The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-21
LINCOLN'S CAR
AN OLD HULK.
Historic Railroad Coach Is Fast
Going to 0scay.
BORE BODY TO SPRINGFIELD.
CuIorsd People Once Planned 10 Buy and
PTsssrs II, but kuthng Came
Of the Project.
BORE BODY TO SPRINGFIELD.

omaha. Seb., Oct 21.-Down in the
Union Pacific switch-yards at this place
standing out in the open and rapidly GO
ing to decay, coupled with a string OF
Abandoned. wrecked and out-of-date cars,
is President Lincoln's private car, ma
tional relic which should. IL seems. have
been preserved for all time.
on the contrary. It is all but forgotten,
and Is -prized no mara thaa-ti4s junk Of
the railroad scrap-ple.
The relic was built at the United
States military car shops at Alexandra,
Va. I'm the latter days Of the war, and
was used by the emancipation on his vis-
It's TO the Army Of the Potomac and 10
other points during the trouble-filled
times OF civic strife
The old car IS forty-two feet long and
eight and one-half feet wide and Is bull
let-proof there being complete armor
OF steel plates between the walls. Moth
ing remains today of the cars original
maeniicencc the inside is devoid Of
even bench; the walls are rain-stained.
having long ago lost their last trace OF
paint and varnish, and there are no
longer visible the coats Of arms of the
various states Of the Union which a
skllful hand painted upon the panels OF
the walls.
Nobody would ever imagine that rich,
crimson. corded silk upholstery, reaching
half 10 the ceiling in parts OF the car.
once helped TO make ~ H. the window
less hulk OF today, marvel OF elegance
among earlier railroad equipment
Originally there was but one entrance
10 the car a door I'm the corner Of one
separate rooms was head from this pass
aEewsy
The rear room was larger than the 9TH
ers. and was used by President Lincoln
for an office and study and also as re-
ception room i'm which he received the
generals {" the army. II is safe 20 say
that in this compartment Mr. Lincoln
hastily wrote the notes for his famous
speech a the field OF Gettysburg AT any
rate, the president occupied the coach on
his trip TO Gettysburg on that occasion.
Among the cars furnfture We're sever
al reclining chairs, and one particularly
long sofa for the special use OF the tall
executive. This sofa could be adjusted At
hight into double bed. II Is not definite
ly known what became OF the various ar
cles furniture with the exception Of
one old-fashioned chair which may he
seen in the private office Of Superintend-
ent Of Transportation Buckingham, OF the
Union Pacific road at omaha.
The old. battered and ill-looking hulk
also carried President lincolns remains
from Washington TO Springfield III. IL
was in this car that the body lay during
that memorable Journey which lasted
from April Il TO May 3, 1885.
In 1866 the government aucuoned a
great deal OF it's railway material built
for war needs. and among the things was
the famous coach which became through
purchase the property of President Sid
ney Dillon. Of the Union Pacific railway,
who Immediately removed IL 20 Omaha.
For some time IL Mas-used as a direct
ors' car. but its great weight caused by.
the armor plate made il Objectionable.
and il was withdrawn from the service,
stan.ang for years under shed con-
structed for its custody.
There was talk i'm lSss OF insugurs ting
= movement among the colored popula-
tion of the United States with a view OF
securing .unds with which TO purchase
the car restore IL and 10 provide for IL
suitable building in Washington. where
il might he preserved. Nothing however,
came OF the idea.