The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-11-14
Il HUNG CHANG IS DEAD
THE GRAND OLp MAN on CHINA
PASSES AWAY.

PASSES AWAY.
Rose From Humble life To- the Highest
Position in the Empire-wos salaci-
Gus and Far Seeing.
PEK1NG, November LII Hung
Chang died at II O'Clock this morning.
At midnight last night III Hung
Chang rallied slightly His family had
Installed native doctors In charge of
the patient, the regular physicians hav-
ing refused to attend him unless the
Chinese doctors were dismissed.
PEI<ING, November 6.-At 3 O'Clock
this evening Earl Ii was still breath
ing ana displaying unexpected vitality.
The burial clothes have already been
put on. The courtyard of the yamen
is filled with life-size paper horses and
chairs, with cuolie bearers, which his
friends are sending, i'm accordance with
Chinese customs, TO be buried when he
dies, i'm order to carry his soul to heav-
en- Several of the Ministers Of the
powers have called to express sympa-
thy
The Chinese officials are somewhat
uneasy concerning the effect his death
will have on the populace, and to
guard against "a possible anti-foreign
demonstration the Chinese generals
have disposed their troops about the
city i'm such a way as TO command the
situation. Trouble, however, is eN-
tremely improbable.
The wife of Earl Ii and his two sons
and daughter are with him. They are
greatly distressed.
Chinese officials throng the yamen.
kilograms have been sent summoning
Prince Ching, who is now on his way
to meet the court, and Chou Flu, Pro-
VinCial Treasurer. from Pao-ting-fu.
The former will assume the general
charge Of Government affairs, and the
latter will act as Governor Of Chill
until Ii Hung Changes successor in
that office, who will probably be Yuan
Shi Kai is appointed.
Robert Coltman an American, who is
one of the physicians attending Ii, told
the correspondent that when he was
called to act with DR.. Velde of the Ger
man Legation, November LIST he found
the patient very weak from a severe
hemorrhahge due to liberation Of the
stomach.
THE hemorrhage was readily con-
trolled," said DR.. Coltman, but owing
to the underlying condition of chronic
gastritis with persistent nausea only,
the midest liquid food could be digest
ed. Yesterday he was cheerful and
without pain, but at ? o'clock this
morning he became unconscious and
was no longer able to get rid Of the
collection of mucus which he had free
ly expectorated. Death is expected
shortly, owing to symptoms super
vening upon gradual carbonic acid
poisoning"
Throughout the evening digitalis was
frequently administered.
Earl Lis persistent refusal to re-
frain from attending to Government
business has aggravated his malady,
while the refusal of the family to per-
NIT certain measures customary in
Western medical practice for relieving
the stomach have confronted to brins
his end near.
For forty years Ii Hung Chang has
been the most impu rtant figure in Chi
ma as well as the most picturesque. In
diplomatic ability he far surpassed all
his rivals, and this ability enabled him
to save his prestige and his fortune
in several crises that would have prov
ed disastrous to a less deXtrouS in
triguer and politician. A native-born
Chinese, he had all the natural traits,
including great love of money and pro-
found suspicion of the motives of all
his associates. He had unusual ca
pacity for work, great keenneSS in the
selection of suboTdinates and absolute
unscrupulOusness. What mainly gave
him his prestige was the fact that he
entertained in princely style all dlstin-
guished foreigners who visited emma.
In this way he commended himself to
General Grant who ranked him with
Bismarck, BeacOnsleld and Gambetta
as the four great men of the age. That
Ii Hung Chang did not rank with Bis
marck was shown in his failure to ap-
preciate the gravity Of the Japanese
Chinese war and also in his intriguing
with Russia. Like most Chinese vice.
roys, he was corrupt in money matters,
and in Illicit ways he accumulated
great fortune.
Ii Hung Chang was born in 1922, in
the province of An Huei, which lies
lust south Of the yellow river, and
west of the Grand canal. His family
was humble, but it has, however, be-
come noted from the fact that Ii and
all his brothers have sought the Gov
eminent service and have each become
mandarins of the highest rank. Such a
record is unparalleled even in China,
and the mother of this notable family
of boys is consequently honored above
all other Chinese women.
Ii saved the Manchu dynasty more
than once. IL was ne WHO put uOWh th'
famous Tai-Ping rebellion, which rag
ed through China from 1850 to 1858.
This rebellion, starting in the noun
tains north of Canton, swept through
the whole empire It's forces reached
Tien- tsin on their way to the capital,
and but for Ii would surely have sue
ceeded in establishing a new dynasty
on the throne.
Earl Ii was the first Chinese to real
ize the advantage of Western civiliza-
ton and ever since he called in the
American, Ward, and Chinese" Cor
don to help him put down the Tai
Pings he has steadily remained the
friend of foreigners and the most pro-
gressive of Chinese For thirty years
he had an English private secretary.
He kept a steam yacht for his trips
on the Pei-ho and the Grand canal;
he strung the first telegraph line in
China down the Taku road from his
Yamen to the forts at the mouth of
the river; he developed the great Kali
Ping coal mines, and was really the
builder of all the railroads now exist
ing in China.
After the massacre of Tien-tsin in
1870 Earl Ii was selected as ViceToy Of
the nrnUinpa n Chi III