Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18
EDISON SUCCUMBS
At 3:24A.M. WHILE
STILL IN COMA
Members of Family at Bedside
as End Comes to Wizard
in West Orange Home.
CHILDREN AND SERVANTS
HAD BID FAREWELL
Bulletin of Doctors Reveal Steadily
Increasing Weakness in
Last Hour.

WEST ORANGE. N. j. october ID
Sunday Thomas A. Edison died at
his home here at 3:24 O'Clock this
morning. He was 81 years old His
wife. six children. his personal physi-
clan and two nurses were at his bed
side when the end came.
Just before 8 o'clock all entrances to
Glenmont, the Edison estate, were
closed by police. A spokesman for the
family, however, stated at that time
that no emergency had yet developed.
Earlier the physician had said the
depth Of the coma which has folded
about the s4-year old inventor was in
creasing.
DR.. Howe was in constant attendance
at the Edison residence and all mem
bers of the immediate family we're
present.
Servants Bid Farewell.
Mr. Edison's servants and his grand
children bid him farewell today. DR..
Hubert S. Howe prepared to remain at
his bedside. The household servants
and the gardener filed into the sick
room one at a time Each stood by the
bedside for brief moment and looked
on the face of his sleeping master. and
each expected to see him again only in
death.
The grandchildren were perhaps too
Young for realization Of the occasion,
but they, too were brought to the bed
side for moment.
They we're Thomas Edison Sloane. IA:
John Edison Sloane, 9; Peter E. Sloane,
and Michael E. Sloane. ! year old,
Il consider Mr. Edison is now gravely
ill.," DR.. Howe said. He has had no
nourishment in the last "a hours and
his heart action is gradually getting
weaker.
IT have never before felt so con-
WINGED the end is not far of"
DR.. Howe spent the night in Mr..
Edison's room in Glenmcnt. the Edison
home in Llewellyn Park where also
were gathered the immediate members
of the family.
Relatives Remain Near.
The inventors sons. Thomas A. jr.,
and Charles. and his daughter, Mrs.
John Eyre Sloane. spent the day az the
Mrs. Marion Estelle Oser of Norwalk,
Conn: Theodore and William, re-
manned within call at the homes Of
friends and relatives in the vicinity.
The deep coma from which no I'M
usual efforts have been made to rouse
him. gives him the appearance Of be-
ing in a steady, quiet sleep.
Mrs. Edison. who has been constantly
at her husbands bedside. is bearing
up as we'll as can be expected" her son
Charles said.
A bulletin, at 6 pm, from DR.. Howe,
said:
During the past three hours Mr..
Edisons condition has not changed as
much as it did in the preceding period,
but his respiration is little more shall
low. The pulse rate and volume are
about the same"
At 1908 pm. a spokesman at the
Edison house said there had been no
change in Mr.. Edisons condition since
the issuance Of the o'clock bulletin.
Benefactor Of Mankind.
In October, 1928, Thomas Alva Edi-
son was presented with the gold medal
of the Congress of the United States,
the reverse side of which bore the in
scription, He illuminated the path of
progress by his inventions"
On that occasion President Coolidge
saluted the venerable and renowned in
ventor thus, Noble, kindly servant Of
the United States and benefactor of
These two sentences tell tersely and
wildly what Mr.. Edison did, and was,
and encompass the achievements Of one
of the most useful and fruitful of
American lives.
For more than so years Edison con-
ceived ideas and then turned out de-
vices founded upon them. An invention
was born of the Edison brain on the
average of about one every two weeks,
and his registration Of approximately
1900 patents at Washington made him
the most prolific inventor of his time,
and perhaps of all time.
Edison was foremost not only in the
number of his inventions, but also beg
cause OF the remarkably high percento
age of his discoveries and evolutions
that became practical factors, both
commonplace and marvellous in the life
of the world. The latter fact probably
was due to the economic and financial
failure of his first patent.
When a young man working as a
telegraph operator at Boston, Mr.. Edi-
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