River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-10-06

ed to them rom the high platform of
the east front. Every available space
upon the front of the capitol was oc-
cupied by eager spectators. Down the
center of the east front stood a long
row of distinguished people, with the
two ex. presidents at their head. In
that row stood nearly all the represent
alive men of three branches of this
government. Just beyond Grant and
Hayes was the hearse, right in front
of the spot where Gen. Garfield, sur
rounded by his family and brilliant
concourse, delivered his inaugural ad-
dress. About the hearse were fifty or
sixty officers of the army and navy,
an escort of honor. Out beyond the
crowd of officials, at the foot of this
front, was long line of troops, made
up of regulars and the militia COM
panies of the District. They ranged along
a glittering line from one end to the
capitol to the other. The Marine band
stood in the centre. Outside of this
military line thousands of people were
massed, waiting patiently. The Knights
Templars in full uniform guarded the
streets. After placing large Greek
cross of flowers in the rotunda before
funeral began, the Knights upon horse
back formed line ten feet apart from
the capitol to the depot. As the Marine
band began a clashing, shrill wall of
sorrowful music, the troops wheeled
and with reversed arms moved slowly
away. The carriages followed. Twen-
ty minutes after, the front of the CAPT
toll was deserted. As the hearse en-
tered the depot, the avenue was blocked
with dense crowd. Upon every house
dark figures stood out in dark masses
against the sky. So well regulated,
however, was everything and so orderly
was the crowd that the procession was
not delayed moment. The funeral
train left at the schedule time to a
second.
A RAPID RUN.
CLEVELAND, O., Sept. 24.-The train
arrived in Cleveland at twenty minutes
after 10. The journey was remarkable
one from the very fact of the time made.
and but for the terrible fate met by a
party of section men on the Pittsburgh
and Lake Erie road, would have been
special train which was rendered by
the Baltimore and Ohio to the Wash
ington correspondents of the leading
ournals of the country, owing to their
inability to secure places upon the
funeral train, had to be run at an ex-
ceedingly high rate of speed. as it left
Washington three hours after the
funeral train, and it was the determi-
nation to reach Cleveland at least three
hours ahead of it. Attached to the
press special were two palace-cars con-
tanning the Columbia commandery Of
Washington, of which President Gar
field was member. The great desire
of the newspaper correspondents and
of the commandery was to reach this
city so far ahead of the funeral as to be
at the Euclid avenue depot when the
presidents remains were taken from
the train. This was promised by the
Baltimore and Ohio, and to do it the
speed of the special train had to be
maintained very high the entire dis
lance. Every means were employed
to make the rapid run without delay
or accident, and to this end the differ
ent roads on the route were closely
watched and
PILOT TRAINS
went ahead of the special train. Both
the funeral on the Pennsylvania and
the press special on the Baltimore and
Ohio arrived in Pittsburg at precisely
the same momen and departed at the
same moment, the press special leav-
ing on the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie.
The pilot train was sent out twenty
minutes ahead, and just at the approach
of the sixty-feet trestle- bridge over
Beaver creek, near Fallston, saw and
warned party of trackmen to look
out for thespecial train. The men had
previously been notified of the coming
of the special, and near by was quite a
little crowd of women and children to
see the press train by. Notwithstand-
ing all this, the trackmen lifted their
hand car on the track and attempted
to cross the trestle-work on the track
ahead of the special. They had hardly
reached the centre of the bridge be
fore the special struck them with fright
full results Three men We're killed
outright. A fourth was lifted upon the
pilot of the engine with the hand-car,
and fifth was sent flying through
space to the creek-bed, sixty feet be-
low. Two others were MORALLY wound
ed, both of whom have since died
The man on the pilot was taken into
one OF the cars on the train and at
tended by DR.. Townsend, health officer
of Washington, and the first physician
to reach Gen. Garfield after he was
shot. Another doctor fastened to the
man below. The man in the car died
in an hour, and the other during the
afternoon. Two men
JUMPED
from the car to the creek-bed, sixty feet
down, and, incredible as it may appear,
escaped with trifing injuries. All on
board the train were unanimous that
no blame could in any way be attached
to the trainmen or to the road. The
section men deliberately violated or
ders, and took the fearful risk which
resulted in death. The sad event
caused delay of over two hours to the
special, and, had it not occurred, this
city would have been reached not later
than $50 A. NJ, or twelve and half
hours from Washington. In all, the
delays aggregated fully five hours, and
the actual running time averaged near
ly forty miles an hour the entire trip.
As it was, the newspaper men reached
here three hours in advance of the fu-
neral, and an hour ahead of the Penn
sylvania train, which left Washington
at 1920 A. NJ Friday, and on board of
which were small party of Washing
ton correspondents, who thought they
would steal march on the boys who
remained at Washington till night to
go on the press special. The com
mandery was in time to perfect its form
for participation in the reception of the
presidents remains at the Euclid ave-
nue. station, which is three miles from
the Union depot.
MAGNIFICENT PREPARATIONS.
CLEVELAND, Sept. 26-11 p. NJ All
that is earthly of James A. Garfield was
borne through the streets of Cleveland
o-day, and deposited in the pavilion
and catafalque which mark the center
of the public square. The Forest City
presented all the outward insignia OF
woe in its profuse funeral decorations,
and the heartbeats of its loyal and low
ing citizens joined in an inaudible ac-
compartment to the dirges which broke
upon the air as the solemn pageant
wendell its way through the streets. 1t
was in Cleveland where, next to Wash
ipoton nerhans Garfield was more