River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-07-23
Cardinals and Relatives Are Gath
cred at Bedside and Receive
a Last Benediction.
PatheticS Genes in Sick Room During
Last Hours--Hope Abandoned
Early in the Day.
How the News Is Received Through
out the WOrId-ShOrt Bio
graphical Sketch.

|
were preceded by period of insensi-
bility. Around the bedside at the final
moment were the cardinals, the rela-
tives and the members of the papal
court. Before lapsing into uncon-
seriousness the dying pontiff feebly
moved his lips, his last articulate
words being those used in bestowing a
benediction.
Gradually the shadow of death
spread over the pontiff, his extrem-
tiles became cold, his features as
sumed the fixed rigidity of death and
DR.. Lapponi noted his last futtering
heartbeats, which gradually became
slower and slower until they finally
stopped.
The news of the pope's death spread
rapidly throughout Rome and caused
most profound sensation. The whole
city is in mourning.
His Last Moments.
Shortly before noon the pope was
seized with a sinking spell. For a few
moments it was believed that a catas-
trophe was about to occur. So near
death was the pontiff that Cardinal
Vannutelli the grand penitentiary be-
gan at his bedside to recite the prayers
for the dying, and administered abso-
luton in articulo mortis. The pope,
however, once again demonstrated his
marvellous vitality by rallying from the
apparently fatal seizure, but only to
relapse Immediately into state Of
semi-consciousness.
Thinks of the Past.
Although the morning bulletin had
given the impression that the pope's
condition was somewhat ameliorated,
in reality the doctors did not think so.
They considered that the lowering of
the pulse and the diminution of the
respiration were due to great prostra-
ton of the whole organism, which was
augmenting, Notwithstanding the fact
that the patient at times took little
nourishment. The pope continued now
and then to mutter Phrases, although
unconscious. His mind evidently re-
turned to the events which impressed
him most before his illness began. At
one moment he was feeling about with
his hands and moving his head from side
to side, trying to lift himself, while he
murmured: What crowds! What de-
votion! My dear people!" Then, fall
ing back inertIy, he sighed and said:
ooh, the weight of these robes. Can
hold out until the end?" This was fol-
lowed by scraps of Latin verses and
prayers and then came an interval of
silence, which was gbroken by another
moment of energy, in which the pope
cried: "The consistory is over! They
can reproach me no longer! How many
faces of all kinds! How many foreign
ers! The church is triumphing!" and
so on, over and over again.
Realizes End Is Near.
wonderful thing about Pope Leo
was that every time his mind became
clear he seemed to grasp the fact that
it might be the last, and he made the
highest use of it, When, during the
alarming crisis, about noon, he was ly-
ing on his bed, perfectly motion1ess,
while around him knelt the cardinals
and other members of the papal court,
praying and not knowing whether the
pope was not already dead, without any
preliminary restlessness the pontiff
opened his eyes, which fell on Cardinal
Oreglia, who was at his side, and he
said, solemnly:
ITO your eminence, who will soon
seize the reins of supreme power, con-
fide the church in these difficult times"
Then Mgr. Bisleti, the master of the
chamber, asked for the pope's benedic-
ton for the court, which the pontiff
granted, adding:
BE this my last greeting"
Then the pontiff gave his hand to kiss
to the cardinals present, who were Greg
liza, Rampolla, Serafino Vannutelli, Dolla
Volpe and Wives y Tuto.
President Deeply Touched.
Washington, July 21.-The state de-
partment upon learning of the death
of the pope, sent the following cable
gram to Cardinal Rampolla:
Cardinal Rampolla, the Vatican,
Rome:
1.-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 as
it has been one of the longest in the
history of the Catholic church.
(Signed) JOHN HAY"
London Hears News.
London, July 21.-The first news OF
the pope's death was conveyed to
Westminster cathedral in press dis
patch which was transmitted to Mgr.
johnson, acting head of the diocese
since the death of Cardinal Vaughan.
The announcement was followed short
ly by a private message from friend
of Mgr. Johnson at the vatican, but
no official notification was received
since the diocese is at present with
out a cardinal The news Will have
little visible effect on the Cathollc
church in England.