The San Francisco call., 1910-05-07

meeting between his visits to the pal
ace He said impressivefy: sickness
and sorrow and the great issues of life
and death level all earthly barriers.
ask you as Christians to stand for q
minute in silence and lift up your
prayers for our sovereign hanging this
moment between life and death"
The audience rose and after a minute
of silence Joined in the Lords prayer
Special services were held this evening
In Sandringham, WoIyerton and other
churches on the kings estates
An incident occurred this afternoon
which. under ordinary circumstances
would have given King Edward the
greatest elation. His horse. Witch OF
the Air, in which he was keenly inter
ested, won the Spring 2 year old stake
at kempton park amid the cheers OF
the race goers.
The Official Gazette tonight. by a
coincidence, published the first program
of the court levees.
From early in the morning, through
a day Of brilliant sunshine followed by
a stormy evening with frequent heavy
/ showers, a vast crowd filled the open
, space in front of Buckingham palace,
awaiting news of the kings condition.
Even after evening passed into night
groups stood about the gates and hung
( to the iron railings of the gold tipped
fence, watching the coming and going
of members of the royal family, of ply
sicians, of officials and other notables
until the police shortly before mid
! night to clear the streets, announced
| that no further bulletins would be is
sued until morning.
STREAM OF CALLERS
Then the straggIers reluctantly left
their posts of vantage and sadly
hension. Some had spent hours at the
fence. having provided themselves with
sandwiches, making it unnecessary for
them to leave even for their meals.
At the same time a steady stream of
callers passed through the diplomatic
entrance to sign the visitors book and
make inquiries During the afternoon
that more than one ambassador had to
wait more than an hour and a half
before he could reach the desk.
These visitors received no more in
formation than the waiting crowds
outside, being simply shown the bulle-
tins posted for the public.
The more intimate friends were re-
ceived at the entrance to the wing of
the palace in which the kings apart
ments are located, where officials of
the household gave them the latest
news from the sickroom. The crowd
outside was an ever increasing one, the
early arrivals consisting of artisans,
who stopped for a brief moment on
their way to work to question the
waiting reporters and police.
Later in the morning women of all
classes began to flock through Green
and St. James parks toward the palace.
A few carriages and automobiles drove
up with diplomats and other callers,
who were soon followed by the whole
official and social world of London. un-
til the waiting row of vehicles
stretched several blocks along the
street. When the morning bulletin
which had been given to the press and
circulated in special editions long be-
fore was posted on the fence, the
square was so crowded that police re-
serves were called to make a passage
for traffic. There had been feeling
that the reports in the morning papers
were exaggerated. The bulletin, how
ever. showed the kings condition was
most grave and the solemn faced crowd
spread the news throughout the city.
WAITING FOR BULLETINS
The weather continued fine in the
afternoon and brought out more and
more people, who waited six hours for
another bulletin.
This served to increase rather than
king was dead or dying were only too
true.
The announcement in the papers that
a bulletin would be issued at $50 at
tracted an ever increasing throng. The
dinner hour caused only slight thin
ming out, while later practically every
! body who was within reach of the nal
ace congregated in the square. MANY
ladies in evening dress with their es-
corts left dinner tables hurriedIy to
come to the palace gates.
The showers. accompanied by a sharn
wind. drove only few away, and 1t
looked as though the palace square
would be filled the night long until
the police moved off those who had
gathered with the news that no
further bulletins would be forthcoming.
Many Events Abandoned
Throughout the empire the news NJ
the kings death was flashed and TO-DAY
flags are floating at half mast the
world over. Besides the social gloom
which the kings death casts over Eng
land, several important and long
planned official events must be aban-
doned. The prince and princess OF
Wales were to go to South Africa with
the squadron, and the prince was to
open the first parliament of the new
confederation, but his accession to the
throne will now prevent this.
The death of his majesty will also
mean the abandonment of the princinal
functions of former President Roose-
velts tour. The official receptions AND
the embassy entertainments will he
Cancelled and the presentation of the