Evening star., 1923-08-03
Nation MOllrns for President.
Body Starts TO d. C.. Today

Continued from First PageD
those that came out were plainly
greatly distressed.
Hoover Grief stricken.
One of these was Secretary Hoover.
whose face was bianched and his
eyes dim. All he could say to news
papermen was that there would be a
statement soon. At 7:45 O'Clock it
was announced that there would be
"A formal statement within a few
minutes and at 7:5l o'clock it was
issued. II said:
THE President died instantaneously
and without warning while convers-
ing with members of his family at
40. Death was apparently due to
some brain development. probably
apoplexy.
During the day he had been free
from discomfort and there was every
justification for anticipating a prompt
recovery.
&C. +. SAWYER. ND
RAY LYMAN WILBUR,M. ID
&C. NJ. COOPER. NJ. d.
- T BOONE. NJ. d.
HUBERT WORK. NJ D."
This was followed by a second bull
lctin which made the fiat announce
ment that death was due TO apoplexy
and that Mrs. Harding, Gen. Sawyer
and the two nurses were in the room
at the time.
One of the Associated Press repre-
sentatives who have been on watch
ever since the President was brought
to San Francisco last Sunday morn
ing, heard Mrs Harding's appeal for
. tho CarYat service
man hurry down the hall in search or
DR.. Boone, and at 1923 o'clock sent a
bulletin travelling over the wires 10
all parts of the country telling or tne
call for the physicians, and then FOL
lowed with bulletins giving more de-
tails of what was occurring in the vi
Cinity of the presidential suite Thus
newspaper editors were aware OF
something impending fully twenty
two minutes before the announce
ment Of death was made.
When the death announce was
made il was flashed to all points of the
nation by the Associated Press by
telegraph and telephone. and to the
most distant parts Of the world by
cable and radio. Thus it was that
newsEapers were on the s.teets n y
passing of the republics chief before ii
became at all generally known about the
hotel.
Confusion Follows.
The announcement was followed
momentarily by confusion in the
vicinity of the presidential suite, but
soon the trained members of the ex-
ecutive staff took charge. the physi-
clans conferred and later issued their
detailed statement as to the cause OF
death, and the cabinet members meet
dariiad and sub
mitted to Mrs. Harding for approval
the plans for the return trip TO
Washington.
Messages were dispatched, telling
tian, jr the Presidents secretary.
who had gone to Los Angeles to
speak for the President at knights
Templar meeting. to the other cabinet
members. and to Calvin Coolidge. the
Vice President. who early today took
the oath of office at his home in Ply
mouth. Vt, and became the head OF
the nation.
The detailed statement by the ply
sicians described the changes in the
from last spring, when the President,
following a long period of overwork
and great strain, was confined to his
bed with an attack of influenza. This
attack was more serious than the
general public ever realized. and its
pated when he present trip was
started in June, despite the five
weeks vacation spent in Florida and
Georgia in March and early April
Had Suffered Since Spring.
The President, it was revealed. had
been subject to some attacks of alb
dominal pains and indigestion, and
there had for some time been evil
dences of arterio- -sclerosis, enlarge
ment of the heart and defective action
of the kidneys. The statemslt then
recited that the executive had suf-
fered an acute gastro-intestinal at
tack. associated with abdominal pa n
and fever, on the return trip ironing,
Alaska, and told how he had insisted
on going through with his program
in Vancouver, 3. e. week ago
Thursday. and at Seattle a week ago
yesterday. The statement then told
of the cancellation of the proposed
trip into the Yosemite, of his arrival
here Sunday morning, and traced his
varying condition during the week.
Most disturbing of ALL" it said,
was the rapid and irregular breath
ing, suggestive of arterio- -sclerosis~ of
the brain vessels in the region of the
respiratory center"
The physicians reviewed the favor
able conditions existing just prior to
the apoplectic attack and concluded
by saying:
He was resting comfortably in
bed and conversing with Mrs. Hard
ing and Gen. Sawyer when he died
instantly without a word or a groan."
The best explanation of the death
of the chief executive may be found
in these words by Lieut.. Commander
Joel T. Boone, assistant to DIR. Saw
yer, as the Presidents physician:
THE President had a most splendid
he said. when. 1 left
the room for dinfer, I commented: !:
Doesn't he look splendid" Then all
at once he just went like that -"
DIR. Boone snapped his fingers. Just
like that, something snapped; that's
ALL"
The physicians statement follows:
Last spring, following long
period of overwork and great strain.
President Harding was confined to
his bed with an attack of influenza,
which was followed by a few noe
turnal attacks of labored breathing.
His recovery was slow, and he had
not fully regained his normal strength
and health when he started out on
the trip to Alaska. He had also had
some attacks of abdominal pain and
pain associated with feeling of op-
preston in the chest. For some
years his systolic blood pressure
had ranged around $50. and there was
evidence of some arterial solerosis,
of the heart and de-
fective action of the kidneys except
for fatigue and the fact that his
heart and blood vessels were some
years older than the rest of his body,
he was in reasonable good health.
ION the return trip from Alaska he
had an acute gastro-intestinal at
tack aSSociated with abdominal main