Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-10-24
WILL SOON BE OVER
The White House Sufferer Near.
ing Eternity's Morn.
DEATH LOWERING OVER HER COUCH

the Weary Watch of the Stricken Hus-
band May Ere Now Have Been Re-
placed by Mourning for the Loved and
Gone-A Change for the Worse Takes
Place and the Patient Does Not Rally
Origin of Her Illness and Its Rapid
and Deadly Progress.
WASHINGTON, Oct 24.-Another change
for the worse in Mrs Harrison's condition,
and a more serious one than any that has
yet occurred, set in yesterday morning
about 10 O'Clock AS the church bells be
gan to ring the watchers by the bedside be
came aware of the approach of one of those
sinking spells which have once or twice pre-
viously brought the patient to the verge of
dissolution. From this relapse there was
no rally, as on previous occasions. but the
decline of the vital force perceptibly though
gradually, continued throughout the day.
The president, who never left her bedside
all day, was joined in his sad watch by
other near members of the family. None
ventured outside the White House doors,
eiaher for church or any other purpose
The End Not Far Away,
The sufferer lay all the time on her right
cations that the end could not be far away;
motionless since the early morning, except
for slight nervous twitching, consequent
upon the extreme nervous prostration.
which in her case has been more pro-
nounced than is customary in tubercular
diseases. Meantime it was apparent to the
physicians that the cavity of the pleura was
again filling with water, which in time will
rxo h. - h. %l,r
operation such as they performed at Loon
Lake to relieve the watery pressure was
utterly out of the question because of the
enfeebled condition of the patient. All
that could be done to alleviate the suffer
ings of the invalid was done by the physi-
clans aud nurse, but that was very little.
Death MomentariIy Expected.
Worn out by a sleepless night, unable to
replenish her wasting strength by even the
limited amount of liquid nourishment-
one or two beaten eggs-which she had
heretofore been able to take, the patient
lay, barely conscious except at brief inter
walls through the long hours of the day.
In the evening DIR. Gardner, the attending
physician, said the end might occur at any
moment. The probability was that death
would come painlessly by the stoppage of the
hearts action, but paroXysm of coughing z
might precipitate the crisis at any moment.
Nothing but the wonderful vitality. which
Mrs Harrison shared with other members
of the Scott family-her father, o. years
old, is at her bedside-cOuld have enabled
her to survive so lohg as she has done.
Her Relatives All At Hand.
The presidents daughter, Mrs. Mckee,
her husband, and their two children; his
son Russell and his wife, the daughter of
ex-senator Saunders and their child: Mrs.
Dimmick. Mrs. Harrison's niece; Mrs. New
comber Mr.. Harrison's aunt, and DR. Scott,
Mrs Harrison's venerable father, all at
times were in the sick room in the course of
the day, except the children, who only in
part approaching the impending sorrow
amused themselves with their German
nurse in their spacious playrooms in the
basement. The inquiries during the day
were incessant, but no one, not even the
wife of Attorney General Miller, who is,
perhaps, Mrs. Harrison's most intimate
friend in Washington, was admitted to the
sick room.
Nothing to Encourage Hope.
DR.. Gardner again visited the White
house at 1918 p. m. He found no striking
changes in the patients condition from his
noon visit-nothing to encourage hope of
even a few days longer prolongation of
life, and yet nothing to indicate prospect
of immediate dissolution within a few
hours. The only nourishment that had
been administered during the day a
little peptonized beef. The system was too
weak to longer assimilate the eggs which
had heretofore been given. Some partial
sleep had been obtained; at other times
Mrs. Harrison showed that she was con-
scious of what went on around her, but in
her weak condition took no part in any con-
versaton nor did she in any way indi-
cate any desire or utter any com plants.
May go Out With the Tide"
At II p. m. it was stated at the White
House that there was no change in the con-
dition of Mrs. Harrison. The physicians
seemed to be of the opinion that the great
change. if it came at all last night, would
occur as 50 frequently happens in con-
sumptive eases, just before dawn, when
vitality is at its lowest ebb.