Evening star., 1923-08-03
CAPITAL STUNNED
BY HARDING DEATH
Washington Gets Shocking
News While Planning to
Greet Presidents Return.

news it could scarcely believe last
night.
THE President is dead"
Through the mysterious waves of
the air, over long miles of copper
wires, these words were flashed
across the breadth uf the continent
shortly before midnight, falling upon
the whole nation with almost para
lytic effect. And to the National Cap
ital they seemed like nothing short
of Incredible
Only few hours earlier Washing
ton had been thinking OF how i!
would welcome home the man who
went forth upon a long. tiresome
mission of Importance that was al
most international in its scope. To
realize that events of a single. fatal
minute must bow the citv before his
honored bier seemed today almost i'm
possible.
Encouraged by Reports.
Never entirely awakened to the
seriousness of the Presidents illness,
Washington had cast aside entirely
its first slight fOrebodings follow
Ing the Improvement reported by his
lief that he would soon recover and
sssis h.s efa ff XHise nes1s6 a2ese i9 an
ting at theft % Tsdio ssts a ABOUT SIT II
O'clock e5G last Ile nsh l4,y waiting faE dis s.
t52z @ SCI SIS 5z1'2 szz zsf= So =esst go =
ss.SIiaEI eonssTts tG siEn or were
siWzys i= tlGleafss maj sSss 5sns zfsfisS
wishes to make an announcement.
Quickly tuning in. they heard first
only two faint words. repeated twice
is dead-is dead"
There was a momentary silence
spoke with startling distinctness. 1t
seemed like a cry from beyond. when
with slow, heavy accent, the voice
announced: The President is dead
The President is dead This is W
NC. The Commercial Appeal of
Memphis, Tenn, now signing OFF"
Comes RS Awful Climax.
1t was an awful climax. That an
nouncement was the first word the
people of Washington had of the
passing OF their chief executive. Per-
maps ten or fifteen minutes earlier
newspaper Offices had been advised of
the death, and were preparing their
extra editions.
quickly the news spread. Telephone
wires began to buzz frantically and
the night force of the company soon
found itself swamped, as those who
had heard the news by radio began
calling friends who owned no such
oevlce. It was only a few minutes
snort of II o'clock, Washington time
that the President suddenly collapsed
and died in his San Francisco hotel
BY 1880 o'clock thousands of per-
sons had heard the news and silent
groups began to gather along the
corners of Pennsylvania avenue
awaiting the extra editions of the
clty's papers. Everywhere there was
a feeling that it must be wrong-it
simply couldn't be true. There was
no rushing around. no excitement
among the groups on the streets. The
people simply gathered and in hushed
tones discussed the unexpected news
until the first extra editions appeared
and gave undeniable confirmation TO
the calamity.
News Rndioed to Virginia.
Over in Virginia the announcement
had been received by radio the same
time it reached Washington. In some
of the small towns suburban to Wash
lngton scores of persons hurried
through the streets blowing horns.
AS those who had retired early hur-
ried from their beds and asked what
had occurred, the news bearers called
back: President Harding is dead!''
Everywhere those words fell like a
bolt of lightning from a cloudless
sky.
In Washington the newspapers
were pouring extras into the streets
by the thousands and the cry of the
newsboyS called hundreds of visitors
from their beds in the downtown
hotels. Collarless men and women
hastily clad hurried to the streets
and snatched every edition as it
roared from the spinning presses.
Some persons literally .camped in
front of the newspaper Offices. sadly
drinking the hitter news as it dripped
out with what seemed painful slow
ness, but which in reality was unpre-
cedented speed.
Residential District Aroused.
Out in the residential district the
solemn cry of the newsboys, who had
been hurried to every section in taxi
cabs. already were calling Washing
tonians from their beds Lights by
the score began to appear in dark
ened houses and within half an hour
the city seemed as brilliantly lighted
as it was at o'clock. And there
was little sleep left for Washington
by the time all of the extra editions
had been read.
While belief that the President was
on the road to recovery was almost
unanimous, all of those in high Off
cial positions in Washington had not
Cancelled arrangements they made
when the President was first taken
ill to be notified by telephone imme-
diately if anything more serious oc-
Cured. AS a result. all such per-
sons who had not left the city were
told the news within few minutes
after the death occurred.
Cabinet Members Horrified.
Secretary Hughes and Postmaster
General New are the only cabinet
members in Washington. Both of
them, together with other officials
high In the administration, were al
executive secretary of the White
House. was first notified of President
Hardings passing by the Associated
Press. as was Edward T. Clarke. sec
retary to Vice President Coolidge.
Mr.. Clarke Immediately took steps to
communicate with his chief in Ply
mouth, VT, by telephone.
Every flag in Washington is flying
at half staff today, and more than
once pedestrians, from the highest to
the lowest. gazed sadly at the ma
tional emblem which tapped lstlessly
in a light breeze. During his two and
a half years in the White House
President Harding had made a place
in many hearts here by his human
qualities, and everywhere in the city
were pot SOHS VINO STleV0Q more per-
sonally than the nation as a whole
for the man whose attitude of help
fulness toward every one had some
times been of personal service to
them
Pope Plus Deeply
Grieues for u. s.