Evening star., 1897-03-05
LINCOLN'S SPECIAL CAR
It Was an Ironclad, Made in 1864 at Alex
andria.
Bought by c. Durant for the Union
Pacific, 1t Was for a Time Used
by Track Gang.

cfffc car shops In Omaha, In a dilaptdated
and abandoned condition, stands truly
historic relic, known as the Lincoln car"
Its sides are cracked and weather beaten,
and the glass in its windows and the brass
ratings on it's platforms are long ago gone.
All the compartments ard sumptuous in
terror furnishings and decorations have
been removed, and 1t stands like barren,
decaying hulk of it's once proud self From
its former prominent association with Pres
ident Lincoln. both during the later years
of his life and then after his death, it
would seen, the car deserves a better fate
than to rot in neglect and obscurity. This
car was built specially for Mr. Lincoln in
the United States military car shops at
Alexandra. Va, in 1864. by B. p Lam
ason, master car builder, and was certain
iy one of the handsomest private railway
coaches In its day. 1t was used by the
PRESIDENT repeatedly in his visits to the
Army of the Potomac down in Virginia, and
also to New York and Philadelphia.
ihe Lincoln car is forty-tWo feet long
by eight and half feet wide, and during
the time Mr.. Lincoln used it was divided in
tnree compartments. 1t was entered by a
door In the corner, which opened into
narrow passageway. extending the entire
length of the car along one side From
TINS passageWay doors opened into each
one OF the three private rooms. The room
IN one end of the car was considerably
larger than the Others and was furnished
with large sofa and reclining chairs
The small rooms were also provided with
sofa and reclining chairs, although some
what inferior to those in the large room.
This larger compartment constituted Pres
idePt Lncoln's Office and study. and is
where he entertained his guests and trans
acted business with officials of the govern
ment and generals of the army. The sofa
is combination affair." and was made of
at oil
ated form of the President. 1t was used
as sofa or lounge during the day, and at
night could be adjusted into a double bed.
Peculiarly Built.
The car was considered in that day a
triumph of the car builders art The walls
OF each of the compartments were padded
with rich corded crimson silk upholstery
reaching half wsy to the ceiling, and the
freza of the Presidents room was deco
rated with painted panels of the coats-of-
arms of the different states of the Union.
The car was ironclad, armor being set in
between the inner and outer walls, render
ing it bullet proof. This added considera-
bly, to its weight, much SO that its build
ers thought 1t necessary to mount 1t on six
wheeled trucks.
Just after the close of the war the gov
ernment put great amount of it's railway
E.ater al that had been used in the prose-
| cution of the war into the hands of an auc-
| the Lincoln Sidney Dillon, who was
| then at the head of Union Pacific affairs
was directly responsible for its purchase
For long time after it's arrival in Omaha
| the car was great curiosity. both on ac-
| count of its connection with the martyI
| President and also for the reason that il
/ was then considered the finest railway
| coach that had ever been construct .d
| and many thousands of people visited the
| shops for the purpose of seeing it.
| Late III 1872 company of men from New
| 1ork sent an agent to Omaha with a view
| of negotiating a purchase Of the car, in
| tending to exhibit it at the worlds fair
| Satisfactory terms with the Union Pacific
| people could not be made, however, anG
| the project was abandoned. The agent de
| sired to have proof of the authenticity O.
| the car from the railway officials.
Bought by the Union Pacific.
Mr.. I. H. Congdon. for many years mas
| ter mechanic Of the Union Pacific railway
in a lengthy letter on the subject to Mr. E
| l.. Lomax. general passenger agent of tn,
| road, said:
| The fsmous car was brought to Omaha
in 1866, and was purchased for the Unior
Pacific by T. C. Durant. Sidney Dillor
manifested great interest in the car in tn,
| early days of the road. 1 was in charge O.
| the locomotive department of the Grea
| Western railroad of Illinois. at Springfield
| during the war. and was there at the tim,
| President Lincolns remains were brough
| there. The car had been used as the fu
neral car. and stood in the railroad yards
during the time that Lincoln's body lay ii
| state at the Capitol building. and we hat
an opportunity of examining it closely.
| Il remember identifying 1t as the sam
car when 1t came here in 1865. When frs
| brought to Omaha it was used a prtvat
car by the directors, but on account of it
| extreme weight and the manner in Whicl
it was mounted, 1t rode so poorly that the.
| soon abandoned 1t. / have been over III
road with Mr.. Dillon in the Lincoln ca
and heard him speak of it as being the on
that the President used during the war
and in which his remains were brought t
Springfield. Mr.. s. H. III. Clark. now pres
ident of the Union Pacific, stated to me
good many years ago that Mr.. Dillon de
sired some of the furniture taken out O
the car and sent to New York. and l say
that his request was carried out. The ca
was built as nearly possible to suit MI
| Lincoln's ideas, and was so peculiar i
| construction as to give it individual char
| acterisrcs."
| This famous old car will form the centra
| figure of the transportation exhibit of IN
| Mississippi and international expos
| ton of 1898 at Omaha.
| For time the car was used to house
| track gang. 1t shows the wear of hard US.
ard unless carefully preserved in the fl
ture will go to pieces before many years
SOME LATE NEW THINGS.