The Portland daily press., 1892-10-25
THE BATTLE OVER.
Mrs. Harrison's Long Struggle With
Disease Is Ended.
HER FAMILY AROUND HER IN HER
LAST MOMENTS.

/
Two O'Clock After Weary Hours OF
Watching When Any Minute Might
Have Been the Last-Mrs. Harrison
Was Conscious and Recognized Those
About Her-The President At Her Side
For Nine Hours.
| WASHINGTON, October 25.-Last night
passed slowly for the grief stricken
| watchers at Mrs. Harrisons bedside.
The patient was restless and nervous,
with fluctuations in her condition and
did not range far on either side from the
general average of extreme depression
and exhaustion. The terrible nervous
strain on those who watched was very
apparent. AT dawn, the vital force OF
Mrs. Harrison was at the lowest ebb and
the Presidents anxiety became so acute
that he felt the need of some assurance
from the doctors. A messenger was
despatched for DR.. Gardner, who reached
the White House at Z o'clock. He found
the patient in a condition to warrant the
| gravest apprehensions. The President
|
4 House for a time.
At 9 o'clock, it appeared that the strug-
| gle for life was to be prolonged some
hours at least. The doctor then left, af-
ter stating that Mrs. Harrison might live
until evening. The invalid was lying on
her back, and whenever she awoke from
her troubled sleep, she was conscious.
| She could still recognize her surround
| ings, and a glance of recognition greeted
the physician when he entered the sick
room. The fatal cough was present, but
in the invalid's enfeebled state was not
pronounced.
Early in the morning there was a re-
vival in popular interest in Mrs. Harri-
sons condition. Many bureau
chiefs and other employees of the execu-
tive departments went out of their
way to the White House and asked for
information regarding the patients con-
dition. Mr.. HaIford was admitted to the
sick room early in the day, and was pre-
pared to describe the situation. One of
his first acts iyas to telegraph state
ment of Mrs. Harrison's condition to
Secretary Rusk, who is in Wisconsin,
and Secretary Elllins, who is in West
| Virginia. and sl,G~nat their speedy re-
! turn to Washing The clerks were
| at their desks in l.a White House dur
| ing the day but they were much de-
pressed by general gloom.
Mrs. Harrison, at Noontime,
was still conscious. At 1. as he left the
house, DR.. Gardner said he did not think
| that more than four OF five hours of life
remained for Mrs. Harrison. He said
| that most of the time she was in sleepy,
/ AZ,
| she occasionally rallied. During these
spells of wakefulness, she recognized
| those around her and sometimes respon-
| ded feebly, but clearly and intelligently,
| to the inquiries made. The doctor said
that his efforts were devoted solely
to making the patient as comfortable as
possible in her dying hours. She could
not take nourishment of any kind and
frequent application of stimulating
moisture to her parched lips was the
only treatment which afforded her any
relief. The patient was unable to speak.
Apparently she was conscious. The
watchers expected her death at sundown.
From o'clock until we'll into the eve
ming the President and his family re-
mained constantly at Mrs. Harrison's
bedside. The physicians visits were
more frequent Whenever he came from
report. The patient was as near death
as she could be and still live. She might
expire at any moment and might exist
another hour or two. The employees in
the business section of the house, though
work was done. fingered on. Absolute
detection was pictured on each face.
Just after 6 Mrs. Harrison suffered
another sinking spell and messages were
sent to absent cabinet officers asking
them to return Immediately. But the
sick woman still had sufficient reserve
strength to rally once more. At about
clock word came from Seattle, Wash
ington, that Judge Scott, Mrs. Harri-
sons brother, had passed through that
place on his way to Washington. DR..
Gardiner made eight calls during the
day, and when he came on the last he
sent his carriage home and prepared to
remain until the end. Apparently he no
ticed some signs indicating energy in the
patient, for, soon after 9, he announced
that she might be expected to live until
midnight. During the evening hours,
the invalid betrayed some signs of un.
derstanding the attempts made to re-
lieve her by opening her parched lips to
receive the stimulating fluid applied to
them. Not a drop could she swallow,
and the power of speech had
Apparently Left Her Forever.
The physician noted, as the evening wore
on, an increase in the difficulty Of
breathing, which was regarded as
ominous. Among those who called
were Secretaries Tracy and Noble, At
torney General Miller, Assistant Secre
tary Grant, Assistant Secretary and Mrs.
Soley, Chief Justice Fuller, Justice Far-
Ian. Gen. and Mrs. Breckenridge, Judge
Peet, Surgeon General Brown of the
army, members of the diplomatic corps,
and Rev. DR.. Hanlin and Mrs. Hanlin of
the church of the Covenant, which the
President and his wife attended.
Hour after hour slipped away, leaving
the patient weaker. So gradual was the
decline that it could not be said positive
ly at any minute that she had materially
failed. Respiration sank from about Is
at nightfall to u at midnight. The
physician had said that if she tided over
that hour, she probably would survive
until daylight. There was visible air
of relief when the gong sounded II and
one critical point was supposed to have
been passed.