Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-02-08
'slae Death Of the Pope.

change Tor the worse occurred &C 1onr o CLOCK
Yesterday morniug, when the death agony
commenced The Cardinals were assembled in
council 10 the next room, but all, together with
the dgBta.ies of the Papal Court. we're at his
bedside at the moment of death. Cardinal
iapctiauco administered the last saoraments.
All the Ambassadors accredited to the Vatl-
can called to make inquiries during tho morn
ing. King Eumbert also constantly sent Tor
i1i,rmatioD.
No one is now admitted to the Vatican tx-
ccpt the PontiGcal Chamberlains, who are
charged with The Office of guarding the corpse
Nlonsignor Simeoni, the Cardinal Secretary
of State, has ordered the Osservatore Romano,
the daily organ Of the Vatican, to suspend pub
LEGATION until to day.
Rome is perfectly tranquil The authorities
have taken all the measures they deem neces-
sary. The police and municipal guards pro-
vent approach to the Vatican. s
The Pope OF 8 o'clock on Wednesday night
felt sudden suffocation. He rallied several
times, but said to his physicians, Death wins
this time" He was alternately lucid and wan
dcring. His last moments we're lucid. lie
said, Guard the Church loved so we'll and
sacrealy" The immediate cause of death was
tho closing Of the wound 10 the leg. which
made the humors mount into the lungs and
brain. Cardinals Manning and Howard and
many others we're present at the death.
The ConcIavc has commenced. Cardinal 81
mconi has demanded troops. and the Govera-
ment has acceded to his request.
The Ambassadors accredited to the Vatican
went in body to view the corpse.
The Italian Government insures the inde,
pendenoc oil the Conclave, AID offers any ser.
vices that Cardinal Simeoni may demand.
Other accounts say the cause of death was the
mounting OF water to the heart. The Pope
swooned, aud was in exremis at clock, but
death cid not occur until somewhat after the
time announced in the first dispatch from Rome
yesterday.
A telegram from Rome says the aspect of the
city is quiet to Indifference, strangely contrast.
ing with its appearance on the death OF King
Victor Emmanuel month ago.
There seems to be a considerable conflict OF
of statements as to the actual hour OF the Pope>s
death. The London Times dispatch from
Rome states that at ) o'clock 10 the afternoon
IN official dispatch was sent to tho Chamber of
Deputies announcing that the Pope died at
2:30 p. IN. Up 10 sunset the hour OF death
was sill uncertain. The death was denied BY
Vatican partiaans, although they agreed that
the Pope was dying or could not live through
The day.
The sacrament was exposed in ST. Petor's
but covered with white veil only. We are
told that the veil was to be removed after the
P,pn's death. The veil was not removed at 5
y. m, possibly from vain desire to conceal
the evcnt The barracks surrounding the Vati.
can are crowded with troops. This precautlon
=. M or ,aptf 20 q
| Of curiosity is perceptible among the people.
The Fanlua positively announces that the
| Pope died at 5:45 p. M, while Reuters telc'
gram says 4:57 p. u.
The london Daily News special, dated
Rome, Thursday night, says AT p. NJ.
| the Pope was in articulo morris. He appeared
! dead 10 all but his physicians, who could de-
| tcct feeble oscillation Of the hart ln all the
| churches the sacrament has bocn exposed.
This exposure of the sacrament and Cardl-
| nal Simenui's order to suspend the publication
| OF the O;ser7atore Romano With the official
account OF the death, seem to place the matter
| beyond doubt.
1t is safe to say that Germanys policy to.
| wards the Conclave will be one OF absolute non
| interference, if not OF indifference.
A report is 10 circulation that Cardinal Di
Piclro has been elected Pope by aocamation,
but it is not believed. The Cardinal is young
and highly thought Of, liberal and conciliaIing,
but unlikely to have many votes.
The successor to Pope Plus TX. will be elect
c,l BY the College of Cardinals. Previous to
| the claciion Tic Cardinals are shut up 10 what
is called "the coDclave." all communication
with the outer world bciog interrupted until
the election shall have been made. A two
thirds vote of the Cardinals present is necessary
to elect. The great Catholic powers. France,
Austria and Spain, were formerly understood
to have he privilege through their Cardinals.
Of placing q vote upon the election OF one can.
Gidate, but this right was of a very vague and
underlined nature, and had 10 formal founda-
ton in law. 1t is required by long usage as o
condition OF election that the candidate be an
Italian, and that he be of mature age. 1t is
known that an effort will be made to abolish
the rule which excludes all but Italians from
the paTa chair There il no doubt that the
conc!avG ior the election OF the new Pope will
be held in Rome.
Soon after the occupation Of Rome by the
Italian troops 10 1870, the Pope called together
the twenty one Cardinals who happened TO be
in Rome, and laid before them two questions
fer discussion.
The first was Should he and all dependent
votes we're given in support Of his own and
Cardinal An:onclli's opinion, which was that
all should remain where they were. The second
question was, "Whethcr the oonclave," which,
owing to the Popc's inGrmities and chiefly to
The frequency of his epileptic fits, was even
then looked upon as an imminent contingency,
should be held in Rome;" and on this point,
also, only three voted for departure from the
nciuhborhOod of the tomb Of the Apostles. 1t
was al that time deemed expedient that
the Pope should prepare the bull re
lating to tho election of his successor
This prescribed that the coucave should
be held at tho Vatican, excluding many
formaitics, but Insisting on the usual interval
Of ten days after tho Pope's decease to allow
leisure for tho arrival Of absent members of the
College; it prescribed that the notary who drew
up the certificates of death should convey the
intelligence to tho municipal authorities; that
the great bell of the Capitol should be toled &C.
cording to the custom, and that the Pope's ma.
jordomo should extra officially communicate the
sano information to the Project of Eomo while
ho rdinu1 Vjoor choul1 iaena ordnra tn. all