Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-21
GEN. COCKTAILS DIES
FROM ILLNESS AT
HOME IN NEW YORK
Continued from First Page)

lttNNooANy Va hA6hAAS wiz NoAAAkiy q hN
place for white man TO live in. and
again because they could not find a
sca-level canal possible and were I'M
able 10 solve the problem of lock
system of sufficient magnitude to ham
die the huge ships which they knew
would be built in the future. Even the
famed De Lesseps, builder Of the Suez
Canal. abandoned the task and spent
the rest of his life brooding over his
failure to master the difficulties pre-
sented at Panama.
Stockholders Robbed.
The French companies who essaycd
to thwart the perils of Cape Horn and
the Straits of Magellan by digging a
canal across Panama were private as
sociations, the officers of which. for the
most part, did not understand the con-
ditions confronting them. They gar
nercd the contributions OF a million
stockholders: wasted the money in
hopeless engineering projects and riot
Gus living. and either died on the
isthmus OF fever brought on BY care
lessneSs and ignorance of sanitation, or
fed TO foreign lands to enjoy the huge
sums they we're able TO pilfer.
During all this time the United
States was not exactly at ease regard
ing Panama The prospect OF Euro
peans digging and subsequently con-
trolling a canal in the Western Heml-
sphere. at the very doorstep OF North
America. was not viewed with much
favor either in Official Washington or
by the pubic at large II was not until
1903. However, aiyer several costly sur
veys had been made. that Congress
appropriated the necessary funds and
permitted the wor.; 10 p-occ21 as a
United States Government yenture.
For the next three years virtually no
prcgress was made in actual conStruc-
ton, and while this vas blamed upon
the civilian engineers. 1t Is hardly
chargeable as a fault. for their WORK OF
PREPARATION in making the Canal Zone
habitable was largely responsible for
the success of those who followed.
Aside from the task o. eliminating
disease. Gen. Goethals was faced by
many other unique problems, any one
OF which was a StupendouS Work III IL
self. The farst OF these was the cutting
down 10 q much lower level OF several!
good sized mountains near the center
OF the isthmus in order 10 minimize the
elevation OF the canal ITSELF. Gold Hill
and Contractors Hill, through which
VIE &AiS0Aa wv "6S NAVY "a
were removed almost completely and
millions of tons OF earth and clay were
disposed OF III the operation Il vas
not until several years after the canal
was opened To traffic that the several
slides which developed at that point
were brought under permanent control.
The second mAh.iest feat Was the
damming cf the powerful and erratic
Chagres River with the Gatun Dam
This WAS designed not only to eliminate
much OF the excavation b. the forma-
ton OF Gatun Lake. but also To insure
plenty OF water for ships Of deep draft.
The lake as completed by Gen. Goe-
thals. Is SIS feet above sea level. covers
more than $50 square miles In the tn
ertor OF the is.hrus ana Is deep enough
for the largest ocean liners 10 pass
through.
Following close upon the heels % this
problem came the building Of huge
concrete locks with filling and cmp,y!ng
iystcmS. and great steel gates with open
ing and closing devices Many times the
plans were changed. and many Sleep
les nights the chief himself Spea, work
ne out the complicated calculations, hut
finally the job was done. and IL WAS no,
the least of those for which Gen. Goe-
thals in 1918 received the thanks W
Congress for distinguished service IN
the Panama Canal
Popular on fsthmus,
Despite the fact that OoethalS used
a heavy hand IN his aides and lahorerS
alike. and that they were pushed ana
driven TO the limit OF endurance. he was
one of the most popular men on the
isthmus when the time came for him
10 wind mp his affairs and sail for home
Gen. OoethalS was born in BROOKLYN
N " June 20 1889 His early eCitica-
ton was obtained there and also III the
City College of New York following
which he was appointed to the United
States Military Academy al West
Point. where he was graduated In 1880
AS a second lieutenant IN the Engl-
neer Corps From then OH his promo
ton was rapid until he received IN
1915 the rank ~ major general, In the
he had been honored with
the degree Of IL ID from Princeton
and also from the University OF Penn
Sylvania
A short time after his graduation,
Gen uocthalS Mas appointed instructor
OF astronomy and civl engineering a.
cinnal rs assistant IL the Army en-
eineet IN charge of ,mpruvins the Ohio
River for navigation, II Was there
that his first experience III canal lock
and dam construction WAS obtained
Throughout the Spanish American
War he served as chief " Corps OF En-
sIneers. and la.er Was placed III charge
NJ the Muscle Shoals canal conSsr,.e-
ton In the Tennessee River Tie alSr
built canal near Chattanooga and
another at COLDER, Shoals
After the Panama Canal Mas
opened In t9iA. Uen OocGhalS served
for two years rs governor cf the Canal
Ionr. then requested retirement tina,
he might withdraw Ia civilian life after
more than 30 wears NJ military duty,
During the Wor,d War. however. he
WAS recalled ~ active setNies With the
Army and Was given several important
missions. lie served tor q time as
general manager W the Emergency
Fleet Corporation, and In iaiT MAS ap"
pointed acting quartermaSter general
tie received the distinguished service
medal from Congress for respectfully
me ritorious and Conspicuous service III
recognising the auartermasterS de"
In 1919 no was again relieved VI
active duty. whereupan he organized
In New York tho utn Of NenEse W
tlocthaia & 90, engineers and c<ms
stIuetars. tie Mas decorated 10y the
French government With the ataer Ut
Legion Ut Aonat, tat his
service IN the Mar, and received various
medalA and decorations from scientific
societies tM his contributions IL en-
slneertng
Ito MAS consulting engineer tet the
Port vt New Work Authority augins the
construction ST the tlallana ,shieulAr
tunnel