The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-01-23

A RAILROAD no BED.
Morocco's Sultan Had Line Consiruc
to His Siaepinc Chamber

NA"roccofS Suitan nau Line NohSiructeN
to Ills Sleeping Chamber
According to very well known
tradesman in the west end of London,
who has designed invalid furniture for
quite an amazing array of distinguished
! personages-t late SULTAN of Morocco
must have been a troublesome patient.
Apart from the fact that his medical
attendants We're constantly losing their
heads-in literal and professional
way--the Sultan would have nothing to
do with carrying chairs for conveying
| him up and down stairs. Nothing less
than a railway to his bedroom from the
ground floor of the palace would suit
this luxurious monarch; and the railway
Was accordingly constructed by a Lon
dom contractor. The rails were of eigh-
teen inch gauge and were made in three
| foot lengths.
1 This unique line ran up two easy
| flights Of stairs containing one gradual
| curve. The carriages on this extraordi-
| nary railway were beautiful easy chairs
with Hanged wheels, convertible when
| required into reclining couches; and
| they We're pushed up the track to his
4
leave a passage for ordinary folks who
| assembled and descended the usual way.
| This railway took three weeks to make,
and cost about $500, complete with roll
| Ing stock
| For some reason a most luxurious
| couch was ordered for the late Gar
from Paris. 1t was ordered by telegram
| from Livadla, which read as follows:
| Send to Anitchkoff Palace, st. Peters,
burg, a full sized invalid sofa, with
every modern appliance, for II. I. M.
the Emperor of Russia.-Franckli.'
This message was received on Monday
| morning. The workmen worked all
night, and a specially made couch was
despatched by eight O'Clock on Tuesday
evening, the transport throughout be-
| ing specially supervised, in order to pre-
vent the slightest delay. The Cars
couch was covered with terra Gotta and
| gold brocade, the cost price of which
was $40 yard, and the whole cost
| $500.
Some little time ago. says this fur
niture dealer, + was called upon by a
high official from the Turkish embassy.
This gentleman was instructed by his
4 tllUSliloNS AiptAtabCIf lnG t1altttHy w Iii
quire whether / had amy thing on hand
| In the way Of an invalid chair which
would somehow provide the august pa
| tient with certain amount of physi-
cal exercise. Perhaps I should explain
| that ait this time the Sultan OF Turkey
| was, or fanaied he was, in delicate
state Of health, and, therefore, confined
| to hts room
| 1.-THE official who approached me
secuted the idea of chair wherein the
| patient propels himself simply by turn
ing al wheel Nor was a wheeled chair
on the lever propelling principle in per-
feet accord with the dignity of his mai
/ esty. Clearly something would have to
! be specially devised In less than a
week I turned out what / may call a
wholly extraordinary piece of furniture.
called it horse and rowing action
shair. You just sit in it and commenced
/ to row with tvs side levers, which, as
they. were pulled, caused the seat to rise
and jolt in highly realistic manner.
This chair was sent to the Yildiz in due
lcourse, and was subsequently returned
to me for certain repairs. after which IT
disappeared altogether"
| The late King of Portugal was the
| first to introduce compromise between
| the carriage and the bath chair. Dur
ing this monarch's illness he designed
a single and double bath chair, which
could be drawn by one or a pair of
4 ponies These vehicles were fitted with
lamps, shafts and hoods. The same
monarch also designed himself a pro-
pelling chair, with silver fittings, which
was built to his order In Europe.
| For the reigning Prince of Montene-
gro was designed a wicker bath chair,
which could be converted into a sleigh
lsinply by removing the wheels and sub
stituting long curling steel runners. An
expert professional skater propelled