Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-07-22
AGED PONT|FF IS DEAD.
The End Came at 4 10 Monday
Morning.
Gallant Fight OF Physicians Proved un-
avaiIing-Preparation for the FL
nal Summons Made by Gov
eminent Authorities.


Rome. July 2o.-Pope- Leo XIII. died
at 4:1o Monday morning. Announce
ment of the fact was made officially
to correspondents by the italian gov
eminent. The news has been csbied
to London, Washington and other
capitals.
The Closing Hours.
Rome. July 2O-Pope Leo XIII.
laid Sunday night in state of coma.
and there are grave doubts in the
minds of his doctors whether he will
eyer completely emerge. His imme-
diate dissolution seems to be only
averted by the reliability of the action
of his heart. His pulse. tlough weak,
continues steady Shortly before mid
night Or. Lapponi said TO press cor
respondent:
The pope at the present moment
is in a state OF coma. which may he
called the condition preceding the last
agony. the duration Of which il is i'm.
possible to forecast. although every
I ling leads 10 the belief that his con-
dition can not last. To he more exact,
he is still in state Of torpor and stu
por. from which. however. he rouses
occasionally when he hears sharp
sounds s for instance the insistent
voice of one of his familiars calling
loudly to him. Left alone. he relapses
Immediately into condition of tor
por. AT intervals he murmurs in hi;
sleep. continuing to have forCbodings
that he is being abandoned by his
valet Contra and myself. These are
til symptoms of incip.ent cerebral
anCmia and general exhaustion.
lie can no longer turn III his bed
without assistance. and is being kept
alive by artificial stimulants. During
the last % hours he has had two in
jcctiors of CamphCratod oil. three of
caffeine and two hypodermics of salt
water besides drinking stimuIants"
Msgr. Bislotti, master of tne pope's
chamber said earlier in the evening
that the pulse OF his holiness had not
yet shown any signs of becoming in
tormittent: so. despite his extreme
weakness and coma. he believed the
pope would survive the night and pos
sinly Monday
Both the Italian government and the
| authorities of tie vatican have made
final preparations for the pope's
deatl. The government is rigidly
| censoring all kilograms and telephone
communication between Italy and the
rest of the continent. At this hour
but few people remain AT the vatican.
DR.. MazZoni and DIR. Rossoni and the
| cardinals have gone 10 their homes to
| await the last urgent summons.
Now that the supreme last mo-
| ment in the memorable life and reign
OF Pope Leo is expected almost hour
| ly, the contrast between the quiet
| within and the excitement without
the vatican is most striking In the
vast palace there is a hushed calm
Of expectation, the only apparent
wakeful souls being the Swiss guards
| The doctors and attendants of the dy-
ing pontin speak in whispers and
| move noiselessly about so that from
the sick room no sound comes ex-
cept the heavy breathing of the I'M
conscious pope or his occasional cries
for Pho Contra and DR.. Lapponi His
| felt himself abandoned. In reality
sleep is very far from all eyes No
matter at what hour death comes. the
whole palace will spring into sudden
| life as though touched by a magi-
| clans wand.
In the piazza of St. Peters, on the
contrary, all is movement. there be-
| ing a regular encampment OF Jour
nalists before the famous bronze
| doors. which are now closed i'm their
| faces and behind which the regular
| tramp Of the Swiss guards can he
| heard. Many eyes are glued to the
window in the popes chamber. over
| looking the piazza. while the near by
| cafes. especially those with tele-
| phones. are crowded. Bicycles ready
for use are piled up outside them and
cabs are lingering about in the hope
of catching fare. This strange
scene is illuminated by the magnih-
cent starlight while the two grand
and celebrated fountains give a kind
| q spectral grace to the whole.
The Observatory Romano. the chief
| vatican organ, has received orders to
hold a special edition. The only thing
wanting to complete the paper is tho
| hour of Pope Leo's death. The staffs
of all the other papers are at their
posts, ready to issue special editions
at any hour of the night.
Il