The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-04 00:00:00

TEE LATE SIR R. PEEL!

It is impossible to exaggerate the feelings of pro-
found emotion with which the mournful intelligence
of the death of Sir Robert Peel was received Yester-
day in every circle of the metropolis. At tirst a
feeling of incredulity was created by the startling in-
telligence ; but when this had been removed beyond
all doubt, the next very natural desire was for more
ample information than the suddenness of the occur-
rence had hitherto admitted of. In order to satisfy
this very natural anxiety, it will, perhaps, suffice if
we embody the leading incidents connected with the
calamity in the subjoined narrative, the materials for
Which have been gathered from sources of unques-
tionable authenticity :
Sir Robert Peel had called at Buckingham Palace
and entered his name in her Majesty's visiting bock
only a few minutes before the accident. Proceeding
up Constitution-hill, he had arrived nearly opposite
the wick gate leading into the Green park, when he
'net Miss Ellis, one of Lady Dover's daughters, on
horseback, attended by a groom. Sir liaihert had
scarcely changed salutes with this young lady when
his horse became slightly restiff, swerved towards
the rails of the Green Park, and threw Sir Robert
sideways on his left shoulder. Two gentle-
Men who were close to the spot ran forward end
raised him, holding him in a sitting posture. Dr.
&encart was the third gentleman to render assistance.
Re saw the accident from a distance of 150 yards,
and hastening forward reached the spot just as Sir
Robert had been raised by the other two gentlemen.
Sir Robert, on being raised, groaned very heavily,
and in repl to. Foucart's qtion, as to whether
~,he was muy hut,
ch replied, " uesYes—very much."
"tiling the few moments which elapsed before a car-
riage was procured Sir Robert became unconscious,
in which state he remained until after he had been
assisted into the carriage. He then slightly revived,
and, again in reply to Dr. Foucart, said, "I feel
better." The carriage was then ordered to drive
amwly through the park to Whitehall-gardens, Sir
Robert being supported by Dr. Foucart and the two
gentlemen who had first raised him from the ground.
They had not proceeded more than thirty yards when
Sir James Clarke met the carriage, and, having heard
Of the accident, came up to see if he could render any
assistance. Dr. Foucart requested Sir James to
accompany him in the carriage to Whitehall, which
Sir James consented to do. In a few minutes
after he had entered the carriage Sir Ro-
bert became much excited, and endeavoured to
raise himself up, which it was thought necessary to
prevent. He then again sank into a state of half-
unconsciousness, in which he remained until his ar-
rival in Whitehall-gardens. On being lifted out of
the carriage he revived, and walked, with assistance,
into the house. On entering the mansion, Sir Robert
was met by Lady Peel and the members of his family,
who had, been awaiting his arrival in painful anxiety
after having received intelligence of the accident.
Lad Lady Peel was overwhelmed with emotion, and would
e flung herself into her husband's arms had not
Sir James Clarke and the other gentlemen in attend-
ance removed her. The effect of the meeting upon
Sir Robert was extremely painful. He swooned in the
arras
, of Dr. Foucart, and was placed upon a sofa in
tne nearest apartment (the dining-room). From this
?nun Sir Robert was never removed, and so extremely
sensitive to pain did he speedily become that it was
only after very considerable difficulty that he could
he removed from the sofa to a patent hydraulic bed
Which had been procured for his use.
Sir James Clarke having consulted with Lady
;reel, it was arranged to send at once for Sir Ben-
JaWin Brodie and Mr. Caesar Hawkins. Dr. Seymour
and Mr. Hodgson, the family physician and surgeon,
were also sent for at the same time. Sir James
Clarke and Dr. Foucart remained in attendance until
Mr: Shaw (Sir Benjamin Brodie's assistant) came,
When the former left. At length Sir Benjamin ar-
rived, and a consultation took place between the six
gentlemen whose names are above given. A for-
wadable difficulty presented itself at the very outset
of the case, from the distressing fact that Sir Robert's
sufferings were so acute that he would not permit any
minute examination of his injuries to be made by the
medical men. The slightest touch in the vicinity of
me injured parts gave him intense agony, and the
°llly manner in which he could be treated under the
circumstances was to assume that the comminuted
tracture of the clavicle (which was evident to the eye,
on the clothes being removed) was the only one, and
that the ribs were uninjured. After the consultation
it was determined to reduce this fracture, but owing
,t 0 the extreme sensibility of the patient, the opera-
tion was not completely performed, and, at the expi-
ration of a few hours, the sufferer entreated that he
might be released from the bandages, and they were
accordingly taken off.
During Saturday evening Sir Robert was per-
itted to see Lady Peel and the members of his
family; but after this time it was thought advisable
to exclude all strangers from the apartment, for fear
of producing any additional excitement. Sir Robert
passed a restless night on Saturday, his extreme sen-
editY to touch increasing hourly, and his symptoms
altogether becoming very alarming, which at first,
We believe, some of the medical gentlemen in attend-
ance did not consider them to be. On Sunday even-
ing, the pulse having increased from between eighty
and ninety, at which it had ranged after the accident
,
t° upwards of 100, it was deemed necessary to take
l blood, with a view of reducing the inflammation.
Twentyah,, leeches were accordingly applied to the left
bla-aurr Dr. Foucart, and a large quantity of
was obtained. There was no positive improve-
m"ll the condition of the patient from this opera-
taao'h and he continued in a very precarious state
Alandgimut the whole of Sunday and Monday. On
inere2Anight the alarming symptoms were greatly
defer used' About seven o'clock Sir Robert became
In
thisa?s, and attempted to raise himself up in bed.
of thnsit4hte he continued during the greater part
exhaust t, and at intervals he became so much
several e" that his medical attendants were
survive times of opinion that he could not
of - through the night In the paroxsyms
oldest sufferings Sir Robert's thoughts were with his
and dearest friends, and the names of Hardinge
and G
o' cleearahare were frequently upon his lips. At four
on Tuesday morning Sir Robert fell into a
Sound
until !leer', in which he continued uninterruptedly
e'ght o'clock. On awaking, his mind Was quite
Theecomposed, and his medical attendants considered him
much refreshed by the rest he had enjoyed.
was still, however, cause for intense anxiety.
From(ne] the period of the accident up to this time
ar (nearly
70
hours) Sir Robert had taken no other
sustenance than a glass of champagne and the yolk of
one egg beaten(Fee up, which he was induced with some
difficulty to swallow, adminis-
tered, Medicine had been as
a matter of course, but throughout the same
lengthened period the system' had remained perfectly
Inactive. The pulse had greatly increased on Tues-
day, marking from 112 to 118, and becoming very
weak. At noon on Tuesday Sir Robert expressed him-
self to be a little easier. This relief, was, unhappily, of
short duration. At two o'clock far more dangerous
symptoms than any which had yet been observed pre-
sented_
r themselves. At this time Sir Robert began to
!?eathe stertorously, and his senses again failed him.
Re
ceased to answer any of the questions addressed
to him, and appeared to be sinking into a comatose
state. Sir Benjamin Brodie was again sent for, and
on his arrival agreed with Dr. Foucart and the other
_medical gentlemen that the case now assumed a most
dangerous aspect. The pulse had become very weak,
anda. marked 118. From two o'clock to six o'clock
the change for the worse was progressive, the pulse
Stimulants to
130, and becoming gradually weaker.
effect, and the stertorous
'administered, but had no apparent
more" painful. breathing became more and
all the relief
that al
relatives were now informed that
Lein and thattascience could afford was ex-
hausted,suleolitonhope whatever existed of Sir
Robert Peel's life
Bishop of Gibraltar ged for 24 hours. The
Robereev. Dr. Tomlinson), a
very old friend of Sir
of as now sent for to
administer the last offices
arrival of the prelate it was
y that the
intipleateedhurch. On the
and the members of the famil
might now,
to
.Lady Peel
without risk of increasing the dangerous
in nwhuiicohn
he
the patient, be admitted to the apartment et
was lying. In a few moments the whole family were
assembled in the presence of their beloved relative,
whose exhausted condition at this time scarcely'
enabled him to recognize their identity.
It is not the province of the journalist to violate
the sanctity of a scene like this, and therefore this
portion of our narrative necessarily omits all matters
of detail. It is sufficient to say that the lamented
sufferer revived sufficiently during one period of the
interview to identify the features of those beloved
ones surrounding his couch—towards whom he at
length extended his faltering band, and, in an atti-
tude bespeaking the intensity of his feelings, whis;
Pered in a scarcely audible voice—" God bless you !
,At the termination of this distressing scene Lord
-;lardinge and Sir James Graham, who had been in-
firmed of the fatal result anticipated, were admitted
Fi the presence of the patient, now rapidly sinking.
IJ?th gentlemen were painfully affected ; and well
'night Lord Hardinge remark, on leaving the room,
that the contemplation of his beloved friend upon his
dying
couch had more unnerved him than all the
dangers be had encounted on the plains of Moodkee
and Sobraon.
At 9 o'clock Sir Robert hal beco,ue so exhausted
as to be callous to al. extear al imprt ssiens. the
members of his family still remained near him, with
the exception of Lady Peel, whose painfully-excited
feelings rendered
it absolutely necessary to remove
her from theapartment. The sufferer's strength was,
however so casional farexhausted that, although he gave oc-
the indications of being sensible of their presence.
power of utterance had altogether ceased, and
proaching.
it saon became evident that his end was rapidly ap-
Sir Robert
ceased to exist at nine minutes after

eleven o'clock. Those present at his dace ,:e were,
his three brothers, the Dean of Worcester, Colonel
Peel, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Peel, three of his sons,
Mr. F. Peel, 1‘.1.P , Captain W. Peel, R.N., and Mr.
Arthur Peel ; his son-in-law, Lord Villiers; Lord
llardinge, Sir J. Graham, and the medical; gen-
tlemen in attendance. Sensibility to pain had ceased
some time before death, and his last moments were
not disturbed by any physical suffering.
After death on examination of the body was made,
when a most important fact was, for the first time,
discovered, viz , that the fifth rib on the left side was
fractured. This was the region where Sir Robert
complained of suffering the greatest pain, and it was
probably the seat of the mortal injury, the broken
rib pressing on the lung, and producing what is
technically knows as effusion and pulmonary en-
gorgement.
The family were consulted on the subject of a
post mortem examination, but both Mr. Frederick
Peel and Captain Peel objected to allow the remains
to be disturbel in any way, end the precise cause of
death will therefore never he ascertained. An appli-
cation for permissi,:n to take a cast of the face, from
an eminent sculptor, was also refused.
Lady Peel continued throughout Tuesday night in
a state of complete prostration, and yesterday morn-
ing her illness had so much increased that it was
found necessary to call in Sir Benjamin Brodie.
The Queen sent to inquire after her Ladyship at an
early hour. The Duchess of Gloucester and other
members of the Royal Family also sent to make in-
quiries, and his Royal Highness Prince George called
personally to ascertain the state of her Ladyship.
The Duke of Wellington called at one o'clock to
offer his condolements. The Duchess of Inverness,
the Russian Minister, and several other members of
the nobility called to inquire after Lady Peel during
the day.
Several of the principal mercantile establishments
in the City and at the west end manifested their high
respect for the lamented deceased, and their deep re-
gret at his premature demise, by closing their win-
dows—a proceeding almost universally adopted in the
neighbourhood of Whitehall. The flags of many,
vessels on the river, and also on many public build-
ings, were hoisted half-mast high, as a mark of respect
to the memory of the deceased.
The body was placed in a shell last evening, and
the funeral will, it is expected, take place in the
mausoleum of the family at Drayton, near Tamworth,
in the early part of the ensuing week.