10 Vhat Oh MS father.
4ot le waS porn at Moplle' Ala, on &C.
IGDei . loof. ana was educated at the
university or the south, where he re-
Ss.seu ms "A .. IA 1914. men ne came
lNoItn 10 'he bellevue hosplta Medical
Uoilege' now part OF New York Uni
NY, ana received MS VI. L. IN 1879.
belIeVue as an inferno he was on June
10, 1851. appointed a surgeon n the
n'teI states Army. He saw service
IN fioflda, IN the W est and on the
Mexican border, and some times it was
acrlye service IN the neld as we'll as
IN the hospital tent. He had risen to
'he RANK OF major IN 1898, when he was
sent with the expedition against San
tlago' and IN that brief campaign he
ana more fighting in the field. Thence
ne was sent to Havana, to be the chief
sanitary officer Of that city during the
American occupation.
Converted to Finlay's Theory
u :.
nobody was ever nore s,,,sod ,' o. a AZ
recollection than he-he was for a tine
in direct opposition TO DR. Carlos T
Finlay in his epochal discovery of the
secret OF yellow fever trarsrission
Major C,orgas laurLod - - soar. a,i
spent much time IN irving "a narsrada
DR.. Finlav 10 ahand5n i ua,ni1'.
Finlav vas yesoi,,+a. o,,d lo,,,,;I aPp'tS'
Leonard Wood denidea H., ~ 49,
was at least worth tboro',orh +or4
CamD Lazear was foTnded ard pood
Carroll Arro,,,o,,.a ard s,'.e' i'eeu'
tboir os,nei''+a. S.,.~ -! anu
r,c',f.1 ,o,l. 20 ~ ~" 'l'0i, IN
tha correc+1os 90
o,orinc. 80 ~ s. nc 'tegIy ana
C,h rs J'' - "ay i9i t'uHins havana
bean o r',0 - s'IJ "o,.u .. VIA nao long
Ges+ ~ ,,fno, v-.e '''0'' GU ana ue"u
~ % Pa ues'
-. ,'4rG gas was, OF course, con
yertea ne made MS handsome &C
N Nat t .eus menus 10 Dr, MAY ana then
%, ,.'.lSeii ~ "orh WIN sp4ehdld
ta.sli 80 '-i. en- us,asn 10 put INTO VIC
80 p "~'iGe INC IHeoIy "Hich ne
- go neu; before lha1 tlHe yeilo"
Y .: n'o CANNED hundreds and some
lines thousands OF victims yearly. In
oie 'Ihe'eeh years since not one single
case mas occurred III havana.
Redeeming the 1sthmus
Corpress in rococni+ion of b;, r,or,
in 1903 nv sDecial act m ado him colonai
and assistant SURGEON General r,,, and
then. two wears Later he vas sent ~
Panama. H. is commonplaca Of hiso
torv that yellow fever bad h.san enonab
to defeat the Lessons canal enternrise
# there had been nothinr eisn WIS.,
he went there there were m The avar-
noe 8 600 deaths vosr f~o,, III d.
ease Ia annliad - -roi,1o- ,,l';.l,
ha bad lea,,1ad fro,,, En,o,, "a ,,';.l,;,,
ti1.a T~sary h. bad rad,,caj ia ,eor+a1i+,
- ~ hoce,a o ~ ''so, 'S..luS
oa, l'-,.@ ~ H. $3.50
zoo. e'ia -1b 1!o4 H. 81 ca l.
anu "a Warob 100 ~, s0I5'
sar,-aG win Tar,,a-1 ,o1t ,rhor -,
w., rraaa s''r r'r, ''|, e,aoaro nf 49,,