GOETHALS, GEORGE WASHINGTON American engineer and major-general of the U.S. army, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on June 29, 1858. He graduated from West Point military academy in 1880. From 188o-85 he served in the U.S. regular army as an engineer officer, and was at various periods an instructor at West Point. From 1891-95 he was in charge of Tennessee river improvements, the Muscle Shoals canal and the design and construction of the Colbert Shoals lock. He was assis tant to the chief of engineers, U.S. army and after serving for a few months as chief engineer of the First Army Corps received his honourable discharge from service in the U.S. volunteers in 1898. As a major (190o-03) he was in charge of the river and harbour works from Block island to Nantucket, and of the design and construction of Narragansett bay fortifications at New Bedford and at Newport, R.I. From 1903 to 1907 he served on the general staff of the U.S. army. In 1907 he was appointed by President Roosevelt a member of the Isthmian canal commission, at which time he became a lieutenant colonel, and afterwards became chairman and chief engineer. In 1909 he was promoted to the rank of colonel.
The work, hitherto in charge of civilian engineers, was re organized and directed by army engineers subject to the control of the president of the United States. Several changes of plan, such as widening the canal, were inaugurated. On Aug. 15, 1914, Goethals completed his task and the canal was declared open to world commerce (see PANAMA CANAL). Col. Goethals was ap pointed the first civil governor of the Canal Zone by President Wilson in 1914 and in the following year was made a major general. He resigned the governorship in 1916 and at his own request was placed on the retired list of the army. He was then appointed chairman of the board constituted to report on the Adamson eight-hour law. He served for a few months as general manager of the emergency fleet corporation, U.S. shipping board, but having little faith in the plan for a wooden fleet, resigned. He returned to private practice until Dec. 11, 1917, when he was recalled to active duty as acting quartermaster-general, U.S. army, becoming in 1918 chief of the division of purchase, storage and traffic. He was also a member of the war industries board. At his request he was relieved from active service in March 1919, and became engaged in the practice of consulting engineering (civil and electrical) in New York city.
After an illness of eight months, Maj.-Gen. Goethals died at his home in New York city, Jan. 21, 1928. (J. B. Br.)