In 1869 a French company had begun building a canal at Panama. They met great difficulties. The expense was so heavy and the waste of money so great that little progress was made before the company failed. In 1903 the United States bought the rights of the French company and obtained a strip of land ten miles wide from the new Republic of Panama. Work was then begun by our government where the French had left off.
George Washington Goethals, 1858
Studies engineering at West Point
Serves in the Spanish-American War
197. George Washington Goethals. During the progress of the work there were several changes in the position of chief engineer in charge of building the canal. In 1907 this work was given to George Washington Goethals, of the corps of army engineers. Colonel Goethals was born in Brooklyn, June 29, 1858. He was clearly a boy of unusual ability. At the age of fifteen he entered the College of the City of New York. At graduation he stood at the head of his class. He then took up the study of engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He advanced rapidly, and when twenty-four years of age was appointed first lieutenant of army engineers. After teaching at West Point for several years he was appointed captain of engineers. His ability caused him to be given charge of the Mussel Shoals Canal Construction on the Tennessee River. During the Spanish-American War he served with the volunteers as lieutenant-colonel and chief of engineers.
Goethals put in charge
In 1907 came the great opportunity of his life. He was given charge of building the Panama Canal. He faced a gigantic task. But the government of his country had entrusted it to him, and he determined to do it without losing more lives by fever than necessary.
Canal completed, 1914
The great work was finished at a comparatively low cost. Meanwhile Colonel Goethals had cleaned up the Canal Zone and made it a healthful place to live in.
The building of the Canal took about eight years' time, required the services of forty thousand men, and cost the United States four hundred million dollars.