Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-08-05
Fails to Rally Following
Relapse from Operation
for Abscess
WIFE MAINTAINS
COURAGE TO END
Last Thursday Famous Tenor and
Wife Visited Sanctuary in
Valley Of POmpeii

NAPLES, August 2.-Enrico Ca
russo, the worlds greatest tenor, died
here at 4 a. m. today.
His golden voice was stilled for
ever when he failed to rally from a
relapse following an operation for
an abscess.
Caruso's death was expected for
several hours before the end came.
He never had completely recovered
from the effects of an operation for
pleurisy which he underwent in New
York last winter.
AS result of this operation, ply
sicians stated, he suffered from a
diaphragmic abscess.
Another operation was performed
in an effort to remove the accum-
ulated pus, but it left Caruso badly
weakened and he rapidly sank.
Last Thursday the famous tenor
and his wife, the former Dorothy
Benjamin, went to sanctuary in the
Pompeii valley, where he offered
prayers of thanks to the virgin for
the recovery of his voice, heard a
mass and gave 10000 francs as a
thanks offering.
Afterward Caruso visited the ex-
cavations at Pompeii.
On Saturday he felt pains in his
abdomen. Those were the first warn
ings that the final illness was at
hand.
He called a physician who advised
him to go to Nagles and consult spe-
cialists. Arriving in Naples on Sun
day night Caruso called Profs. Sorgi,
Carozanzasodo and Moscati.
After a long consultation these
specialists diagnosed his case as
acute peritonitis with a tendency to
spread. They decided to operate.
Caruso, whose fortitude when SUI
fering great pain was considered re-
markable, continued to keep up his
good spirits.
However, he sank steadily. His
agony increased. His strength
waned. Injections of camphor were
required every two hours to stimu-
late his fluttering heart. His breath
ing was difficult and became increas-
ingly labored.
His wife, who also maintained her
courage, remained at his bedside for
hours. She saw her husband steadily
drawing nearer to the gates Of death,
but remembering the successful fight
he made against what were consid-
cred overwhelming odds during his
previous illness in New York, she
maintained her composure and con-
fidence that he again would weather
the storm.
The operation originally had been
planned for some time today. But
during the night the specialists saw
Caruso failing so rapidly that they
feared he could not survive until
dawn. 1t was decided to operate at
once.
Following the operation, surgeons
stated that Caruso's death was only
a matter of hours.
At 4 a. m. his heart ceased to beat.
His relapse was sudden and unex-
pected. especially in view of the fact
that he had been feeling unusually
we'll and that he had regained his
voice.
Only week ago he received a
visit from the celebrated tenor, Mon
tesani and the soprano De Hilalgo
before whom he tried his voice. They
agreed that it retained all its former
beauty.
Caruso was born in Naples, Febru.
airy 25, 1873. AT the age of II, the
boy tenor began singing in the
churches of his native city. When
the extraordinary powers of the
youthful voice were discovered, Ca.
russo was sent for three years tc
study under Guglielmo Vergine.
Caruso made his debut in his home
city in 1894 in "L'AmicO Franceso'
at Neuvo theater. Later he toured
Italy and Sicily and was engaged foI
four seasons at La Scala, Milan.
The young tenor was soon touring
the European capitals, visiting ant
singing in st. Petersburg, Moscow
Warsaw, Rome, Paris, London ant
leading German cities. He was hailed
as the most promising young tenor
Italy had produced.
The Carusos have one daughter
UPahv C10ria ~