The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-06
A LOVABLE LADY DEAD
MRS. WILLIAM @. WHITNEY sue
CUMBS TO HEART DISEASE.

Her Demise Entirely Unexpected and
Her Husband Reached Her Bedside
Just in Time TO see Her Expire.
She Had Been Ill Three Weeks.
Widespread Sorrow of the Sad
Event.
New YORK, Feb. 5.-Mrs. William c.
Whitney, wife of the ex-Seoretary Of the
Navy, died at her home, No. West Fifty
seventh street, at O'Clock this morning Of
heart disease. Only Mr.. Whitney and the
nurses who attended her during her last
hours were present at the death-bed, the
end coming Unexpectedly. DR.. j. Wood
MoLane, who, with DR.. Charles McBurneY,
had been attending Mrs Whitney,
left her at l:30 O'Clock last night, DR..
McBurney having left several hours sooner.
When DR.. MoLaue departed it was for the
night, as at that hour it was expected that
Mrs. Whitney's illness would not take a
serious turn before morning. Mr.. Whitney
sat uD until O'Clock, at which hour he re-
tired TO his bed and the house
waG darkened. A few minutes before
8 O'Clock one of the nurses hastily
summoned him and he hurried to Mrs
Whitney's room, reaching there Just in
time to see her expire. So unexpectedly
did death come that there was not even
time TO summon her father, brother and
sister, who were in the house. having been
called there when Mrs. Whitney's condition
first appeared serious. They reached her
bedside few minutes after her death.
WIDESPREAD SORROW.
The death of Mrs. Whitney awakened
widespread sympathy throughout the couu-
try, and all day kilograms and messages of
coincidence were received by the family
Although these messages of coincidence were
kept strictly private, it is said by friends of
the family that among the first tele-
grams to arrive were those from President
elect and Mrs. Cleveland. Sir Julian
Pauncefort, the British minister at Wash
ington, and the representatives Of other
foreign legations also sent messages. Tele..
grams were also received from a number of
senators and congressman, from Mr.. Whit
ney's colleagues in President Cleveaud'S
cabinet and from members Of Mr.. Harri-
sons cabinet. Many immediate friends OF
the family called during the day.
For years Mrs. Whitney has evinced
symptoms of heart trouble and slight at
tacks of illness from this cause have fire.
quently startled her and occasioned the
patient had been guarded from disturb
ing influences and was almost entirely
confined to her bad Tho night be-
fore the attack that was the beginning
of her last illness, Mrs. Whitney gave one
of the dinner dances that are the fashiona-
able fad Of the present season. She was in
a weak condition at the time and the ex-
citemenb and strain consequent to the enter
tainment Of her large party is supposed TO
have superinduced the attack.
The funeral will take place at 10 o'clock
Tuesday morning from ST. Bartholemew's
caurch on Madison avenue. The service
will be conducted by Rev. David II. Green.
The intermens will be at Woodlawn ceIne-
terry, where her daughter, who died abroad
in 1888 is buried.
Col Daniel Lamont, Mr.. Whituey's in
Innate friend, has charge of the funeral
arrangements. He says the funeral will be
as quiet as possible.
A SHOCK TO WIS HINGToN.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-The news of Mrs.
Whitney's death came as e shock to Wash
ington. It was not generally known that
she was likely to die and even her friends
did not think she would. Although there
have been many changes in Washing ton
society since 1889 when the Whitueys were
last seen here. they have as many friends in
it almost as il they had been here Mr..
and Mrs. Whitney and their splendid enter
tAinments, unrivaled before or since, have
never ceased to be topics of conversation
in Washington. Every notable event
at their residence from the time
they transformed ii from old
fashioned placiness into modern beauty to
the time when Mrs. Potter started her
hearers with "Ostler ice" was recalled with
distiuctness to-day. Mrs. Whitney's beauty
and gracious ways, hers kindliness and
generosity were recollected to-day by many
people who were sincerely sorry to hear of
her death.