The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-14
A VICTIM OF EXTREME HEAT.
Unexpected End of a Short Illness
Aggravated By q Chill.
The Man Who Led the Van OF Civiiixa-
tion to the West and OF the Ecpubii-
can Party Passes Awsy-Ris Long and
Stirring Career.

Holne OF MS auOpteC uaugnteT, the WIe OK
Colonel III. NJ. Parker. 40 West Twenty
fifth street, at $40 o'clock this afternoon
Death was due to inflammation OF ths bowels.
There were present at the bedside his son,
Lieutenant ]. c. Fremont, of the navy and
his physician, DIR. William ]. Norton.
His sickness was of comparatively brief
duration and dated, in its first stages. from
the excessive heat of last Tuesday. On the
following day. Wednesday. he experienced
some pain and on Thursday was
worse, but did not complain.e
Matters assumed a so much worse
turn on Friday that he sent for physi-.
clan, who advised the sick man to take 81
sail and get little fresh air. While he was;
out on the water he got bad chill. On
Friday night he sent for DIR. Morton again.
On the following morning Saturday. tho
disease developed enough to show its true
-peritonitas-but even then the
case was not considered dangerous, and q
dispatch to that effect was sent to Sea-
bright. The final dissolution was sudden.
General Fremont was ~ years and g
months old to q day at the time of his
death.
John Charles Fremont was born in Savannah.
Ca, January 2I, 1918. In 1888 he entered the
junior class at Charleston college. but was ex-
PEELED for irregular attendance. In 1885, after q
cruise OF two years on the United States sloop oe
war Natchez, where he was teacher of metho-
metics. he returned and received a degree from
the college that expelled him. In 1888 he was
appointed by President Van Buren, second lieu.s
tenant Of typographical engineers. In 1910 hs
met Jessie, daughter of Thomas Hh
Benton. then but Is years old. and.
the two were engaged Her parents forbade the
marriage, bat in 1871 they were married in.
secret. In 1S42 Fremont under instructions of
the war department., made an exploration of
the Rocky mountains, particularly South Pssss
In four months after leaving Washington hV
made an examination of the pass, explored the
Wind River mountains. aud ascended their.
highest point, since known as Fremonts Peak.
In 1Si3, with thirty nine men, he set out to ex,S
plOre the unknown region between the Rocky
mountains and the Pacific. His examination Oh.
the great salt lake basin corrected many erron-
eous ideas about the region, and his report upon
ii had much to do with the Mormon immi.
grafton to Utah. He explored the upper
tributaries of the Columbia, and descended that
river as far as Fort Vancouver, returning
through the rugged mountain chains to the
headwaters OF the Colorado. He was driven
into tbs great basin by the deep snow, and soon
found himself and party in the depsa OF wintev
In danger OF being cut of by cold and hunger
He ascertained by astronomical observation thdt
he was on the latitude of San Francisco bay
and determined to cross the unknown noun
tain range to California. He accomplished the
passage without guide in forty days, reaching
Suffers Fort on the Sacramento, with his
horses reduced from fity-seven to thirty-thrce
and his men reduced almost to skeletons He
returned By gap through the Sierra Neyadas
In 1S45. at the instance of General Scott he set
out on an expedition to explore the maritime re-
gion OF Oregon and California. lie again crossed
the s!erras in the dead of winter with q few
of the San Joaquin. he proceeded to Monterey,
then the capital of Californa, to obtain the pef-
mAssion OF the Mexican authorities to proceed
win his exploration. This was granted but
shortly afterward revoked, and Fremont os-
deied to leave the country, which was impossi.
bic, on account OF the exhaustion Of his meu
aud lack OF supplies. General Joe Castra, the
Mexican commander, prepared for an attack
on the Americans, only twenty-five In number.
Fremont fortified strong position on Hawks
peak, thirty miles from Monterey. On the
fourth day of the siege cessa.
ton of hostilities was proposed by
the Mexicana He pursued his explorations
of California and Oregon. he was ordered
back to California by the United States govern-
ment in 1916 TO pr3tect the American settlement
on the Sacramento, threatened with destruction
by the Mexicans, and TO prevent the transfer Of
the province to Great Britain. In less than d
month he freed California from Mexican an-
lean settlers July 4. 1876. III 1s47 after the
outbreak OF the Mexican war. he concluded
with the Mexicans articles OF capItuiation,
which terminated the war In California.
In 1913 he set out on fourth expedition across
the continent at his own expense, with the OBJ
ject of finding a practicable passage to Caiifor.
MIA by way OF the upper waters of the Rio
Grande With thirty-th1ee men he made his
way through the country of the Utes, Apaches
and Comanches, at war with the United States.
In crossing the sierras, in the snow. his guide
lost his way, and Fremonys party encountered
horrible suffering, portion OF them being
driven to cannibalism. One-third OF his men
and all of his animals perished. He retraced
his steps to sBnta Fe, bat gathered
another band together, and penetrated TO Sacrs-
mento. He then settled in California on his
Mariposa estate. In Is49 he was elected by the
legislature to the United States Senate. ne
drew the short term, expiring in ISL Al he
belonged TO the anti-slavery party he was not
reelected. In 1850 he received gold medal for
his discoveries from the king of Prussia when
Congress made appropriation for the survey ok
the routes from the Mississippi to the Pacific, he
fitted out another expedition on his own ac-
count, aad found passes through the noun
thirty.eieht and thirty-nine degrees
He was nominated for the presidency in tho
first National Republican convention In Philes
delphia in 1856. In his letter OF acceptance he
expressed himself strongly against the extegs
sion of slavery. in 1858 Fremont went to Cah-
fornia, where he resided until he went 70
Europe in 1860. He purchased arms foR the
United States government In Europe. Nc was
made a major-genersl and assigned 20 tbS
Western department soon after the outbreak ef
the civil war, making his headquarters at y.
Louis After the battle of wilson's Creek he
placed the city under martial law. On the siss
of August he Issued proclamation assuming
the government of the state and Announcing
that he would emancipatc the slaves OF those In
arms against the United States President Lif-
coin commended the proclamation In every
thing but the emancipation clause, whicn no
considered premature. In November, Is6is ne
was relieved Of his command. In lso2 he was
eiven command OF the mountain districtci Ten
nessee, Virginia and Kentucky On the ~tn
OF June, 1862, General Pope was given command
of the Army OF Virginia. and Fremont asked
to be relieved ON personal reasons
In 1853 a convention Of dissatisfied l.spuphcans
rendered him the nomination Tor tne presi-
dency which he accepted. A commit 60 OF Re
puhlicans aftexward asked him 70 Win raw,
which he did, to prevent the election OF
Democrat. Since 1864 Fremont has taken little
part in public affairs. He has been Interested
in great railroad enterprises. He procured i'om
the Texas legislature grant for the Memphis
and Il Psso railway. In 1853 the United States
save Fremont's road rignt-of-way through
f.o snrrftorfos Iu IH73 he Wae urQsrEsrtaf