The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-31
VICTORIA SLAST MOMENTS
IN THE HOUR AND ARTICLE OF
DEATH.
Conscious and Free From All Suffering
She Babe Farewell to Her Children
and Children's Children.

NEW YORK, January pa cable to
the Sun dated East Cowes, January
22d, says: Victoria, II. l., by the grace
of God Queen of the United Kingdom
eff Great Britain and Ireland, defender
of faith and Empress of India, is no
more. She passed away without pain
or suffering at Osborne House at $3.50
o clock this evening. King Edward VII
rules i'm her stead. England is silent
with grief The sense of personal be-
reavement is so overwhelming that
Englishmen will be unable for a season
to join in the loyal cry of Long live the
King"
The fateful news came in the follow
ing simple bulletin: Her majesty the
Queen breathed her last at $50, sur
rounded by her children and grand
children"
a glimpse Of the last moments of the
beloved sovereign which the nation and
world also so earnestly CraVed has been
vouChsafed by a representative of the
stricken family. We are permitted to
know not only the brief, but eloquent
facts stated in the frequent bulletins,
but some few details which make very
human this deathbed of the most illus
trious sovereign of her times.
1t was when the cold gray day
dawned that a renewed decline of the
vital powers warned the watchers that
the struggle against nature could not
much longer succeed. The Queen was
then completely unconscious, and from
moment to moment the exhaustion of
the small remaining store of vitality
became perceptiby greater. Shortly
after o'clock the doctors sent a sum-
mons to all members of the family and
also to the rector of the Royal Chapel.
Before they all arrived there took place
that prudential phenomenon which ma
ture sometimes grants to the dying.
The Queen became conscious and free
Of all suffering.
1t was under these circumstances of
precious memory that the last inter
views with her children and grand
children took place. The world Will
never know, and has no right to know,
what took place. The Queen received
them all singly and by twos and three
within the next four hours. She reCog-
nized most of them. Then the curtain
of unconsciousness fell for the last time
and the physicians made known that
the Queen was dying. All assembled
and remained until the very end. 1t
was so quiet and peaceful and gentle
that it was difficult to realize that the
shadow of death was present. Nothing
more can be said of those last moments.
Even the fierce light which beats upon
the throne did not penetrate that cham
Der, and the tender memories of the last
hours belong to those who mourn Vic
toria, not as Queen, but in the dearer
relationship of the family.
The circulation of all manner of ina
ginative reports during the past three
days led the authorities at Osborne
House to authorize the publication of
these simple facts in addition to the
foregoing:
The Queen was attended throughout
her illness by two nurses and four
dressers in charge of Miss Soal, who is
,,Ft mi taT I'M n
Park. They had long been her personal
ministrators when her majesty was at
Osborne. The Queen was nourished
throughout her illness with warm milk,
invalids' prepared food, champagne ana
brandy. She was never fed artificially.
The doors of the wing of the palace
where the Queen lay were kept locked
during her illness, so she was entirely
isolated from the rest of the establish
ment.
The strictest precautions We're taken
Saturday. Sunday and Monday nights
that in case of sudden death no I'M
authorized person should communicate
the fact to the Prince of Wales in vio-
lation of the strict traditions. The Earl
of Clarendon, Lord Chamberlain, and
Arthur Balfour, First Lord of the
Treasury, arrived just in time to per-
form this duty. BalfOur did not see the
Queen The most significant point OF
of the authorities of the court that alb
solutely no preparations have been
made for any feature of the elaborate
proceedings now forced upon the ma
ton. One would imagine that the great
age of the sovereign would have leo
to some consideration of the inevitable
problem now presented. 1t is only an
other evidence of the marvellous hold
that the Queen had upon the affections
of all classes, including, of course most
of all those personally attached to her.
These simply refused to consider the
possibility of her death.
Within an hour of the Queens death
the vicinity of Osborne House was de-
serted. and it was difficult to believe
that one was almost in the presence OF
the first great event of the new cen
fury. Then came one of those little
signs which even Englishmen are sum
GENTLY superstitious to notice. Ihe
days had been damp and chill ana
heavily overcast. Presently, when the
tragedy had been enacted, the even
ing became mild, the clouds rolled
away and the stars shone brightly III
is now traditional Queens weather.
but the phrase has become mournlul
memory.