Page:Famous Living Americans, with Portraits.djvu/239

 220 FAMOUS LIVING AMERICANS When the Spanish Wax broke out, Goethals thought his great opportunity had come, and he was ready for it; but unfortunately he was chosen as chief engineeer of the First Army Corps and was sent to Porto Rico — where nothing happened. While this was a great disappointment to him he returned to his former work with unabated energy. All the time, however, he was gaining practiced experience which was to fit him for the great task at Panama. In his various assignments he dug canals, built locks, constructed fortifications and bridges, handled men, did everything, in fact, that he was afterward called upon to do on a much larg- er scale at Panama. His most important works were the construction of dams, canals, and locks at Mussel Shoals in the Tennessee River, and the extensive fortification and har- bor work at Newport, Rhode Island. In 1903 he was called to Washington as a member of the general staff, one of the first engineer officers to be so appointed. Here he did what he had been doing all his life, inspired the strong and able men with whom he came in contact with a sense of confidence in him and confidence in his sound judgment, loyalty, ability. When it came to the point of choosing a man to send to Panama, **we all thought first of Goethals,^' General Mac- kenzie told me. For six years now he has been supreme at Panama, and to him more than any other man is due the success of the greatest engineering enterprise in history. Some other personal facts should also be known: Colonel Goethals was married in 1884 at New Bedford, Massachusetts, to Miss Rodman, a daughter of an old and prominent family of Quaker merchants. His older son was graduated recently from West Point near the head of his class and is a lieuten- ant of the engineers, serving under his father at Panama. His second son, now a student at Harvard, will be a doctor. Colonel Goethals 's success has been due to a few broad, solid, simple principles upon which he has founded his life. At the basis lies the quality of loyalty. ** There is no suc- cess,** he said to the students at West Point, ** without this quality. The man who is disloyal to his profession, to his J