Omaha daily bee., 1892-10-24
BOWED DOWN WITH SORROW
Sadness Pervades the Precincts of the
White House,
LINGERING IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW
Mrs. Harrison Rapidly Approaching the End
but Few Hours at the Most Can
the Patient Withstand tho
Ravngcs OF Her MaIady.

WAsuiNGroN, ID. c., Oct. 23.-iSpecial
Telegram to TnE BEE. --The long hours
OF weary watching are almost over; tho
lifctdc that has been ebbug out IN the
darkened chamber of tho executive man
sion is nearly gone The president stands
toni yht beside tho ucathbcd OF his WIFE
There has been no hope for weeks. There
has been only tho question of how LONG.
Hoping, in the face Of the inexorable tho
president has beloved from day to day that
this life would be spared to him for perhaps
year, month longer. But he meets the
blow as he has met others, with courage and
with the resignation born of Il Divine faith.
From day to day the patients strength has
gone from her. Twice within week 1t has
seemed as though tho last breath had come,
but the marvellous vitality of sturdy race
asserted itself and lifc came back to tho
almost lifeless form.
Today, at noon, the physician thought that
the end was almost hero, but, again, the sick
woman rallied and when he came again, at
O'Clock, there was a change that made him
believe that the end might still be postponed.
BUTT was only question OF hours, No one
has triei to conceal tho truth from the presi-
deut. The sick woman has known IL for a
long time, in fact those who have been with
her III those last days believe that she knew
1t before the rest, that the appreciation OF
her extremity came 20 her be fore they would
admit it even to themselves. Tho doctor
has told her that the END was coming From
day to day as the slow hours were measured
she has boon conscious that any
one of them might be her last. Vet she
has clung to life with u strength
which was little less than wonderful For
lp,,,
state of coma. She has hardly slept. Some
times she has lam in a drowsy stupor some
times she has Lain with eyes open, conscious,
but inert. She has spoken, but always in
answer to a question. She has lacked tho
power to recall herself from the half con-
seriousness in which she lies The president
las bent over and summoned her from her
lethargy with spoken word, she has boon
aoc TO answer HIN, but she has been little
disturbed
All through last night she was wakeful
and nervous. Through most of the night
the president sat by her sidc or in the little
dressing room adjoining the room in which
| she lies or In hlu own room, wakeful and
| whtchlul 1t was not until the eorlv hours
OF the morning that he gave place to Mrs.
Dimmick at her earnest reques. Then Mira.
| Dimmick and the professional nurse, Miss
Davis OF Brooklyn, kept up the vigil through
| the early morning hours. Morning camo,
ana with IL such signs OF weakness that tho
| doctor was hastily summoned. ile came
| at 30 O'Clock administered stimuants and
| brought vitality back to the unconscious form.
Haggard and weary from want of sleep, the
president called the members of his house,
| hold about him for the simple morning ser.
| wee. Then he went down to cat few mouth
| fuls OF breakfast and hurried back to the
| sick room. The members OF the family came
| and went in the sick room.
Only the members of tho family and tho
| immediate connections, the nurse and Mrs.
| Ncwcomer were in the house. No one left 1t
| except DR. Scott Mrs. Harrisons father.
| lie went to divine service ut II o'clock.
| When he returned another crisis had como
| and gone
! As the hour of midday approached, there
| were the signs of another collapse. DIR.
| Gardner came again at noon. He adminis-
| tered stimulants and as the signs of return.
| inc life manifested themselves slowly, ha
| told the president that the end seemed to be-
| but few hours away. But again tho patient
rallied ami returned TO semi sciousnesA
| and the president, at the urgent request Of
| those who were with him in the sick room,
went down stairs to the table He was not
gone more than five minutes; he did not leave
the sick roo II again until DR.. Gardner re-
turned Mt O'Clock. he doctor came again
| ut I. A little strength had returned. Much
more than ne hau expected and when he
| lett the executive mansion he said that the
end might not come for twenty-fo hours,
| but the Watchers at the bedside believe that
the end Will come before the dawn. In the
hours between 2 O'CLOCK and 3, when vitality
is ut its lowest ebb, they think that the
|
| ident will be in the sick room all night
Az 10 o'clock DIR. Gardner again visited the
white house and examined Mrs. HARRISON.
lie found her very low but with perhaps
vitality enough to carry her through the
period of greatest gangcr in the early morn
| ing ana no expressed the opinion that she
would live through the night.
| When the doctor had gone Mr. Halford
who had intended to remain at the white
house part Of the night went to his ho.el
and tho members OF the presidents family
prepared to retire, only the nurse, Mrs.
Dimmck, and the president were left IN the
SICK room.
"rhe possibilities of the case are many.n
said MIR. Mckec to your CORES pondent AT | l
| o'clock, "but tho probabilities are that Mrs.
Harrison Will live until morning"
\ Little Family History.
In view of the serious and probably fatal
turn to Mrs. Harrsou's illness. DIR. Gardner
| gave to your RESPONDENT tonigh, some in
terestng details concerning the events that
had led up TO the present condition of his
patient lie pointed out that the Scott fam
lily OF which Mrs. Harrison is n member has
aconsumptive vein running through It's other
wise sturdy stock. Most of the family
are robust OF physique and capa-
Sie n OF ,or s'aGd'ng g much n hardship
however, 10 the latent consumptlye charac.
tcristic of the family Mary Scott. a younger
sister OF Mrs. HARRISON died OF consumption
at tho old homestead at Oxford, o.. some
| tWeuty years hBo' 1apluln ffenry NJ. scott,
younger brother. died Of tho same disease
shortly after tho war while on his way TO the
Pacific coast for his health, Mrs Scott Lord,
: | another sister, died since President Harri,
: | sons administration began, tut her death
. ! was due TO other causes than consum Diicn.
| DR.. Gardner says that Mrs Harrison's i'll.
, | ness had its inception in an attack OF the
| grip IN the winter OF 1891, when a cough do
vcloped. This was followed by another at.
tack OF the same disease last winter, which
brought on pneumonia and finally resulted
, | IN tuberculosis. The first hemorrhage occur,
ring last May. At the time OF these several
! attacks they were regarded as local and TEN.
! porary and for this reason publicity was
, given to them. II was felt that Mrs. Harrl.
sons constitution could readily throw off the
disease. But the hacking cough continued
) to assert ITSELF and little by little the presi
dent and his HIfe began to appreciate tina,
~ was a life and death struggle against the
worst form OF consumption, and It~is more
: than probable that Mrs. Harrison fully real
lied us far back as last July, when she was
removed TO Loon Lake, that tho chances oi
> ! her recovery were extremely doubtful.
Al Is Mrs Harrison was resting nuietl "