The morning call., 1894-04-15
Took Desperate Chances OH an
Operation.
GALLANT STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
Splendid Record i'm War and Peace
of the Brave Cavalry Officer
of the Fourth.

MS quarters at the fTeSlulO. L mere were
present at the deathbed DR.. Lane, Sur
geon Middleton Of the post. two brothers
Of the deceased, Mrs. Wood and several
brother officers.
The story OF Captain Woods death is
a sad one. He was only about 80 years OF
age, having been born September 4, 1914.
in Iowa, where all his people live. About
three years ago a growth manifested IL
self on tie tip of his tongue. He at first
paid little attention to it, but it soon de-
veloped into cancer and became very
troublesome.
About a:year ago, while stationed tenn
porarily at the Yosemite, Captain Wood
ent East and entered the Bellevue Hos
pital. New York, where he had an opera
tion performed A portion of the tongue
was cut away, but the cancerous growth
was not eradicated. 1t began to trouble
him greatly. and about six weeks ago a
tumor appeared on the right side of the
throat. showing externally. 1t grew
quickly, and IL soon became evident that it
was but question of few months when
his death would be assured. Captain
Wood desired an operation, but Surgeon
Middleton opposed the idea. Hearing th at
DR.. Lane had relieved q lady recently of
painful tumor of the face, Captain Wood
determined to also have an operation per-
formed. DIR. Lane did not want TO under
axe the job; but the soldier insisted on it.
There was chance that his life might be
prolonged by the operation, while it was
certain death to let il alone. So as he in
sisted DR.. Lane had TO consent. The cap
tain was taken to DR.. Lanes place on
Mission street, and the delicate and dam
ger0us operation was performed on
cd of 4 "
unsuccessful. Captain Wood remained
W ith DIR. Lane until last Monday. when he
was conveyed In an ambulance TO the Pre-
| sidio. He had, in fact, returned to die.
The shock was too much for the system.
and bloOu-pois isoning set in. One thing
the operation did for his relief-it gave
| him painless death. The gallant officer
passed away quietly and peacefully with a
| sigh
| All the cavalry went into camp at Gil
| roy last week and there were therefore no
cavalry officers at the Presidio when his
death occurred yesterday. But Captain
Wood was we'll known to all the artillery
officers as we'll and they had nothing but
words of admiration for his pluck and re-
gret for his death. Flags were half
masted at the Preside, the Marine HOs-
pral and the Government buildings.
Surgeon Middleton said his death re-
| suited from exhaustion and blood poison
l
| tackled was epithalioma of the tongue. Ii
was supposed to have been given the op-
| portuntv TO manifest itself by smoking, of
| which the deceased was very fond.
The funeral will. of course, be mill
tary one, the remains being inferred in the
cemetery at the Presidio.
Captain Woods record was a good one
and EN- braced gallant service during the
war. He was a thorough soldier and as
| brave as a lion. He was born in Iowa
September 4. 1874, and in the course of
events would have been retired in 1908
! He was appointed from Iowa a cadet at
the United States Military Academy July
IL, 1868. He graduated June Il, 1872 He
| served as corporal. sergeant and first SER
geant of Company +, Thirteenth Iowa In
| fantry. from October 4. 1861, to June 6.
| 1865. On June Z, 1866. he was made Sec
| ond lieutenant of the Thirteenth and hon
orably mustered out on July q of the
| same year. On June IA, 1872. be was ap-
| poi ted second lieutenant of the Fourth
! Cavalry, U. S. A.. first lieutenant Novem-
| beT 25. 1876, and regimental quartermaster
from July g. 1879, TO February 1, 1880. He
| received his captaincy on June 80, 1883.
Captain Wood was one of the few men
who went into the war at the beginning.
served through to the end aud came out
| young enough to enter the military acad-
emy at West Point. He diG not 60 to West
Point immedia ely after his discharge from
the army, however, but spent three years
at school in Iowa TO prepare himself for
the academic course. He entered az the
age of % under special act of Congress.
On account of his magnificent h0rseman-
ship he WAS made Instructor OF cavalry,
and he might have remained in this COM
paratively com Portable berth Tor four years,
but he preferred duty in the field, and,
jDining his regiment in the Wesr, served
with distinction in maDy of the most
serious Indian wars. During this service
he accomplished the most remarkable feais
in the way of long rides on record. They
eciipsed those of the Russian officers who
rode competitive races year or so ago.
anu are said never to have been eQualed.
On one occa sion he led tr0up OF 130 cav
alrymen 100 miles IN tweniy-four hours
across the burning Staked Plains of Texas
without drop of water, and brought in
every man and horse.
During his service in the war between
the States he was in seventeen pitched bat
ties, four sieges and skirmishes and atfrays
innumerable.
The imperturbable composure of the
man under all circumstances is fitly Illus
trated by his last important act. After
being assured that the surgical operation
he had decided TO undergo would in all
probability result fatally he went into the
study" of Colonel Young at the Preside
and made memorandum of the details Of
his funeral ia the event of his death.
This finished he said: "There, that's all,
and have one night more" He returned
with Colonel Young % his own house and
there for several hours entertained with
perfect nonchalance and even gayety a
party of his army friends. As he had said
ne had one more night, and he spent it
lust as he had done many others.
The funeral. which was to have taken
place to-day. has been postponed until TO-
morrow afternoon, at O'Clock, in order to
give some of the officers, now at Gilroy.
time to reach the city. A troop of twenty
left Gilroy yesterday afternoon and will
reach the Presidio tomorrow morning
early. They will compose the funeral
escort.
Captain Woods two brothers arrived
from Dakota last Friday. They are both
lawyers.