The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-18
A uRAeLE ar LouRDEs.
DR.. Depew Describes the scene and
the Girl Who Was Cured.
Ion the New York Sun.

DR.. DepeW DeScrAbes the scene and
the Girl Who Was Cured.
From the New York Sun.
on his return from Europe the other
Sav Mr.. Chauncey NJ. Depew, president
of the New York Central railroad, gave
a very interesting talk to the New York
newspapers Among other things he gave
an account of what appears to have been
s. miracle at Lourdes, France. He said:
"Being near Lourdes while in the
Pvrenees, 1 paid a visit to the shrine.
The village church stands on a high hill,
and on one side is a precipice running
down TO the river about two hundred feet
AT the bottom is grotto. such as are
common in the rocks in that region,
about hundred feet deep, irregular and
rough in shape. The legend of the place
is that in 1898 the Virgin appeared TO
child in this grotto with promise of heal
ing for the sick and a fountain burst
forth the waters of which have mira
culous power. Faith in this has built
broad highways along the river and over
the hills for the pilgrims TO march on,
constructed two splendid roads from the
plain to the church. enclosing within
The arches, Cn which they are carried a
broad plaza and under the terrace Of the
first landing a baSilica for thousands Of
wOrshippers. Every foot of the walls Of
the baSillCa and church IS covered with
slabs on which the persons placing them
have recorded their cures or some spec
!al blessing received. over and around
and surgical appliances for supporting
the body which have been left there by the
healed. Alongside the grOttO is a bathing
place, with four bath tubs nlled with ice
cold water from the spring. Into this the
patients are plunged, no matter what
their disease or deformity. L was told
that over twelve hundred We're dipped the
day l was there. They are plunged into
the water and instantly taken out under
constant and loud supplications Tor their
sAt night the scenes are wonderful.
Thousands bearing torches and singing
hymns are marching over the winding
roads. Other thousands are on their
knees in the space in front of the grotto
praying, and imploring the Virgin for
help. Hundreds upon hundreds of cam
dies flicker and flare in the grotto and
send weird light upon the white-robed
statue Of the Virgin which STANDS just
above.
forms at the grotto and marches along the
river, turning into the plaza as IL passes
the point where the road rises from the
plain upon the arches to the church. On
one side of the plaza were placed in a row
some hundreds of little wagons, each hold
ing an incurable sufferer. The sight OF
these helpless, and except by miracle,
hopeless men, women and children IN
every stage of distortion or living death
is affecting beyond words. As the head
of the procession reached the nrst wagon
the priest elevated the host before the pa
tient. Another priest, with voice OF
great power, cried out: ON Lord, help
this sick man! The hundreds of priests
and 5000 pilgrims repeat ted the cry IN uni
son. Again louder, and with TREMENDOUS
passion and energy, he cried; on LOrd,
heal this sick one! the crowd taking up
the Invocation as before As the procession
moved down the line of wagons, halting
and repeating these supplicatlons before
each one, the excitement became painful
in its intensity. The patients grew fren-
zled with anxiety ana nope.
The coolest and most Indifferent man
in the world could not have remained I'M
moved. have seen and felt similar waves
of emotion a. camp meeting and revlVals,
but they had not the added force or TINS
writing mass of praying, beseechlng, de-
spairing, and hoping human SUFFERING.
LAS l was crossing the piazza after the
scene, from one OF the dispensing wagons
] heard my name called. 1t was occupied
by a lady and was drawn by her son,
student at the College Of Physicians and
Surgeons in New York. Both had recog-
nized me, having heard me speak in New
York, She said the doctors at home had
told her that science and skill could do
nothing more for her, and she must make
herself as comfortable as possible until
the end, which was only a few months
of. So she had come to Lourdes with
faith and hope. 1 asked the grounds of
her hopes, and she said: Why a miracle
was performed this afternoon before your
eyes. Did you not see it? That was the
cause of the great excitement This was
her story. A young girl, who was staying
at the same hotel as she did, had been un-
able to walk or put her foot to the ground
for six years. She had suffered frightful
pain, and screamed with agony when
dipped in the icy water. She had been
bathed six successive days and after the
procession passed that afternoon had call
ed out that she was cured. l said to the
medical student, What do you know
about this?' He said he had seen the
knee bandaged at II O'Clock that day. 1t
was swollen badly and he counted twenty
eight running sores. told him l must
see that girl
fication room, to which she had been TAX
en-, to see or touch her, and the attendants
were doing their best to keep them out
and get them away. My medical guide,
The distinguished DR.. Chauncey De-
pew wants to see the patient Instantly
a way was cleared, and in a few moments
was inside. The girl was not there, hav-
ing been carried home to escape the crowd.
There was an English doctor, and l APP
pealed to him. He said he had dressed the
leg at noon. 1t was swollen and incura-
bic; that he had cut the bandages off a
half hour before, and the leg was healed,
and the girl could walk, and he showed
me the cut bandage. 1t was about two
feet long, and had been slit with a knife
from top to bottom. l then insisted
must see the girl About 8 O'Clock that
my home with message that she and
her friends would be glad 70 see me- My
son and L started out instantly.
Il found a young lady, about II years
old, with a sweet, innocent, happy face.
She told her story substantially as 1 had
heard it, and that she had been unable to
walk step in six years. 1 asked if she
could walk now, and she went several
times around the room, limping some but
with no apparent pain. 1 then ventured
to request a sight of the knee Her friends
said certainly. The knee seemed quite
normal. The flesh and muscles were firm
ana natural. Black spots marked the
places where the sores had been, but the
sores were healed and healthy skin, not
scales, over them. l have little faith in
modern miracles, but this case puzzled
me, OF course, it's weak point, so far as
before the alleged cure. The testimony,
however, of the New York medical stud
S Sa1, OF his mother, and of the English
DOCTOR was clear and positive. They might
nave been deceived, or tried to deceive me,
though neither seems probable"
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