The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1903-07-23
POPE LEO XIII. HAS
PASSED away
End of the Venerable Prelate's Re-
markable Struggle to Ward
OFF Deaths Attack.
with His Dying Breath He Whispers
Benedfctions on Relatives and Car
dinaIs - Funeral Ceremonies Will
Continue Nine Days The Tenn
pOrary Pope.

Rome, July 2l.--Pope Leo ALL. II
dead. The last flicker of life expired at
four minutes past four O'Clock Monday
afternoon, and the pontiff now lies at
rest. The period Of over two weeks
that Pope Leo passed in the shadow OF
death was no less wonderful than his
life. His splendid battle against dis
ease was watched the world over with
sympathetic admiration, and ended
only after a series Of tremendous eff
forts to conquer the weakness OF his
aged frame by the marvellous will
power of his mind. The pleuro-pneu-
monia with which his holiness had
been suffering was scarcely so respon-
sible for his death as that inevitable
decay Of tissue which ensues upon SO
years Of life.
The emaciated and lfeless frame
which held so brave spirit lies on the
bed in the vatican beside which almost
all the world has prayed. The red
damask coyerlet rests lightly over the
body. the cardinals scarlet cape is
about the shoulders, while on his head
has been placed the papdl hood OF vel
vet, bordered with srmine, and in the
hands which have blessed SO many
thousands has been placed crucifix.
VIII Lie in state.
To-day the sacred college Of car
dinals will assemble for the impressive
ceremony of officially pronouncing
Pope Leo dead. After this sad function
has been performed the body will be
taken to the small throne room ad-
joining the death chamber, where II
will be embalmed. The funeral cere-
monies will extend over nine days, the
remains being removed to the cathe-
DIAL OF St Peters, where they will lie
in state The ultimate resting place OF
the dead pontff will be in the magnifi-
cent basilica Of St. John the Lateran.
His Last Hours.
Pope Leo's final moments were
marked by that same serenity and de-
votion, and when he was conscious,
that calm intelligence which is asso-
ciated with his % years pontificate,
His was no easy death. An hour be-
fore he died, turning to DR.. Lappenl
and his devoted valet, Pho Contra, he
murmured The pain suffer is most
terrible" Yet his parting words were
not OF the physical anguish that he SUI
fered, but were whispered benedictions
upon the cardinals and his nephews,
who knelt at the bedside, and the last
look of his almost sightless eyes was
towards the great ivory crucfx hang
ing in the death chamber. Practically
all the cardinals now In Rome, kneel-
ing at the bedside, watched the passage
OF his soul.
Statement by DIR. LappOni.
OF this supreme moment DR.. Lapponi
gives an impressive description. He
said: Death occurred through ex-
haustion, although in the last two
hours Pope Leo made supreme effort
to gather together all his energies. He
succeeded in recognizing those about
him by the sound OF their voices, as
his sight was almost entirely lost.
Still he made a marvellous display OF
his energy, and even his death was
really grand. 1t was resigned, calm
and serene. Very few examples can
be given OF man OF such advanced
age after SO exhaustive an illness
showing such supreme courage In dy-
ing"
The Temporary Pope.
Meantime, events Of momentoss i'm
portance TO Catholic Christendom were
occurring. The death OF Pope Leo
meant the passing Of the supreme pow
er into the hands Of the sacred college
OF cardinals as its temporary custodian
during the interregnum. The perfect
administrative machinery OF the church
provided against the slightest inter-
ruption Of the governing authority. AS
the senior member OF the sacred col
lege. Cardinal Oreglia, to whom the
pope, just before his death, solemnly
eonfided the interests OF the church,
has now become the exponent OF the
cardinals until Pope Leos successor
has been elected
Prssident Deeply Touched.
Washington, July 21--The state de-
partment upon learning OF the death
Of the pope, seH he following cable
gram to Cardinal Rampolla:
Cardinal Rampolla, the Vatican,
Rome:
The president desires me to express
his profound sense OF the loss which
the Christian world has sustained In
the death Of his holiness, Leo XIII.
BY his lofty character, his great learn
ing, and his comprehensive charity he
adorned his exalted station and made
his reign one Of the most illustrious az
1t has been one Of the longest in the
history Of the Catholic church.
(Signed) JOHN HAY"
Tragedy in Milwaukee