The sun., 1899-03-12
KIPLlNG'S FIGHT FOR LIFE.
THINGS THAT SHOWED THE GRAZ
ITY OF THE CRISIS.
Few Men Said to Have Lived Through So |
Severe an Attack of Pneumonin-Inci- |
dents Tint Preceded It-Pnblc Interest. |

Few men have lived through so severe al
attack OF pneumonia as that from which Rud
yard KipllnR is now recovering. 1t is prob
able that the.iact that he is alive to-day Is due
TO the exact sequence OF n train OF circum
stances all Of which we're in themselves trivial
As IL was he lay In n critical condition for many
hours. Mr.. Kplng took dinner with severa
aoauaIntances on Monday. Feb. 20. One o
the guests had an engagement with him foi
noon the next dsy. and when Mr. kiplinR did
not keep It he went around to the Hotel Gren.
oble to see what was the matter. Mrs. Kip
ling met him with white face.
''Ruds got pneumonia" sho said and that
told the whole story.
Mr.. Klpllng had reached tho hotel at II 80
the night before. There WAS waiting for him
an autograph collector who had asked him for
his signature before and had met with re-
fusal. This time the man had his collection
with him. and he was very proud'ofit All his
autographs were written In albums, In his own
presence. When Mr.. Kipling came in he rec-
'ognized the collector
WELL you have me fairly cornered now, !" he
said. 'and think you deserve what you want"
Thon he picked:up pen from the hotel Of
nee desk and signed his name on one OF the
blank leaves of the autograph collectors
album.
1t was not long after this that he felt the first
pain Of the In aammation which had started
In his right lung. DR.. Theodore Durham
whose wife is Mrs kipling's sister. was called
in. and advised a consultation with DR.. jane
way. Pneum mia was the diagnosis from the
first. but the fact was not made public until
the next day. Mr. Kipling arrived here be-
fore the big February storm and found fault
with the weather continually.
1T Is enough TO kill horse. he said to one
Of his friends only the day before he was
fakan III "and tp piyn a yyh1le
nonia."
The three K!pling children had been Ill since
there arrival. They had coughs and colds and
bronchitis. The day alter Mr.. kipling was taken
Ill the eldest child. Josephine. became worse.
and 1t was decided to send her to Miss DE
Forests house. where she died afterward. Her
father lifted her of the floor on the morning
she left the hotel and kissed her as he lay in
the bed. Father and daughter both felt the
parting. as they were close companions; it was
thought best To separate them because it was
known that each would lret to see the other
unless their meeting was rendered impossible.
The first news OF Mr.. kiplings illness was
given to the newspapers on Wednesday. two
dacs after the attack. Tho bulletins from then
on were short and unsatisfactory to the really
curious. though they contained all the positive
inform alton that the doctors could furnish.
published in the bulletins. The bulletins. how
ever. gave no idea OF the intense anxiety OF
several hours to:a day late in their references @
to the different phases OF the disease. Tho
tns w@ud atsc net a ake eb at any
symptom was not mentioned in a bulletin un-
I'll fully verified
the lower part OF the right lung was affected.
there was some hone that the attack might
prove light one. but the subsequent spread of
the intiam nation to the left lung and to the
upper Sar Sarts M Of beth lungs dispelied it. In the
early GAYS Mr; hlpllnH forced himself to lie
nuietlY In his bed and kent 81 n
the daily news. He as ked about the arrival Of
overdue steamers, and was Interested in the
weather. Then his periods of interest in eN-
ternal things lapsed into spells Of restless doz-
ing. and his hours OF sleep became deirious
Dunham and Dr. Janeway. and the prot.s.
sional nurses were: OF course. complete
himself In the hands Of enemies and sought
to=hide himself and TO escape alternately.
Between the seventh and tenth days Of his
illness the disease was at its worst The only
hope for his life was the fact that the inham-
Tss Tsson In the 9Oes Of the
gencould not.have penetrated the inhamed tis.
sues OF the upper obes. bu! there was a chance
sioS boo Ssow TSo oxgSsaa,sI s ' fshsn air was yas
treathed in the short. quick little breaths Of
gish blood but partially puriied..was pumped
Into the arteries with la boring heart beats al
though the resulting pulse showed little power
During three nights, at, this period DIR.
Jeneway 3 remained na In the h2t.l m with his pa
nized in this an indication OF the gravity OF the
crisis; pr; Ianeway has been spoken OF by
cf. the times best able TO use the oretic and
scientific prncipes in an emnently practical
Three nights he simply waited. powerless to aid
by cue more effort this strugg e between Kip |
previous eight days. ACCOMPLISHED much, and !
theta the fact that at the critical time medicine was
from the credit due to doctors and nurses for |
Mr.. kipling's recovery.
1t was, during the night Of Tuesday, Feb. |
-, that the first favorable symptOm was noted. |
The last buletin had stated that Mr. KlpIing !
had not gained during the day. and that was
been made short OF the statement that all !
hone had been given up; It was about three
game downstairs from the sick room and |
leaned heavily on the hote! desk. smoking a !
tonic TO his WORKOUT system, and after a few |
moments he imparted his news to the report
in .he morning we NAV be able to give n
cIore complete and satisfactory bulletin" he |
Il was. so. for at O'Clock Wednesday IN atu-
ing the bulletin was: Mr. Kipling has had
There were. OF course. anxious hours after
that. but the crisis-not the sudden crisis OF |
ordinary pneumonia. Mr. hpling was too sick |
and improvement; though slow. was steady
from then on Ths reySlsion ,S Of feeling vas
the hotel office and in the character OF The mes
saRss from all oyer the world to Mrs; Kiping.
In tine anxiety oil the previous DAYS those who !
had been most assiduous In undertaking
the, cares and responsibilities Of the sick room
had lost sight OF the general interest In the
condition OF the author. Tney had regarded
him As merely q sick man and vera Jealous OF
the inquiries that came pouring in. During
his convalescence, however, they have come
10 moro complete reaizaton Of the manner
OF man who was saved
Mr.. KiplinR's popularity was Strongly shown
by the many cards. notes and messages left
at the hotel and sent from all over the world.
There were flowers. too. and little delicacies
In the way OF sick room food. which. In their
agRreR gate, would have fed many men Az
often as the newspapers mentioned form OF
food which the sick man was able to eat prep
Rrations Of that food were sent in ludicrous
abundance; On the fourth day of his conya-
lescence Mr.. kipling ate sweetbreads. The
fact was mentioned IN the reporters, coupled
with the request not to publish IT, because II
they did the hotel would he deluged with pre-
pared sweetbreads probably the next day.
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN MARINES.