on the line along which the
air was being conducted, and I was going to get it out of the way.
The owner implored that it should be allowed to remain, suggesting
that the air might just as well as not continue to pass through it.
The surroundings were those in which one may be excused for not
being harsh. Such an outpouring of sympathy on the part of the
public had never been seen in Washington since the assassination
of Lincoln. Those in charge were overwhelmed with every sort of
contrivance for relieving the sufferings of the illustrious patient.
Such disinterested efforts in behalf of a public and patriotic
object had never been seen. Mr. Jennings had gone to the trouble
and expense of bringing his apparatus all the way from Baltimore to
Washington in order to do what in him lay toward the end for which all
were striving. To leave his box in place could not do the slightest
harm, and would be a gratification to him. So I let it stand,
and the air continued to pass through it on its way to the ice chest.

While these arrangements were in progress three officers of engineers
of the navy reported under orders at the White House, to do what
they could toward the cooling of the air. They were Messrs. William
L. Baillie, Richard Inch, and W. S. Moore. All four of us cooperated
in the work in a most friendly way, and when we got through we made
our reports to the Navy Department. A few weeks later these reports
were printed in a pamphlet, partly to correct a wrong impression
about the Jennings cold-box. Regular statements had appeared in the
local evening paper that the air was being cooled by this useless
contrivance. Their significance first came out several months
later, on the occasion of an exhibition of mechanical or industrial
implements at Boston. Among these was Mr. Jennings's cold-box,
which was exhibited as the instrument that had cooled the air of
President Garfield's chamber.

More light yet was thrown on the case when the question of rewarding
those who had taken part in treating the President, or alleviating
his sufferings in any way, came before Congress. Mr. Jennings was,
I believe, among the claimants. Congress found the task of making
the proper awards to each individual to be quite beyond its power
at the time, so a lump sum was appropriated, to be divided by the
Treasury Department according to its findings in each particular case.
Before the work of making the awards was completed, I le