Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-15
NOTED NURSE DEAD
Florence Nightingale Passes
Eaay in Ninety-First Year.
SERVED IN CRIMEAN WAR
Native of Florence, Italy, Daughter
Of Englishman.
KNOWN AS SOLDIERS FRIEND
Received the Order of Merit From
Her Sovereign, King Edward,
In 1907.
KNOWN AS SOLDIERS FRIEND

LONDON. August 15.-Florence Night
ingale, the famous nurse Of the Crimean
war. and the only woman who ever re-
ceived the Order of Merit. died yesterday
afternoon at her London home. Although
she had been an invalid for a long time
rarely leaving her room, where she pass
ed the time In a half-recumbent position,
and was under the constant care of a
physician. her death was somewhat unex.
pscted. A week ago she was quite sick
but then improved, and Friday was cheer.
! ful- During that night alarming symp
toms developed, and she gradually sank
until o clock Saturday afternoon, when
the end came.
Her funeral will be as quiet as possible,
In accordance with her wishes. During
recent years. owing to her feebleness and
advanced age. Miss Nightingale had re-
ceived but few visitors. May Il last she
celebrated her ninetieth birthday. and
was the recipient Of a congratulatory mes
sage from king George.
Was Queen Of Nurses
The Queen OF Nurses" and The Sol
diers Friend" are titles which have stuck
20 Florence Nightingale since her men,
orable service in behalf of the wounded
and dying in the Crimean war Though
Miss Nightingale was ninety years old
last May, and although she had been an
invalid ever since she returned from the
Levant In the stirring times following the
heroic struggle of the British In the Rus
sian empire. she retained her mental fac
ulties TO the last. The last honor to be
conferred upon her by a grateful country
was in 1905. when the freedom of the
city OF London was bestowed upon her.
The ceremony took place in the Guildhall
Guiding many nurses and doctors. Miss
Nightingale, then in her eightY-eighth
Year, was too infirm TO attend, and was
represented BY her nephew.
Before that. In December. 1907, she re-
ceiyed from. King Edward the English
order OF Merit. fhe statutes had TO be
modified by the king in order TO admit oi
her appointment and Queen Alexandra 1
own birthday was selected as the mos,
suitable date for the bestowal of the
honor. >
Daughter Of English Parents.
Florence Nightingale, the daurhte,
OF William Shore nightingale. =
wealthy English landowner in Flor.
snce. italy was born in that city 4.
iszo and from that city she took he,
given name When a mere child sb<
returned with her parents 10 England
wnere she lived on her fathers estate
OF Lea Hurst. Derbyshire. She wa,
hisniy educated. being thoroughly al
az 'he = rencn, herman and Ital.
Ian languages. Her inclination toware
philanthropy manifested itself early IN
IKE and she did much for the moo,
neighbors around her English home.
she began her life work by enterins
as pupil in the Lutheran HOSPITAL 81
Pastor Fleidner at Kaiserwertb' nea,
Dusseldorf-on-the-R Rhine. Here She AZ.
Quilted herself in such manner as n
draw the highest praise from heI
teacher. In the early ifties she re.
nd
TO labor in hospital for sick govern.
esses. where her health succunbed =.
the severity OF her tasks She hat
hardly recovered from the strain Of
Of her life was thrust upon her.
Inc Crimean war had or.ened Eng
land was engaged I'm the formidable TASK
OF trying 20 clip the claws OF the Rus
sian bear Thousands OF Engiishmen
we're sent away 10 the Black sea, where
the rigors of winter on that iron coas,
were such that although the army never
penetrated the country more than a days
march from the sea. the campaign al
most failed through the breakdown OF
the chain OF commissariat supplies. Will
in 1874 there were 5000 men in the mill
taTy hospitals.
In the first stage Of the Crimean no
woman nurse was employed In any o,
the military hospitals. for the class Of
women who had in the past been EN-
ployed was so VIGOROUSLY bad that tn,
war ONCE decided not TO send out any
woman nurses to the Crimea. After IN,
battle OF the Alma, however. the countr,
rang with indignation at the neglected
condition OF the sick and wounded sol
dters.
> Her Services Solicited.
Stirred into action. Sir Sydney Herbert
secretary OF war. wrote TO Miss Nightin
gale saying that she was the one woman
90 take charge of the organization Of
/. corps of nurses. He offered her abso
lutte authority in this department
Strangely enough. on the same day Mis-
Nightingale wrote offering her services
A few days later she sailed for tn
2 Crimea with thirty-four nurses. and tn,
government congratulated the country oil
having obtained her services
The women arrived inst after the battl
OF Inkerman had been fought. Their,
were 1000 men in the hospitals. sons
wounded. but most sick.
- ThAga ere. Of course, very few veteran: