The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-07-24

CfluCAG Puiil'
MT. McGREGoR, N. Y, July 23-At 8
| o'clock last night one of Gen. Grants ply
sician conceded with some caution that the
patient might survive until July 23d His
meaning was that the sick man might vet be
living when the hours should mark the new
day. The physicians words were borne out,
and more. The General passed into the first
hour of the day he saw it's light at sunrise,
and through the early morning hours he still
survived.
The advent of July 23d, however, marked
a change in his condition which was signi-
ticant. The GOODNESS at his extremities was
| increasing, and the use of hot applications
| to keep warm his limbs and vital parts was
resorted to. They were of some avail, but
artificial warmth was without power to
| reach the case or stay the results of the dis
solution which began Tuesday evening and
had been progressing steadily. Hypodermic
injections of brandy were frequently given
to stimulate the tagging physical powers,
but later these failed to affect the patient.
whose vitality was so far spent as to furnish
no footing for a rally Indeed the efforts of
the physicians were made chiefly because no
one could stand by inactive, and without the
trial of any expedient that might prolong his
life an hour or a minute.
| The physicians believed that he might
reach the extreme ebb of his strength at /
O'Clock this morning, and the approach of
that hour was anticipated with intense
anxiety at the cottage 1t passed however,
and the General, lying upon his back and
propped up by two pillows, rested upon cot
bed in the parlor He was yet living, but
growing weaker. The feeble pulse beats
seemed to be reduced by their own rapidity
to futtering throbs that could not be count
| ed or distinguished beneath the fingers of the
| physician. Repeatedly brandy was intro
duced beneath the skin of the Generals arm,
| but, despite its warming influence, his res
| pirations had quickened from "A to the min
ute during the evening to point of la
| bored breathing that was painful to the
| friends who were grouped around the bed of
| the sick man.
Two O'Clock had passed, and evidences of
nearing death were multiplying. Respira-
tions were not alone more rapid, but more
shallow. The lungs and heart were giving
| way. So weak had Gen. Grant grown at
| O'Clock that, though he made frequent at
tempts, he was unable to clear the gathering
mucous from his throat 1t accumulated and
| remained, and as 4 O'Clock drew on and day
| light came a point had been reached when
expectoration was impossible; and from
| O'Clock on there was in the Generals throat
the significant rattle of mucous that was
filling the lungs and clogging the throat
At O'Clock the General asked for water,
| and after that it is not remembered that he
uttered any word At 4 O'Clock his breathing
| quickened and reached fifty respirations to
| the minute An hour later his respirations
! had reached 60, and between and o'clock
| his finger nails had become blue, and his
hands gave further evidence of the progress
| OF numbness at his extremities. AT every
breath the mucous gathering in the throat
was growing noticeable.
| AT o'clock this morning all was still about
| the hotel and cottage, but on the veranda of
| the latter were seated the ladies of the fami-
| ly with sDrs. Douglass and Shrady, Dr..
| Newman paced up and down the paths before
and about the cottage, his manner of restless
ness betokening the anxiety he felt. The
sun had already risen warm and the day
seemed one of peace with few light bars of
| cloud lying level and warm tinted aloft.
| Down at the mountain depotan engine made
| the only noise on the still air with the steam
| that had been wasting all night while the en-
| gineer sat in his cab waiting to go to Sarato-
| ga for Undertaken Holmes who should care
| for the immediate details in connection with
| the Generals remains. Tht watchers of the
| press who have been among the trees near
| the cottage during the two nights past with
| drew to respectful distances as the broad
| daylight revealed their presence and suggest
| ed to the family on the cottage veranda the
| Clldllu blld1 plOilpuCu buClI NlSl-
| lance.
| The servants at the cottage, at o'clock,
| brought coffee to those upon the piazza, while
| all the time through the open door and win
| doWs the quick respirations of the General
were distinctly audible; but no other sound
| broke the stiffness of the morning save the
! songs of the birds on the pines and the
| birches and the measured throb of the wait
| ing engine at the mountain station. 1t was
dawn too beautiful to mark the last hour of
| any one who clung to life; but it was none
| too beautiful to signalize the freedom of the
brave spirit that having battled grandly at
the last, longed to be released. DR.. Douglass
stroled out from the cottage in the early
morning, but could give no suggestion of the
definite limit of the Generals life. His
brain, his heart and his lungs are alive and
that is all | can say of either or all, - re-
marked the doctor.
lass, Shrady and Sands stood on the cottage
veranda conversing concerning the condition
| of Gen. Grant. and discussing the probabili-
ties of his death and the limit of life left to
the sick man. Mrs.S Sartoris and Stenographer
Dawson were conyersing a little distance
| away, when Henry, the nurse, stepped hast
lily upon the piazza and spoke quietly to the
physicians. He told them that he thought
the General was very near death. The doc
tors hastily entered the room where the sick
man was lying, and approached his side.
Instantly, upon scanning the patients face,
DR.. Douglass ordered the family to be sum-
moncd to the bedside. Haste was made, and
Mrs. Grant, Mr.. Jesse Grant and wife. u. S.
Grant, Jr., his wife, and Mrs Colonel Grant
were quickly beside the doctors at the sick
mans cot. Mrs. SartoriS and Mr.. Dawson
followed the doctors from the piazza and the
entire family was present except Colonel
Fred Grant. A haSty summons was sent for
him, but he entered the sick room while the
messenger was searching for him. The
Colonel seated himself at the head of the
bed with his left arm resting upon the pillow
| aha In AfA
breathing rapidly and with slightly gasping
respirati0ns Mrs Grant was calm, and heI
intense agitation was bravely suppressed
She took her seat close by the bedside, lean.
ing slightly upon the cot, and gazed with
nearly blinded eyes into the Generals face
She found there, however, no token Of
recognition for the sick man was peacefully
and painlessly passing to another life. Mrs
Sartorls came behind her mother, and, lean
ing over her shoulder, witnessed the close OF
the life of the father whose pride she hao
been.
Directly behind Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Sar
toris, and at little distance removed, stooC
Drs: Douglass, Shrady and Sands spectators
OF the closing scenes which their efforts anC
counsel had deferred. On the opposite side
from his mother and directly before hel
stood Jesse Grant and U. S. Grant, Jr ant
near the corner of the cot on the same sldt
as Jesse and near to each was Mr.. n. E
Dawson, the General stenographer and con
hdentlal secretary. At the foot of the bed
and gazing directly down into the General
face, was Mrs. Colonel Grant, Mrs. U. S
Grant, Jr., and Mrs. Jesse Grant, whil
somewhat removed from the family circle
Henry, the nurse, and Harrison Tyrrell, TIN
GeneraIs body servant were watching th
death of their master. DR.. Newman had re
paired to the hotel to breakfast and was no
present. The Generals little grandchildren
y. ). Grant, Jr, and Nellie, were asleep il
the nursery room above stairs. Otherwis
the entire family and household were gath
cred Si at the bedside Of the dying man.
Inc members of the group had been sum
moned not moment sooner than was pru
: dent. The doctors noted, on entering tn
room, that already the purple tinge, which i