New-York tribune., 1902-06-25
WAS NEAR TO DEATH.
pROEPT WORK OF SURGEONS
SAVED KINGS LIFE.
AZ EMERGENCY MONDAY NIGHT THAT
MADE NECESSARY AN IAIMEDI-
ATE OPERATION
Rv The Associated Press ;

r.,onigll.'s progress is maintained he will prob
o,, tide over The effects of his severe operation
which has successfully removed the local
+ro,,he hut should any complication occur. such
Is septic peritonitis blood poisoning it is
feared his majesty's present physical and merry
ms condition would prove unequal TO the strain
Involved There is consequently intense anxiety
as 70 the outcome
The Kings doctors believe that his majesty
nould have been dead before now except for
the operation His condition became so alarm
ing las, night that time it was feared
death might ensUe before the surgeons knife
oou1d afford him relief. Intense swelling Of the
srtremities. accompanied by alarming syinp-
toms OF Modification. constituted the emergency
which demanded immediate operation. To
the last the King tried to avoid this. and he
was willing to be carried tn the Abbey for the
coronation ceremony in order that il should oc-
cur as arranged The influence of Queen Alex
sndra Was enlisted. however, and at early
hour this morning the ROYAL patient was pre-
nsred for the operation. which, even IN the skill
fn hands Of England-s best surgeons, was
rraught with grave danger
Shortly before o'clock this afternoon his
majesty was moved from his couch 70 the oper-
ating table ard the anasthetic was admin
istered Sir Frederick Treves made the incision
near the patients groin. and carried il upward.
with an outward slant for nearly four inches,
The obstruction was removed and tubing was
risced in the affected intestine.
King Edwards first words when he returned
10 consciousness We're TO ask for George" and
the Prince Of Wales. who was waiting in the
nsxt room. was Immediately admitted to his
fathers presence
While the operation was being performed the
great central courtyard of buckingham Palace.
So lately the scene of such brilliant gatherings,
vas utterly deserted. and impressive silence
reigned throughout the building The equerries
talked in whispers servants tiptoed about. and
the tension grew almost unbearable Then the
word was passed around. 'All had gone Well.
Lord Salisbury and Ms. BaIfour then went in
10 congratulate Queen Alexandra and afterward
an informal and perhaps historic discussion oc
CURED between the Prince Of Wales and the
Duke of Connaught and Lord Salisbury Mr..
Palfour and several other members of the Cab
fret
Queen Alexandra has horne the strain Of the
last week with the bravest spirit. She was al
ways fearful Of wflat might happen. Her mai
esty took her part in the festivities at Ascot
and elsewhere without revealing any sign Of her
inward anxiety and when she was told to-day
INN md at ba
coronation would have to be postponed. she
quietly answered. Have 1 not felt that this
would happen" and asked, How does the King
bear il" Upon receiving assuring reply
Queen Alexandra exerted herself to appear
cheerful and To devise means to lessen the
Kings grief and disappointment.
The idea was mooted in some influential quar-
ters today that. with a view of preventing the
disappointment Of the public. Queen Alexandra,
should be crowned alone next Thursday. and
the King should be crowned in a comparatively
private manner upon his recovery. This idea
Ras discussed but il rejected a pro-
oedure calculated to mislead the public mind
as 10 the purely relative Importance of the
Queen Consort
The Pope and the King of Italy and other
monarchs have cabled anxious inquiries con-
cerning King Edwards progress, and dispatches
received from ali parts of the world reflect the
intensity # feeling occasioned by the unexpected
With the British nation
Rumors are afioat this morning that although
the necessity of surgery in his majesty's case
obvious the actual operation was mis-
directed. The symptoms of great pain and
high temperature pointed TO appendicitis III
when the appendix revealed II proved 10
be healthy. and the unexpected existence of a
large abscess in the coecum was discovered
Whether or not there is any foundation for
these rumors the bulletins have seemed to IN
dcate that the surgeons were satisfied in the
first instance with the evacuation Of the alb
scess and that they made no attempt to re-
move the appendix or other structures which
might contain the germs Of future danger PROB
ably preferrng TO defer such operation for
radical cure some future period
At 40 O'Clock this morning the officer Of the
guard at Buckingham Palace said that he un-
derstoo6 there was no new development in the
Kings condition
At that hour the palace was everywhere
closed, and there were no signs of life about
the building except the sentries outside ana
email lot Of messengers and reporters awaiting
a possible bulletin.
The Daily Telegraph" says that when King
To West Point Newhurg and return by Day
I.ne Steamers oniy sO0. Tickets good for the
w