General William Babcock Hazen
My fourth cousin.
Chief signal officer William B. Hazen
died at 8 o'clock last evening in his room at No.
1,305 F-street, Washington. Although he had
been in bad health for a long time, his death was
wholly unexpected up to yesterday morning. A
short time ago Gen. Hazen obtained a leave of
absence for a year, which time he proposed
to spend in resting and recuperating his health.
He had been troubled for several years with an
affection of the kidneys, and had at times suf-
fered severely. Recently, however, he had
greatly improved, and it was hoped that a year's
cessation from work would result in his complete
recovery. On Thursday evening Gen. Hazen at-
tended the President's reception. In some
way he caught a hard cold that evening, and on
Friday he remained in bed with no thought that
his sickness was dangerous. On Saturday he
was so much better that he sat up during the
day, and said he should go to his office on Mon-
day. Late Saturday night the General felt
worse, and very early Yesterday morning
Dr. Philip F. Harvey, Assistant Surgeon
in the army, was sent for. The physi-
cian found his patient in an alarming con-
dition, and giving evidence that his
blood had been poisoned through diabetes.
Dr. Harvey felt that the situation was critical,
and at his suggestion Dr. David L. Huntington,
also of the army, was called in consultation.
Then the relatives of Gen. Hazen, now in Wash-
ington, were told that the Chief Signal Officer
could not hope for many more hours of
life, and they gathered in the sick room.
Their hopes were revived during the
middle of the day, when the General
rallied a little, but in the afternoon he grew
steadily worse, and finally sank into uncon-
sciousness. Dr. N.S. Lincoln was invited to as-
sist the other physicians at the request of the
patient's relatives, but the disease had passed
beyond the skill of the doctors, and Gen. Hazen
breathed his last at 8 o'clock. At the end he
suffered no pain, and he died, without a
struggle, of diabetic coma. By his bedside
were Mrs. Washington McLean, Gen. Hazen's
mother-in-law, and Capt. and Mrs. A.H.
Burgher, of Cincinnati, his brother-in-law and
sister-in-law. Washington McLean, his father-
in-law, was not well enough to attend. These are
all of Gen. Hazen's relatives now in Washington.
Mrs. Hazen is in the south of France, where she
went a few months ago for her health. With her
is the General's only son, a lad about 10 years
of age.
Chief signal officer William B. Hazen
died at 8 o'clock last evening in his room at No.
1,305 F-street, Washington. Although he had
been in bad health for a long time, his death was
wholly unexpected up to yesterday morning. A
short time ago Gen. Hazen obtained a leave of
absence for a year, which time he proposed
to spend in resting and recuperating his health.
He had been troubled for several years with an
affection of the kidneys, and had at times suf-
fered severely. Recently, however, he had
greatly improved, and it was hoped that a year's
cessation from work would result in his complete
recovery. On Thursday evening Gen. Hazen at-
tended the President's reception. In some
way he caught a hard cold that evening, and on
Friday he remained in bed with no thought that
his sickness was dangerous. On Saturday he
was so much better that he sat up during the
day, and said he should go to his office on Mon-
day. Late Saturday night the General felt
worse, and very early Yesterday morning
Dr. Philip F. Harvey, Assistant Surgeon
in the army, was sent for. The physi-
cian found his patient in an alarming con-
dition, and giving evidence that his
blood had been poisoned through diabetes.
Dr. Harvey felt that the situation was critical,
and at his suggestion Dr. David L. Huntington,
also of the army, was called in consultation.
Then the relatives of Gen. Hazen, now in Wash-
ington, were told that the Chief Signal Officer
could not hope for many more hours of
life, and they gathered in the sick room.
Their hopes were revived during the
middle of the day, when the General
rallied a little, but in the afternoon he grew
steadily worse, and finally sank into uncon-
sciousness. Dr. N.S. Lincoln was invited to as-
sist the other physicians at the request of the
patient's relatives, but the disease had passed
beyond the skill of the doctors, and Gen. Hazen
breathed his last at 8 o'clock. At the end he
suffered no pain, and he died, without a
struggle, of diabetic coma. By his bedside
were Mrs. Washington McLean, Gen. Hazen's
mother-in-law, and Capt. and Mrs. A.H.
Burgher, of Cincinnati, his brother-in-law and
sister-in-law. Washington McLean, his father-
in-law, was not well enough to attend. These are
all of Gen. Hazen's relatives now in Washington.
Mrs. Hazen is in the south of France, where she
went a few months ago for her health. With her
is the General's only son, a lad about 10 years
of age.
Date & Place:
in United States