The San Francisco call. [volume], July 21, 1903, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VOLUME XCIV-NO. 51.
Pontiff W hose Long^d
his haughty and austere bearing.
He is not popular among his col
leagues or the Romans, and his
brusque manner has earned him
the title of "the Piedmont bear."
He is tall and robust and his 74
years are shown by the whiteness
of his hair. His face has the tawny
hue of old parchment and is deep
ly lined. Despite his austerity the
Cardinals learning and piety are
recognised. .
This is' the man who for the
time being is practically Pope. It
was he who issued the order to
clear the Vatican from intruders
and brought tranquillity out of the
confusion immediately following
Pope Leo's death.
The greatest interest is nov>
centered in the work of the holy
conclave, which is to select the
successor to Leo XIII. The con
clave ivill, it is generally believed,
meet on August 3- Speculation,
prophecies and predictions conic
from every direction in favor of
the various candidates. The com
paratively long illness of Leo has
had the effect of narrowing the
chances of some who entered the
contest with what zvas thought to
be the brightest prospects, while it
has brought forward the promi
nence of others who at first icerc
hardly considered. The result is
that they are all now on about
the same level. It is said that
there has never . been a con
clave in zvhich there arc so many
candidates zvho have a fair" chance
of winning.
Such a situation might lead to a
than a week ago. His first or
der was that all entrances to
the Vatican be closed and all per
sons dismissed from the death
chamber. The body of the Pon
tiff zvas placed in charge of Fran
ciscan monks.
The Cardinal is the exact an
tithesis of Pope Leo, having none
of the late Pontiff's sympathetic
and benevolent characteristics.
He comes of noble Piedmontese
stock and his nobility is shown in
f^OME, July 20.— With
B~Jr the death of Pope Leo
t XIII the striking man
of the hour is Cardinal
Oreglia, the dean of the Sacred
College. Immediately upon . the
anhoimcement of the Pope's death
the Cardinal took official charge
of the Vatican, of which he had
virtually assumed control more
Brings Tran*
quillity Out
of Chaos.
First Orders
Closing of
Vatican.
Acting Pope
Is of Stern
jviien.
Oreglia Now
in Supreme
Control.
}Yct his parting words were not
of [the [physical > pain he, suffered}
but- were 'his whispered bencdic-.
Centra, he murmured-*
"The pain I suffer, is- most tcr-
Pope Leo's final moments were
marked by that same serenity and
dcz'otion, and. when he was con
scious, that calm intelligence
which is associated with his twen
ty-five years' pontificate. His
was no easy death. An hour bc^
fore he died, turning to Dr. Lap
poni and his devoted valet, Pio
The period of tivo weeks or
more that Pope Leo passed in the
shadow of death was no less won
derful than his life. His splendid
battle against disease was watched
the world over with sympathetic
admiration and ended after tre
mendous efforts to conquer the
weakness of his aged frame by the
marvelous power of his mind.
The plcitro-pncumonia with which
his Holiness has been suffering
was scarcely as responsible for his
death as that incz'ifable decay of
tissue which ensues upon ninety
three years of life.
To-night the lifeless frame
which held so brave a spirit lies on
the bed in the Vatican beside
which almost all the world lias
prayed. The red damask coverlet
rests lightly over the body, the
Cardinal's scarlet cape is about
the shoulders, while on his head
has been placed the papal hood of
velvet, bordered with ermine. A
white silk handkerchief is bound
about his chin, and in the hands
that have blessed so many thou
sands Jiavc been placed a crucifix.
So Pope Leo will remain until to
morrow, watched by uniformed
officers of the Noble Guard and
rough-clad Franciscan peniten
tiaries, W'ho, will keep a ceaseless
zigil until the burial ceremonies.
To-morrow the Sacred College
of Cardinals will assemble for the
official duty of pronouncing Pope
Leo dead. After this sad fun'c*
tion has been performed the body
will be taken to the small throne
room adjacent to the death cliam
bcr, where it will be. embalmed.
The funeral ceremonies will ex
tend over nine days, the remains
being removed to the Cathedral
cf St. Peter's, where they will lie
in state. The ultimate resting
place of the dead Pontiff will be in
the magnificent Basilica of St.
John Latcran.
V^^OME, July 20.— Pope
JLJ' Leo XIII is dead. The
JjH^ last flicker of life ex
pired at four minutes
past 4 o'clock this afternoon, and
the Pontiff nozc lies at rest.
Last Words a
Final Bene=
diction.
Pain Racks
Body as Life
Is Ebbing.
Expiring Pon*
tiff Serene to
the End.
Death'sShade
Falls Upon
Vatican.
POPE LEO'S long struggle against death ended shortly after 4 o f clock yesterday afternoon^ During his last hours he was in delirium, but there
were intervals when his giant mentality reasserted itself ', and despite his agony he sought to ut^^ pontifical duties,
liis last words were a whispered benediction. Immediately upon the death of the Pop the Vatican.
POPE LEO XIII ANSWERS
THE SUMMONS OF DEATH
tions. upon i the j Cardinals :¦ and this
'nephews,^
andt the {last-! look, .-.of; ; his ' . almost]
Continued on ¦ Page 2, ' Column • 3.
Continued on Page 2, Column Q.
sightless / eyes 'was ; tozvard.\ : the.
great ivory crucifix hanging -in the
'deatK< chamber. i\ . ' ¦ j ,
Practically all the Cardinals
now in Rome , kneeling at the bed-
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
SAN FJlAKCISCO, TUESDAY; ;. JUIiT; 21, 1903.
The San Francisco Call.