Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-07
SAFE AT LONG BRANCH.
THE PRESIDENTS JOURNEY.
The Train at Gray's Ferry, Near Phi,adel
Dhia.

When the presidential train reached
Gray's Ferry yesterday, where it was
transferred from the P. w. s. B. to the P.
R. R., contrary to numerous reports which
had been circulated the engine did not
push the train but pulled it in the ordi-
nary way. Next to the engine came the
smoking car, and next to this the car in
which was the PROSTATE president, and
last the passenger coach. DR. Agnew was
seated in the smoking car calmly smoking
and talking to friend. In the rear car
were Mrs. Garfield and a number of lady
friends. They kept from view as much as
possible during the stop at Gray's Ferry.
and very little could be seen of them. On
the rear platform were seated Miss Nollie
Garfield, dressed in navy-blue travelling
suit, and Miss Rockwell, daughter of Col.
Rockwell. Both the young ladies looked
contented and seemed to be enjoying the
trip. The average rate of speed which
was run by the train between Washington
and Philadelphia was between forty and
fifty miles an hour, sometimes more and
sometimes less, according to the condition
of the president and the road.
There was no kissing of escaping steam
when the train glided up to its stopping
place, everything was done as quietly as
possible. Notwithstanding this intense
anxiety, the crowd was as still as death.
As soon as the motion of the cars ceased
they were Immediately surrounded by
guard of brakeinen, special tram hands,
station men and conductors, placed to
keep the crowd back. This precautiOn was
scarcely necessary, however, for every one
present seemed to realize that the occasion
was most critical on, and the slightest
rJ,tI ri Nph
dent and cause his trip to prove fatal.
could the slightest noise b. heard, the
whole place around about was as quiet as
the city at the dead Of night. Two men,
who, in their curiosity, had pressed near
the presidential car with pipes in their
mouths, were ruthlessly though quietly
hustled out of the way by the watchful
guards of the presidents comfort, for fear
the smoke might reach and disturb the
sufferer.
A newspaper man who crowded in and
had look at the president saw that he
was lying on the wide bed that had been
placed for him about in the middle of the
passenger compartment Of the car. He was
living on the broad of his back with his
right knee raised. He looked deathly
pale. He lay with his eyes half
closed and his head now and then
moving slowly from side to side. To add
to his death like appearance 4 portion of
his whiskers beneath his chin have been
shaved off, and the marble whiteness of his
neck, face and throat was awful to look
upon. His head was toward the rear OF
the car and his feet toward the engine.
Standing over him was one of the attend
ants who, with large palmleaf fan, was
slowly tanning him. Close by the head
of the bed was the tireless nurse, Mrs.
Edison, while toward the forepart of the
car was DR.. Bliss. The president did not
utter sound, but lay silent, white and
emaciated, an awful specimen Of the wreck
of a powerful man. Only white counter
pane covered him and his head rested upon
low pillow. Now and then his eyes,
which seemed twice their size, owing to
his pale and sunken face, would open and
roam restlessly around the car. DR.. Bliss
| wore a seersucker coat and looked calm
and confident. Mrs. Edison was all atten-
tion to the patient.
| At Trenton. where the engine stopped
for coal, there was large crowd of work
men Oh the platform, which was SO high
as to enable them to lock directly i'll on
| tho president One of the attendants
pulled down the curtain near him, He at
once asked to have it rolled up again,
saying that these quiet men would not
hurt him hy looking in. Tho curtain was
at once raised again. The reception was
such as to show how deeply the president S
illness has taken hold of all classes.
A track $500 feet long had been laid
from tho regular station at Long Branch
to the front door of the cottage where he
was to stop. Although the sun was
brcillng hot, and Long Branch has seldom
experienced such sultrincss, the long line
of road was lined with carriages and with
men and women Oh foot of all ages and
from every class in society, each one bent
on showing reverence to the president. 1t
was known that he would not be seen,
and the nero sight Of moving train
would have drawn none of them but it
part of all within reach to stand
quietly and in respectful attitude
while the nations sufferer passed. The
track had been laid not only to the grounds
surrounding the cottage where he was,
but through them and close up to the
porch where he was to be received. TIE
crowd was kept off about so yards, though
no effort was needed to effect this, and he
was promptly lifted from the train to tho
cottage and carried up stairs to his room
over lookin the ocean. DR.. Woodward,
one of the most conservative of the sur.
geons, and who alone made stout OppOsi-
ton to the renewal lest it should be too
great drain on the presidents strength,
said he was inclined to think he had been
mistaken, and that no damage would re-
suit from the moving.
DR.. Bliss says "Once, when we were
travelling ut the rate of GO miles an hour,
said to him: Mr. President, if the
movement affects you in any way We will
reduce the speed No, he answered, let
her 60 Afterward l remarked that we
would stop and give him his bath. No,
said he, to get to the end of this trip is
more important now than the bath The
president was given food regularly every
two hours during the journey, but until
night he had 70 enema given him. His
food consisted of from two to four ounces
of beef extract each time. The story that
the president was given morphine is abso
| lntpIv untrue'' Dr. Bliss continued