The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-16
THE OUTLOOK is SAD
uRs. MCKINLEY is DESPERATELY
ILL.
Her RECOVERY DOUBTFUL
PHYSICIANS UNABLE TO AFFORD
RELIEF.

THE President Abandons His North
western Trip-Mrs. Mckinley Has
Been Seriously Ill for Several
Days, and the Present Attack Has
Not Yielded to Treatment-Intesti
nal Troubles Appear to BE the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Physicians
Are in Attendance.
San Francisco, May 15.-Owing to the
very serious character of Mrs. McKinley's
illness. the President this morning def
nitely decided to abandon his contempiat-
ed Northwestern tour, and to return to
washington direct, so soon as Mrs. Nc
Kinley shall be able to stand the jour
ney. The gravity of Mrs. McKinley's
condition has been known to the men,
bers of the Presidents party for sew
eral days, but had been concealed,
in the belief that she would rally as she
had so frequently done in the past when
suffering from one of her periods of de-
preston, and with a few days of absolute
rest. be restored to normal condition. But
her presnt illness has been attended with
entirely new complications, which have
not yielded to treatment and the Presi-
dent concluded this morning that it was
time the public should be apprised of the
true situation. The bulletin which Sec
retary Cortelyou gave to the Associated
Press this morning, announcing the
abandonment of the trip, coupled with an
other announcement that Mrs. McKinley's
respects, but worse in others, prepared
the way for the bulletin issued two hours
later that Dr. Henry Gibbons, a celebrated
physician of San francisco, had been call
ed in consultation with DR.. Hirschfelder
and DR.. Rixey. DIR. Gibbons has a rep
utation here for his skill in the treat
ment of bowel disorders. It was the
Presidents wish that another physician
be called in consultation. not because he
did not have perfect confidence in Drs
Hirschfelder and Rixey, but because he
desired that nothing that science could
do should be left undone. He was es-
pecially anxious that the diagnosis of the
attending physicians should agree.
Has Been Desperately Ill.
Ever since Mrs. Mckinley arrived at
the Scott residence she has been desper-
ately i'll. Her extreme weak
ness has been the most alarm
ing feature of her condition Her
vitality has ben at low ebb and she has
spoken seldom to those about her. The
President has been continually at her
bedside since their arrival here Sunday
night, save the few hours Monday after
noon, when he left her to go to San Jose,
and the three hours he spent yesterday
in the parade. Fortunately Mrs McKin-
ley slept through his absence on both oc-
casions. The strain which the President
himself has undergone during the past
few days has been very great. All day,
except for brief half-hour this after
noon, when he yielded to the entreaties
Of those about him and went out for a
drive, he has remained steadfastly at
Mrs McKinley's side. The members of
the cabinet reluctantly consented to car
ry out to-day's programme at the Uni
Verstty of California and at Oakland, but
they put no heart into the festivities
While their chief was grieving at his
wife's bedside.
General sympathy Excited.
Mrs. McKlnley's illness has cast a
shadow over the entire city. People have
shown their sympathy in a multitude Of
ways. All day long little groups have been
standing across the street opposite the
scott mansion silently watching the
drawn blinds of the room in which the
hrst lady of the land lay. The news of
the serious character of her illness evil
oently travelled fast, because from all
over the country this afternoon kilograms
nave been pouring into the President ex-
pressing sympathy for Mrs. Mckinley end
asking for tidings of her condition.
SHE MAY MOI, IL ALLY