The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1901-09-18
THROUGH LANE OF SORROW
Thousands Lined Tracks Along Route of
Train Bearing McKinley's Body
to Washington.

WASHINGTON. Sept. 17.-Through
a living lane Of bareheaded people.
stretching from Ruffalo up over the Ale
ghenys. down on to the broad valley Of
the Susquehanna, and on to the marble
city on the banks Of the shining Poto-
mac, the nations martyred President
yesterday made his last journey to the
seat of the government over which he
presided for four and one-half years.
The whole country seemed to have
drained its population at the sides Of
the track over which the funeral train
passed. The thin lines through the
mountains and the Sparsely settled dis
tricts thickcned at the little hamlets. COW
cred acres in towns suddenly grown to
the proportions of respectable cities and
were cOngested into vast multitudcs in
the larger cities. Work was suspended
in field and mine and city. The schools
were dismissed.
And everywhere appeared the trap
pings and tokens Of woe. \ million
flags at half-mast dotted hillsides and
valley and formed a thiciet Of color over
the cities And from almost every ban
ner streamed bit of crepe. The sta
tions were heavy with the black symbols
of mourning At all the larger towns
and cities after the train got into Penn
sylvania militiamen drawn up at pre-
sent arms" kept back the enormous
crowds.
The silence with which the countless
thousands viewed the remains Of their
hero aud martyr was oppressive and pro-
found. Only the rumbling of the train
L.. col an1
with tear-staincd faces and the dOleful
tolling of the church and other bells
broke on the ear. At several places,
Williamsport, Harrisburg and Baltimore
the chimes played Cardinal Newman's
grand hymn.
Universal Personal Sorrow.
Taken altogether the journey home
was the most remarkable demonstration
t,S universal personal sorrow since Lin
i.oln was borne to his grave Everyone
Of those who came to pay their last trib-
ute to the dead had an opportunity to
catch n glimpse Of the flag covered bier
elevated to view in the observation car
at the rear of the train.
There was no other bit of color to
catch the eye on this train Of death. The
| locomotive was shrouded in black, the
] curtains of the cars in which set the
lonely, stricken widow, relatives Of the
President. cabinet and others were
drawn. The whole black train was like
q suffered house save only for that hind
most car, where the body lay guarded by
n soldier of the army and a sailor Of the
| navy.
Mrs. Mckinley stood the trip bravel r..
| In the morning soon after leaving Buff
| falo she pleaded 50 earnestly TO be al
/ lowed TO 20 into the car where her dear
| one lay that reluctant assent was given
and she spent half an hour beside the
] coffin.
All the way the train was preceded
about II minutes by pilot engine sent
ahead to test the bridges and switches
and prevent the possibility Of accident Ia
/ the precious burden it carried. The
| train had the right Of way over every
thing. Not a wheel moved on the Penn
| sylvania system 80 minutes before the
| pilot engine was due or for the same
I length of time after the train passed.
/ General Superintendent J. Il. Hutchin-
son had sent out explicit instructions Gov
ering every detail. The order concluded
EVERY Dlecaution must be taken by all
employees % make the movement abso-
lutelv safe