The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-21

up the marble staircase anu Inc SOuA
yard of Sandamazo was deserted ex-
cept for the black carriages of the car
dinals and their coachmen, who were
awaiting for their masters 1t was the
hour of the siesta. Nothing could have
been more peaceful.
At twenty minutes past four man
dashed madly across st. Peters square,
then quite empty. A second later, an
other followed on a bicycle. Within
few seconds, as If by magic, newspaper
men. gendarmes and messengers, run
ming, driving and gesticulating, dashed
to and fro through the portals of the
Vatican.
Like a wireless message there flashed
around the words, "He is dead" Rub
bling the afternoon sleep from their
eyes. bareheaded men and women.
many carrying babies. emerged from
the darkened houses and cafes and be-
sieged the doors of the Vatican. Trans
formation was complete. The quick
movement and tense feeling of the
rapidly gathering crowd now permeat-
ed where a few minutes before there
had been no sign of life.
The French ambassadors carriage
drove furiously from the Vatican and
drew up at a nearby telegraph office.
| Without waiting for the horses to stop,
the ambassador jumped out and mott
fled his government of the Pope's
| death.
There soon followed the cardinals,
who, with set faces, dI owe slowly
| ho1newards
| Found Vatican Closed.
Behind the shutters of Pope Leo's
| room which still remain closed, all
was over. The heavy bronze doors
were swung to. and entrance to the
Vatican was only obtainable by knock
| ing at a little wicket, which was close
~ kept within by the Papal Guard and
without by the Italian police. The
latter had been slightly reinforced, but
| had no difficulty in controlling the
| crowds VINO were allowed to remain
| in the square just as they were accus-
| toned to do before DEATH but not to
enter the Vatican itself.
Carriages kept rafting up, their oc-
cupants mostly holding in their hands
l extra 6ulllOilS ANNOUNCING NHt OpC
death, which the local papers quickly
got out.
On the steps of st. Peters sat
group of Young Roman princes dis
| cussing the situation. Near by. was
gathered almost every type of peasant
and working woman who make Rome
so picturesque. few entered the
Basilica itself and there offered up
prayers for Pope Leo's soul, Among
| rha monks
who with hands uplifted, prayed
long and earnestly at the gates of the
dimly lighted shrines.
Last Moments Peaceful.
The Pope died shortly after 4
O'Clock this afternoon. His last mo-
ments were comparatively peaceful and
painless and were preceded by period
of insensibility.
Around the bedside at the final mo-
ment We're the cardinals, the relatives
and the members of the papal court.
Before lapsng into unconsciousness the
dying Pontiff feebly moved his lips,
his last articulate words being those
used in bestowing benediction.
Gradually the shadow Of death spread
over the Pontiff. His extremities be-
came cold, his features assumed the
fixed rightly of death, and DR.. Lap
POM noted his last fiuttering heart
BEATS which gradually became slower
and slower until they finally stopped.
The news of the Pope's death spread
rapidly throughout Rome and caused
a most profound sensation. The whole
city Is in mourning.
The whole day was one of continual
emotion, one distressing scene follow
ing after another When it became
| known, shortly before O'clock that
the Popes journey through the valley
| of death was almost finished, Cardinal
| Vannutelli hurried again to his bed
! side and was followed shortly after
ward by what is called in Vatican
phraseology the papal secret family"
and the noble family" besides the
personal f&mily," including the late
Pope's nephews, comte Ludovlco, Ric-
cardo and Camille, and also all the
| cardinals at the Vatican, who after
wards retired TO the adjoining library,
/ after <they had been allowed to kiss
the Pontiff's hand and pass along, pre-
senting another of those pictures which
will live in the memory of all those
| participating in it.
ReverentIy They Appeared.
The aged Pontiff was lying uncon-
/ scious ,propped up to assist him in
breathing one hand laid on the red silk
] coverlet, the heavy pontifcal ring be-
ing on the point Of falling from the
| shrunken finger. while the other hand
! ciutcne0 MS rosary anu cruclflX.
| Though he was entirely unconscious,
| CLEANS of Intelligence seemed to flick
1 er across the worn face and the shadow
| of a smile fell over the pallid lips
/ when the nephews passed and rever-
| emily knelt and kissed the Pope's hand.
| No word was spoken. The only sound
/ which broke the silence of death was
I the rattle of the arms of the Noble
Guard, who were stationd at every
| door of the Pontiff's private apart
ments, it being their privilege and
right under the circumstances to take
possession of the apartments and
guard the body of the Pope
In the ante-chamber had assembled
the high ecclesiastics, members of the
diplomatic corps and representatives of
the Papal aristocracy, awaiting the an
! nouncement that the final moment had
come
| Profound silence reigned in the
! Popes bedroom, only broken by the
| doctors rising to render their expiring
patient more comfortable; by the sobs
of the ever faithful valet, Pho Contra,
or the murmured prayers of Mgr. Pif-
fri, the Papal confessor, himself "a
years of age who had to be assisted
to the bedside. Softly he recited the
| prayers for the dying, the Pontiff at
one moment appearing to follow them
! as though conscious of what was
transporting, but he could not speak.
| Then the dying Pope murmured some
thing to himself, in which those bend
ing over him heard the words, father"
| and mother"
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