Evening star., 1928-01-21
Panama Canal Builder Sue.
cumbS After Attack Sew
eraI Months Ago.
BURIAL AT WEST POINT
PLANNED FOR ENGINEER
Completion of Famous Waterway
Project Capped Brilliant Career
of Noted Military Leader.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. January 2l.-Mai. Gen.
George w. Goethals. builder of the
Panama Canal. died at his apartment
today.
The announcement was made by a
son. who said his father had been i'll
for several months. Intermcnt will be
at West Point
His two sons and his wife were at his
bedside when death came.
I'll for Two Months.
The nature of his illness was not dis
closed. but those closely associated with
him in business said he has been seri-
ously Ill for two months and that hope
for his recovery had been abandoned
several weeks ago His illness did not
become generally known until today.
After his retirement from active serv-
ice with the Army he dropped out OF
the public eye to great extent, but
continued as consulting engineer with
Offices in New York. He was one OF
the principal advisers of the port Of
New York authority during the con-
struction Of the Holland vehicular tun-
mel. He also was an adviser of the
port authority in It's other projects, in
cluding bridges now being built between
proposed bridge across the Hudson and
to Fort Lee. N. j.
Achieved Great Feat.
Gen. Goethals will be recorded In
history as the man who accomplished
one o; the greatest feats of engineer
ing and construction since the Egypt
ians completed their mighty pyramids
the cutting of the Panama Canal.
While the American forces under
Goethals found on the Isthmus OF
Panama the remains OF many years
toll by several French companies who
had attempted to dig the canal. what
the latter accomplished was of little. Ii
any. aid TO those Who finally crowned
their efforts with almost undreamed Of
success II was the ingenuity, per-
sistence and brains of the Army engi-
neerS. the remarkable efficiency Of the
workers who labored under them. and
the unusual organizing ability DOS
sessed by Goethals that did In less
than o decade what the experts o!
other nations declared could never b.
done
Gen. Goeihals was appointed by
President Roosevelt in 1906 TO take over
the work of digging a canal across the
isthmus. Previously several civilian en-
gtneers and private construction COM
panies had undertaken the task at the
invitation OF the Government. but their
slow progress and apparent inability 10
surmount the countless problems con-
fronting them had heaped volumes OF
criticism upon the project, until for a
time II seemed destined 10 60 the way
OF former attempts. Goethals gathered
about him as aides the most efficient
body OF Army officers at the call OF the
Government. and proceeded TO Panama
with an organization almost wholly
military in its personnel.
Linked With Gorgas
No mention OF the Panama Canal and
the officers who made IL possible would
be complete without naming the late
Maj. Gen. William Crawford Gorgas.
chief sanitary officer OF the Canal Zone
the man who cleaned up" the isthmus.
protected the lives OF the workers and
made the digging OF the big ditch
practicable. His name will remain
indeIibly linked with that OF Goethals
After seven years of unremittine
labor, wherein he drove himself as hard
and as relentleSsly as he drove the
other lsthmian toiiers. and during
which he met and conquered almost
unbelievable obstacles OF nature and
science. Gen. Goethals reported 10 the
Congress Of the United States and TO
the world that his lifework was COM
pleted, and that the two American
continents at last were separated by n
navigable waterway.
The memorable success OF Gen
Goethals was built largely upon the
failure OF his predecessors. chief of
which we're three French companies
One OF these had turned the first spade
OF earth on the isthmus more than half
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