The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-15
G1ides Spent Hours in Climbing Hills,
Firing Rifles and Shouting
Through MegaphOnes.
ROUGH RIDE TO THE RAILWAY
MILES BY STAGE ON
THE HEAVY ADIRONDACK ROADS.
Mr.. Roosevelt Was Informed that Mr..
Mckinley Was Improving, or He
Would Not Have Gone Hunting.

SARATOGA, Sept. 14-When Theodore
Roosevelt and his guides left the Tahawus
Club early yesterday morning on a hunting
expedition, the then Vice President fully
believed President Mckinley was entirely
out of danger and on the rapid road to re-
covery. The hunting party moved in the
direction of Marcy. the highest peak in
the Adirondacks region. They had not been
gone over three hours when a mounted
courier rode rapidly into Tahawus Club
with messages for the Vice President, stat
ing that President Mckinley was in a crit
zeal condition. The messages had been
telegraphed to North Creek and from there
telephoned to a point ten miles south Of
Tahawus Club Extra guides and runners
were at once deployed from the club in the
direction of Mount Marcy, with instruc-
tions to sound a general alarm In order to
find the Vice President as soon as posi-
BILE The far-reaching megaphones' code
and the rifle-cracking signals of the noun
tain-climbing guides, as hour after hour
passed away, marked the progress of the
searching mOuntaineers, as they climbed
the slope of Mount Marcy.
Just as the afternoon began to merge
with the shades of early evening and as
the searchers were nearing the summit of
the lofty mountain the responsive echoes
of distant signals were heard and answered,
and gradually the scouts and the Roosevelt
party came within hailing distance of each
other. When Colonel Roosevelt was
reached and informed of the critical condi-
ton of the President he could scarcely be-
lieve the burden of the messages person
ally delivered to him.
Startled at the serious nature of the
news the Vice President, at 5:45 o'clock
Immediately started back for the Tahawus
Club. In the meantime the Adirondack
stage line placed at his disposal relays of
horses covering the thirty-five miles to
North Creek. a deluging thunderstorm had
rendered the roads unusually heavy. With
out any delay he moved as rapidly as pos
sible in the direction of North Creek, the
northern terminus of the Adirondacks
Railroad, where his secretary, William
Loeb, jr., and Superintendent G. d Ham
mond, of the Delaware d Hudson Railway,
with a special train were waiting his ar
rival. Soon after Col. Roosevelt started
night came on and rendered the trip eX-
ceedingly difficult and dangerous, as mile
and mile was Travelled in almost impene-
trable darkness, but the expert guides
pHoted the Vice President safely to the OBJ
jective point. Not until he dashed up to
the special train at North Greek at 5:22
o'clock this morning did he learn that
President Mckinley had passed away at
Buffalo at 2:15 o'clock. Mr.. Loeb, his sec
rotary was the first to break the news to
him. The new President was visbly af-
fected by the intelligence and expressed a
desire TO reach Buffalo as soon as possible
Within one minute after his arrival at
North Greek he boarded the special train
which at once pulled out in the direction
or Buftalo, via Saratoga and Albany. He
did not complain of fatigue but looked
somewhat pale and careworn.