Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-19

All day long Yesterday the life Of James @.
Blaine hung trembling in the balance. There
we're times during the day when his death was
expected nj any moment. His critical condi-
ton made known last evening by an extra
edition OF The STAR. 1t was then realized that
the distinguished patient was /. near death,
though. as The STAR announced, the physi-
clans believed he would hive through the night,
but would not then venture statements giving
much hope beyond that The history Of the
day as sent ont last night to the press Of the
country by the United Press said
For more than an hour in the forenoon hope
was abandoned and the end was momentarily
expected by physicians. family and friends All
stimulation was thrown aside In the apparent
imminent presence OF DEATH and the suppressed
facts of his illness-the long-denied but now
admitted Bright's disease, the occasional inter-
walls OF delirium. the long hours when he has
lain incapable Of speech or motion las 1t is now
said was the case when Cardinal Gibbons paid
him his recently friendly CALI, these and other
distressing features of his Illness all incidental
to the one overpowering organic trouble
"Brights disease, aggravated as this has been
Of late BY cold contracted while imprudently
venturing out driving two weeks ago and by
malarialfever and confronted by constitution
impaired by nearly two years continuous sick
ness-all these facts are now tacitlv admitted
The physicians state that there have not been
is almost the only alarming suggestion which is
now denied.
THE FIRST CRISIS.
The first crisis was reached between 10 and IL
o'clock yesterday morning, when a sinking
spell set in from which the worst was feared.
His family was called around the be dside, and
his physicians sent messenger after messenger
TO the nearest drug store with prescriptions re-
quiring hasty attention.
The distinguished patient lay unconscious and
TO all appearances diving until shortlv before l
p m, when slight rally set in. His pulse,
which had almost ceased to beat, became again
perceptible. and partial consciousness
stored. At o'clock his physicians. Drs. W. W.
Johnston and Hyatt, considered him so much
improved to render their constant presence
at the bedside unnecessary. There had been
no marked improvement and no change in his
condition upon which hopes of ultimate re-
covery could be based, but the immediate crisis
had passed.
At 2.3O in the afternoon a United Press
porter saw James g. Blaine. IT.. at the family
residence. He said that his fathers attack in the
morning was verv bad and created the grayest
apprehension. His condition became so weak
that il feared that in view of his enfeebled
Con tiOn recurrence must involve the gravest
consequences.
Mrs Hale wife Of Senator Eugene Hale of
Maine. one of Mr.. Blaine's closest friends
was at the house for several hours during the
day and made "a second call late in the after
noon. About O'Clock she left and soon after
Senator Hale called. Mr.. Hale's statement as
he left the house 10 Mr.. Blaines condition
WIS that Mr. Blaine seemed little more COM
Portable than he had been earlier In the day,
but that his condition appeared to be critical
at NAV be. he said. THAT he will recover. but
those who have interest in him have reason
to be alarmed; in fact. his condition is alarming
IL is difficult 70 name the trouble. Ii is gen.
eral physical breaking up. When he takes
cold IL brings a consuming fever and he is
not in a condition to Withstand it. Besides
there are the ordinary complications. His
mind Is perfectly clear"
THE DOCTORS SUMMONED AGAIN.
The house was lighted up early and all the
lower shutters closed Drs. Hyatt and W. W.
Johnston, who were TO meet at the house for
consultation between Z and Z. were sent for
just before o'clock. DIR. Hyatt was the first
to arrive. He reached the house about five min
utes after 8 and was followed soon by DIR. John
ston. The fact that both DIR. Johnston and Dr.
Hyatt were summoned gave rise to rumor that
the patient was suffering from another attack
of exhaustion. This, however, proved to be
an error. and the statement suthoritatively
made at pm that nothing in the nature Of a
relapse had occurred
While the improvement in Mr.. Blaine's con-
dition but slight and not sufficient to af-
ford any great amount of encouragement to his
family ard friends. the reaction has seemed to
modify the feeling of apprehension for the i'm
mediate future. James G.. Blaine, jr.. and
Walter DamrOsch. the ex-Secretarys son-in-law,
walked down the avenue in the evening.
REPORTERS on THE WATCH.
All day representatives Of the press patrolled
Madison place and carefully watched the old
red mansion, which has become celebrated for
its historical associations and the fatality with
which misfortune has followed its occupants.
From the Sickles-Key tragedy, which occurred
more than third of century ago. followed by
the attempted assassination of Secretary
Seward during the last year OF the civil war,
down to the present time the pail OF i'll fate has
hung over the mansion. During the less than
four years occupancy of this house by the
Blaine family his daughter, the wife of Col
Coppinger: Walker Blaine and EmIhons Blaine
the Secretary's promising sons. have died.
A little after o'clock both doctors left. DR..
HYATT said that Mr.. Biaine's condition showed
slight improvement over the morning. They
did not consider il necessary to issue another
bulletin similar to the one Of last night.
DIR. HYATT said that he thought there was no
doubt that Mr.. Blaine would live through the
night At the same time he undoubtedly
critically i'll, and any complications that may
arise will doubtless cause a fatal termination to
his Illness
A little after $50 O'Clock Mr. James G.. Blaine.
IT,. came out and said TO the reporters: I'VE
think that father is considerably better than he
WAS this morning. He was dangerously i'll dur
ing the forenoon. During the afternoon, how
ever. he seems to have rallied somewhat. The
physicians have been here this evening and we
now think th.t he will live through the night
and we hope for the best Still. it must be said
that he is very dangerously ILL.,
These were the strongest statements that had
yet been made by the family OF the physicians
as b. the condition of the ex-Secretary.
President Harrison. accompanied by his pri-
vate secretary, Mr.. Elijah Halford. walked over
from the White House to the ex-Secretary's res
idence last evening TO personally inquire as to
his condition, and expressed relief and graft
fication at being informed that there had been
some abatement Of the more alarming symp-
toms.
THE FAMILY REALIZED HIS CONDITION
From an intimate friend Of the family, said
the United Press account, it is learned that it
was only when Mr. Blaine suddenly seized
with the sinking spell yesterday which threatened
for some minutes to terminate in heart failure
that his family fully realized how near he
to death. For a few seconds he seemed to be
\ in extremis and the watchers bent anxiously
over him. The emaciated face of the dying
statesman was white marble and his features
sadly drawn. At times he scarcely seemed to
breathe and at others gssped for breath. The
/ physicians. who had been hastily summoned.
were in the meantime not idle. They piled
him with stimulatiye cordials, the trained
/ faI xfrepn and