Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-06-26
Decided Improvement Shown Last
Evening When He was Able
tc Take Nourishment.
FEELING OF HOPEFULNESS
Hours-London's Great Crowds Are
Now Quieted-Lord Grey Ex-
presses Belief the King Will
Recover-Business Losses.

London. June 24.-Witn dramatic sudden
ness the King has been stricken down upon
the eve of his coronation. Tonight he lies
in critical state at Buckingham palace.
In spite of the intensity of this tragic in
terrupton. the lower elements of London
are "mafilcking" through the flag deck, d
streets and a portion OF society, in corona
ton gowns and jewels, has gathered at
what is called a gala coronation dinner at
one Of the fashionable hotels. Even at the
gates of Buckingham palace, within which
the abest surgeons and physicians con-
stantly remain in the hope of saving the
soVereigns life, the footing of horns and
the sound of other revelries can be piainly
heard. That slim gathering which slli ie-
mains beneath the flaring palace lights Is
now more bent on celebrating than on SYM
pathizing. Wagon loads OF bolst te Gus ioW-
dies are on the streets they are driving in
all sorts of vehicles and waving llaSs and
hugging dcmijohns of liquor, as they mahe
their noisy way from the West End to
Whitechapel. They represent tnat section
Of the British public which no tragedy can
sober into decency. They have tasted
license unrestrained by law in the eel, bf "a
tons IN connection with the war; and XII 6
or no King, they will celebrate the coroua-
ton.
1, must be admitted that the jewellers
have been psed by the technical langua- G
OF the bulletins, they seem to have no con-
cepton of the gravity of King Edward S
condition. The thinking portion of the ma
tion, however, has gone home numbed by
the events which the day has brought
forth.
| lndescribable CONSERVATION prevail $
| throughout the country, and this conster-
! nation is reflected in the cablegrams re-
| from q e.
| King Edward is III room facing the
! beautiful gardens of Buckingham lalaCc p,
! and far from the street and the crowd. If
tonight 5 progress is maintained, he Will
! probably tide over the effects Of mis- severe
| operation, which successfully removed the
local trouble. But should any complicu-
tion occur, such as septic peritonitis or
blood poisoning, ii is feared his majesty 5
! present physical and nervous condition
would he unequal to the strain involved.
! There is consequently intense anxiety as TO
the outcome. The Kings doctors believe
: that lis majesty would have been dead be-
fore now except for the operation. His con-
dition became so alarming last night that
at one time ii was fea red death might en-
! sue before the surgeons knife could afford
| him relief. Intense swelling of the eX-
tremities, accompanied by alarming symp-
toms of modification, constituted the EN-
! ergency which demanded an immediate
operation. To the last the King tried to
avoid this and he was willing to be car
ried to the Abbey for the coronation cerc-
monies in order that it should occur as ar
ranged. The influence of Queen Alexandra
was enlisted, however, and at an early
hour this morning the royal patient was
prepared fir the operation which, even
in the skitul hands of England's best sur
geons, was fraught with grave danger.
THE OPERATION PERFORMED.
shortly before o'clock this afternoon his
majesty was moved from his couch to the
operating table, and the anaesthetic was
, administered. Sir Frederick Treves made
the inclsion near the patients groin and
lcarried 1t upwards with an outward slant
for nearly four inches. The obstruction
was removed and "a tubing was placed in
the affected intestine.
King Edwards first words when he re-
turned TO consciousness were to ask for
George" and the Prince of Wales. who
was waiting in the next room was immedi-
ately admitted to his fathers presence
While the operation was being performe d
he great central court yard of buckingham
palace, so lately the scene of such brilliant
gatherings was utterly deserted, and an inn
: presslve 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 IAN had gone we'll"
Lord Salisbury and MIR. Balfour then went
! in to congratulate Queen Alexandra, and af.
terwards an informal and perhaps historic
l discussion occurred between the Prince of
Wales and the Duke of Connaught and
: Lord Salisbury. Mr.. Balfour and several
; other members of the cabinet.
Before the end of the afternoon over ,OOt
} callers who included nearly all the foreign
representatives in London and members OF
: the House of Lords and the House of Com.
! mons, had inscribed their names on the Wis.
itors' book at Buckingham palace. All the
royal princes called personally on the
) Prince of Wales, and bade him good bye
5 The majority of them will leave London TO-
morrow morning for their respective coun-
tries.
POSTPONEMENT OF CORONATION.
3 A brief notice has been published in tho
Gazette, as a result of which the entir,
= state social and business arrangement, t,
throughout the country are paralyzed. rh,
. order is dated from the Earl Marshals Of
= flee and reads as follows:
2 II have to announce that the solemnit,
! of the coronation of their ma jesties Kin,
Edward VII and Queen Alexandra is post
4 poned from the 26th to date hereafter I,
t be determined"
e The best informed opinion places the dat
t OF the coronation in about three months
e time, provided King Edward progresses
o we'll in the meantime.
n n THE QUEEN EXPECTED IT.
n Queen Alexandra has borne the strair
OF the past week with the bravest spirit Sh
8 was always fearful of what might happen
p Her majesty took her part in the Festivities
S at Ascot and elsewhere without revealin,
n any sign of her inward anxiety, and whel
h she was told to-day that an operation wa
s imperative and that the coronation woui,
). have to be postponed, she quietly answere,
'liave not felt that this would happen :?
and asked How does the King bear It :?
/: upon receiving an assuring reply Queer
. Alexandra eXerted herself to appear cheer
ful and TO devise means to lessen the King
: grief and disappointment although she wa
:, evidently greatly distressed
S THE KINGS DISEASE DESCRIBED
New York. June A-Dr. Cyrus Edsol
explained the Kings illness and the oper
alton to-day as follows:
"Perityjhltis is inflammation, includin
!. the formation of an abcess of the tissue
% around the veriform appendix and henc
Z perityphlitis Is hard to distinguish at one
% from appendicitis. Usually an operation
o Is necessary to ascertain whether the ap
2 pendix or the surrounding tissue Is dis
5 eased, In the Kings case there Is probab
y