MAJOR GENERAL GEORGE W. GOETHALS - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 11/26/1923 - HFSID 24180

GEORGE W. GOETHALS
George W. Goethals sends a typed letter asking for reservations to be made for him.
Typed Letter Signed: "Geo W. Goethals," 1p, 8½x11. New York, New York, 1923 November 26. To Mrs. Annie Clark, Vineyard Haven, Mass. The engineer writes, in full: "I am going down to Vineyard Haven on Friday, the 30th instant, with Tom and am writing to ask if you will make reservations for us on that date. If you have no accommodations available will you kindly notify me at 1180 Beacon Street, Brookline, Massachusetts." In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt had appointed George Washington Goethals (1858-1928) as Chief Engineer (1908-1914) and Chairman of the Panama Canal Commission. Goethals took complete charge of both in January 1908. The Panama Canal, which was made possible by a pact between the Republic of Panama and the U.S. in 1903, opened ocean travel between the Atlantic and Pacific (prior to its opening, ships had to travel around the southern tip of South America). Goethals, who carried the canal construction through its completion in 1914, was promoted to Major General in 1915, while serving as Governor of the Canal Zone (1914-1917). He was appointed Governor by President Woodrow Wilson; that position was appointed by the President of the U.S., while other officials of the Canal Zone were appointed by the President and Congress. Goethals, who had graduated from West Point in 1880, was a Second Lieutenant with the Corps of Engineers and taught civil and military engineering at West Point. He was construction supervisor of the Muscle Shoals Dam Project on the Tennessee River and served in the Spanish-American War (1898) as Chief of Engineers. Following duty in WWI, Goethals became chief consultant for the Port of New York Authority through his own engineering firm. A bridge connecting New York City with New Jersey is named in honor of the Brooklyn-born engineer. Vertical fold touches the "W" in signature, else fine.