Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-02-05
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
TWo Broken Appointments Thai
Gave Country q SeRsatIon.
Strange Way In Which Public Came
to Learn Of Operation on Presl.
dent Cieseiand's Jaw While
Aboard Bsnediet,R Yacht
BY Z. J. EDWkR Do.


tail OF a serious operation performed
upon the upper left jaw OF President
Grover Cleveland while he Wss st seq
on the yacht Of his friend, 8. c. bene;
dict Of New York. The report IVES in
the best sense OF the word sensation:
al; the operation was the sole topic
Of national discussion.
For some time thereafter the truth
OF the report was disputed by several
newspapers. snd II WAS thought ad-
visable by those who were near Presi'
dent Cleveland at his summer home 81
BuzEard's Hay to give out q qualified
denial Of ita accuracy. But later the
late Daniel g. Lamont, then Clere-
lands private secretary, who was With
Cleveland at the time the operation
was performed. confessed to me that
my account Of the operation on the
president WEE SO amazingly accurate
that Ii Was impossible not to believe
that It had been described to me by
some one who was in the presidential
party at the time Of the operation.
The president had been taken to sea
upon Mr. Benedict's yacht chiefly for
the purpose Of surrounding the opera.
ton With secrecy
/ have been asked many times how
obtained my Information OF the
operation. This Is the story. which
am noW at liberty to tell:
Upon my return to my home from a
brief vacation in August. 1892. | found
my family physician. the late Or. Le-
ander p. Jones OF Greenwich, Conn.
waiting TO see me. Dr.. Jones was the
physician OF E. G. Benedict. OF Henry
o. Haremeyer, president OF the Sugar
trust: OF Andrew Carnegie. when he
lived in Greenwich. and Of the Rookie
fellers whsn their home was In that
town. He said to me as we met: IN
the most extraordinary way ! have
learned that very difficult operation
has just been performed upon PTesi'
dent Cleveland. can tell you the
story in detail without any violation
Of professional confidence.
1T so happened that I had a pa
tent on whom an important. almost
heroic. surgical operation was TO be
performed ! engaged the services OF
one OF the ablest surgeons IN New
York and the day and hour were fixed
for the operation. WAC greatly
alarmed when this surgeon did not
appear at the time set. nor did he ap.
pear until two days later. when the
condition Of my patient was desperate
indeed. | asked him for AN eyplana
don OF his delay and he gave 1t to me
In these words:
al went By appoiptm to New
London. Conn. FIVE days ago 10 per-
form last resort operation. | had
engaged Dr.. Hasbrouck Of New York
city TO meet me at New London and
administer nitrous oxide gas 10 The
patient. Dr.. Hasb-ouck assured me
that he would be IN New London on
certain train, but he did not come. !
telegraphed to his Office in New York
and in reply was Informed that his
assistants did not know where he was.
all they knew was that he had gone
away few days earlier to administer
gas in 8 surgical operation. that he
had gone with the expectation OF re-.
turning In the evening. but he had not
come.
1.-The next day DR.. Hasbronck ap.
reared in New London. He found me
in a very angry frame OF mind; bur
be asked me not to criticise him until
he had told his story. He then said
he had been engaged to 90 upon Mr..
Beuedict's yatch to administer laugh
Ing gas to a patient who was 10 he
operated upon there for some trouble.
When the yacht was out at sea, he
found that the patient was President
Cleveland himself. He administered
the gas and kept the president under
The influence of It for several hours.
Then he wished to 80 ashore. but no
pleading OF hfs that they land him was
listened to, since 1t was thought pos
sibIs that another operation on the
president might be necessary.
"Dr. Hasbrouck then described the
operation in detail. and why i; was
made, to the surgeon who had en-
ployed him and whom l had employ
ed" continued Or. Jones, "and this
surgeon. in turn, described the opera
ton to me-. Now, Will tell you exact
" what I have been told, and you are
at liberty to use it publicly or not as
you see At ! would advise you. how.
ever. 10 see Dr.. Hasbrouck. al his
Office in New York. before you write
your story"
The next day called upon DR.. Has
brouck and told him the story OF the
operation as I bad heard It from Dr..
Jones. He listened to n1e in amaze
lnent and the he said: Some OF the
physicians who were aboard the yacht
must have told you that story. You
could not have obtained it in any 9th
u,ovp