Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-05-28
DEATH OF MR.. GRESHAM.


Hon. Walter Q. Gresham, Secretary
ofState, died at LIS o'clock this morning
in one of his suite of rooms IN the
Johnson annex of the Arlington Hotel,
in Washington. Death was caused by
pleurisy complicated by acute pneu-
monia and heart trouble.
At his bedside were Mrs. Gresham,
his daughter, Mrs. E. F. Andrews OF
Chicago, and his son in.law, MIR. An
drews, the nurses and three physicians.
Mrs. Gresham's devotion to her nus :
band during his illness has been OF the
most tender, patient and faithful char
acter. Although physically slight, she
displayed, so said one who has been IN
the sick chamber several times day
throughout the Secretary's illness, re,
markable endurance and nerve. Nlgnt
and day she was at the bedside snatch
ing an hour or two of sleep when she
could on lounge in his room. She
seemed determined to fight off death.
Mr.. Gresham's illness began May l.,
when he was attacked with acute pleu-
risy. The effusion filled the pleural
cavity, but his condition yielded to
treatment until last Saturday. when ne
suffered a relapse, accompanied by
acute pneumonia. His condition since
that time has been extremely critical.
His heart action became enfeebled, re-
quiring the constant administration
of the most powerful heart slim
nlants Gna or tne other of his
physicians, Drs. Johnson and Prem
tiss, or both, were constantly
with him. His pulse reached l6O
and was so feeble that it could barely
be counted. But for the stimulants be
would have died. Nitroglycerine and
strychnine were given continuously by
podermically together with digitalis
and whisky. He was able to take no
nourishment savei in liquid forin-prin-
cipally milk punches-and the whole
effort of the physicians was directed to-
ward sustaining and Strengthening MN;
The right pleuralic cavity was filled
with the effused fluid and the lung so
compressed as to make breathing i'm
possible. About $50 o'clock yesterday
evening he sank so rapidly that death
was momentarily expected. Restora-
tives were applied, and hypodermic in
ections of nitroglycerine (the most
powerful of all heart stimulants) and
strychnine were made. His blood
vessels were in state of COLLAPSE, and
his condition was so extremely critical
that the physicians decided that trans
fusion was Immediately Necessary to
stimulate the heart. DR. Van Renssa-
lear. son-in law of DR.. Johnston, was
hastily sent for. He opened vein in
the left arm and infused pint and a
half Of normal saline solution. The
operation was successful and he recov-
cred slightly, but after two severe
rigors shortly before II o'clock he be-
gan to fail rapidly, and his vitality be-
gan to ebb. The three physicians saw
that the end was near and at II o'clock
withdrew to the anteroom leaving in
the sick chamber only the members of
his family, Mrs. Gresham, her daugh-
ter, Mrs. Andrews, and son-in.law, Mr..
Andrews, and the nurses. Up to that
time he had been conscious and talked
at intervals. His words were full of
bravery. He fully appreciated his con-
dtion and spoke words of hope and
cheer to his stricken wife ard daugh-
ter. Sometimes his mind wandered
slightly and went back to the days OF
long ago, recalling incidents of love and
happiness in the springtime of his life.
Just before the physicians retired he
ceased speaking, though he appeared
to be conscious. Mrs. Gresham sat at
the bedside smoothing the fevered
brow and occasionally reading to him
from the Bible passages which he loved.
As the end approached his pulse be-
came hardly preceptible. Gradually
his eyes glazed and closed, but Mrs.
Gresham, with noble and heroic forti-
tude, continued to read the works OF
the Gospel to her departing husband.
Her daughter and son-in-law stood with
bowed heads at the side of the couch.
At 1:l5 q. M, his breathing ceased; a
peaceful shadow passed over his pale
countenance, his pulse flckered and the
sorrowing family were in the presence
OF death.
Some criticism was heard about the
hotel corridors because the serum in
the pleural cavity had not been drawn
of in the first instance. DR.. Prentiss,
when asked to reply to these structures,
replied "It is an established principle
of surgery not to tap for pleurisy
until life is threatened. While the
serum can be easily drawn of the
cavity re6lls, not with serum, however,
but with pus. Our treatment was to
secure the removal of the serum by alb
sorption.
Although no authorized declarations
ever emanated from either the Presi
dent or the Secretary of State, it has
been persistently asserted of late that
Mr.. Gresham, owing to his serious con-
dition, was to retire from the cabinet.
These assertions were in circulation
even before the illness of Mr.. Gresham,
and since then were repeated with
more persistency. In the last few
DAYS. since his condition became such
as to cause great solicitude, fears were
expressed by his friends as to the out
come of his illness, and in case of con-
yalescence it was realized he would
need such long rest as might possibly
impose the necessity of putting
some one else at the head
of the State Department. The
President, from the beginning of Mr..
Gresham's sickness, evinced the deepest
interest in his case and was advised
daily as to his condition.
Under the law the President will have to