New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-13
CLARA BARTON IS DEAD
American Red Cross Founder
Ends Life of Sacrifice.
WAS KNOWN FOR HER ZEAL
Works of Mercy in War and
Peace Made Her an Interna-
tional Figure.

Peace Made Her an Interna-
tional Figure.
Washington. April 12-Mlss Clara Barton
founder Of the American Red Cross and
one of the most widely known American
women Of her day. died at her home. Red
Cross. IN Glen Echo. Md, this morning at 3
o clock.
Miss Barton suffered an attack Of pneu-
nonia In February. 1911. She had relapse.
and the disease became chronic. She went
last summer, as usual. to her old home In |
oxford, Mass. and returned to Glen Echo
in feeber health last autumn. Muscular |
weakness of the heart developed and FOR
weeks the condition of the venerable nurse
Rad been such as to cause grave concern
among her friends Her bright mind was
undimmed almost TO the last and her
ready wit and quick repartee made her SICK
room a place of cheer to her attendants.
With her when the end came were her
nephew, Stephen Barton, Of Boston, ana
DR.. J. b. HubbelL
The great regret Of Miss Bartons last
months was that her cnfeebed condition
made it necessary for her to suspend work
uuon her autobiography She bad brought
this work down only to the beginning OF
her public career as a Civil War nurse. a
woman whose whole training had fostered
habits of precision, she has left behlnu
practically the entire correspondence of her
public career as we'll as other data bearing
on her international hospital work, and the
work which she herself began will be com
pleted by other hands. She had outlined 10
her nephew. Stephen Barton, what she con-
sidered the salient points in her public iife.
Last Years in Retirement.
Her last years had been spent IN retro
rnent She maintained her winter home Ar
Glen Echo. but passed a part of each sum-
mer at her birthplace in Massachusetts
she retired from the presidency ot the
American Req cross in 1904
Miss Barton will be buried where she was
born on the slopes of the little cemetery
in oxford, Mass, with father and mother
brothers and sisters, she will be lald 10 4
rest
Brief funeral services will he held at the
Glen Echo home on Sunday afternoon III
accordance with Miss Barton's wish eN-
pressed shortly before her death, her long
time friend. Mrs. John \. Logan, VIII de-
liver a brief euogy. The Rev. pr John
Van Setback and the Rev. DR.. curry I'M
versaIist clergymen, will also officiate. Miss
Barton leaned toward Unlversalsm' ou'
held membership in no church.
The funeral party will leave here On
Sunday evening, and services In oxford VIII
he conducted on Monday. at noon. by III"
Rev. William T. Barton. Of Chicago
cousin. and the Rev. Percy H. Epler IL
Worcester, Mass, both ConTegatondilsts.
Clara Barton. president OF the American
Red Cross for twenty-five years was Dorm
I'm 1880 Of farmer parents at Ne" EhBlahn
Village. a small hamlet near OXFORD, MISE
After going TO school at oxford she taush'
for while In a country school, ana th'h
went to work In factory as cloth ulh-
mer. she again taught school until she
succeeded in saving money enough TO give
her years study at an institution Tor
girls.
Later she obtained a position In the rat
ent Office at Washington, being the hrst
woman to hold n regular clerical POSITION
I'm a government department. The outbreak
Of the civil War gave Clara Barton IN" or
nortuuity for hard and unselhsh work.
Her first work came when the Union toops
arrived I'm washington after their expert
cncc I'm Baltimore. She solicited FUNDS ana
obtained the sanction of the War Depart
ment. but II was with the money she had
collected that supplies were purchased, ana
with her own team they were taken TO the
front 1t was little later that the govern
ment recognized the worth OF her services
and assisted her In her work.
Clara Barton went about among the SOL
dIers ministerng TO them In sickness and
distress Oftentimes she was the only wom-
an I'm n camp OF several thousand men. She
was present at a number OF battles. and
rendered great aid and comfort to tn" sick
and wounded soldiers.
Traced missing" Relatives.
Her knowledge OF the affairs at Ander-
sonville enabled her to render the govern
rnent and thousands Of people all over the
country who had lost relatives during the
war ! great relief. Thousands OF soldiers
were missing" and their friends did not
know their fate With government sane
ton she established a bureau Of search at
Washington. Accompanied by Laurence At
water. who had escaped from Anderson
v,le and carried the death records away
with him, she went to Andersonville There
sba had charge OF the work Of disinte-ring.
Identifying and renterring the bodies or
more than thirty thousaHu 1'iS""S "''
had died at the prison.
4 1ittIo later. at the suggestion Of Henry
Ward Bcecher, she made a lecture tour
telling Of her experiences during he war.
BEFORE she had completed her plans her
health gave out, and she went to Europe
70 recuperate. II was while in Switzerland
90 ,Ia Pod
rs great work The Red Cross treaty
had been ratified at the Geneva convention
IN 1864. and twenty five nations had entered
into il. America had been urged to join
but no action had been taken. She was
asked to join IN the work, and although
her health was not robust, she consented,
and by special invitation she joined the
Grand Duchess of Baden. and they worked
through the Franco-Prussian War. She
was In Paris during the reign OF the Com
,nune and after the city had fallen she
aided in establishing workshops for the
women In Paris and Strasburg' which
s,ved from n wretchcd life thousands
whom the war had spared.
Uroed u. S. to Adopt Treaty.
Rorore she returned home Miss Barton
,ro,,,ieed the international Red Cross com
,nittee that she would use her influence
for the adoption Of the treaty by the United
states She kept her word, and after many
reverses she induced President Garfield
N send n message to the Senate advocat-
ING the adoption OF the treaty, but lis
aae'o seiration delayed the matter for time
Under President Arthur all the formalitie9
we're concluded. She naturally became
,'uosiaept Of the American branch when 1t