The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-17
THE JOURNEY BEGUN.
Continued from First Page)

(COnlnueu ITOIn 1dSe.J
+he first town through which the train
,assed. the inhabitants had been aug
mented by thousands from the sur
rounding country. The country schools
alcng the way let out, and the chill
dren the President loved so we'll in life
were there to see his dead body pass
The train slowed down at every station
TO allow the people lined up on either
side to get a better view of the flag
covered casket. AS the train slowed UP
the mourners behind the curtained
windows of the train could hear the
tolling bells.
Entire Population Assemblies.
on Board Funeral Train, Remove,
Pa, Sept. 16.-After leaving clean
the train descended into the
valley of the Susquehanna. The route
continued down the beautiful valley
of the Susquehanna as far as Harris
burg. At the little town of Driftwood,
which was reached at 1890, the entire
population of the town was massed
behind a little band of Grand Army
veterans who had planted a furled
crepe trimmed flag in front of them.
The Little Ones He Loved.
On IoOdTu Train, W1lldQS-
port, Pa, Sept 16-At Remove ropes
had been stretched to keep back
crowds which surged through
the neighboring streets. A big
flag with President McKinley's
picture framed in crepe was strung
from corner to corner of the station
and in front of it were hundreds of
school children, their hats in their
hands, and their little faces grave. Aft
er leaving Remove the train passed
through a more thickly populated
country and the crowds grew denser
Half-masted flags were on every
schoolhouse and the bells of the
churches tolled dolefully as the train
sped by
school ChiIdren's Offering.
At Williamsport, which was reached
at 2:30, there was a remarkable demon
stration, the feature of which was the
fering by 5000 school children of the
city. 1t was received by Col. Bling
ham, the Presidents aide. He stood on
the platform of the observation car in
which the catafalque lay exposed to
view and the scene was profoundly i'm
pressive.
Strewed Track With Flowers.
At Lockhaven the young ladies of the
city lined up along the track and
strewed the path of the dead President
with flowers. Some had baskets brinl-
ming full of color and others held the
fragrant blossoms in their arms. They
poured the wealth of their floral offer
ing beneath the cruel wheels. Each
small town had conceived some distinct
way of its own to show its respect for
the dead. Others sought to obtain SOU
Yenirs of the sad occasion in unique
ways. At one point beyond Lockhaven
hundreds of boys placed silver coins
on the track, and when the train rush.
ed by hurried to secure the fiattened
bits of silver for preservation as me-
mentos in their families for all time.
Through Village and Highway.
On Board the Funeral Train, Balti-
more, Sept. 16.-After leaving Williams
port the train ran through stretches
of farming country, dotted here and
there with small manufacturing towns
At Milton all work was suspended
and the town turned out en- masses at
the station and lined the railroad
track.
At the busy little town of Sunbury
the shops closed down for time and
the braWny Workmen lined up in their
overalls, with serious faces, and hats
in hand.
In the fifty miles from Sunbury to
Harrisburg the route skirted the placid
ADOSPQGAdIlIds anu JIle NlSldS OF green
clad slope and peak gave way to broad
sweeps of rich farming country. The
river men were aware of the coming
of the train. A ponderous dredge halt
ed in it's operations, and the men lined
the deck of the unwiedly craft. At a
little town across the river the pop
ulace had emptied upon the wharves
and could be seen straining for a view
of the spede grtnnia5criikn; shrd HIM
homely farmhouse had its little porch
looped with black, and underneath
were gathered the old and young of
the household with sorrowing faces.
At one cross-road hundreds of We
hicles were drawn up with country
people standing in them, and evident
ly some nearby town had thus sought
a point of vantage near the track.
Demonstration Mt Harrisburg.
Approaching Harrisburg factory
hands again lined the track. The roof
tops of buildings were alive with peo-
pie. Flags were half-masted and en-
blems of mourning were everywhere at
hand. Hundreds of men and women
crowded the tops of freight cars. With
in the station the people were banked
in thousands, surging through all the
approaching streets as far as the eye
could reach. From a huge viaduct
spanning the track countless faces
peered down into the car windows. The
tolling of the church bells could be
heard, and as the train entered the
station the shrill notes of bugle
sounded taps. Despite the vigil
lance of the guards, wo-
men pushed through to the
train and pleaded at the windows
for any trifie the cars might yield as
memento of this eventful trip. Just
as tn train stopped a great choir,
ranged tier on tier on the station steps.
began Nearer, My God, to Thee" and
then as the train pulled out the strains
turned to my Country, IT'S of Thee"
A remarkable spectacle was presented
as the train moved across the long
bridge spanning the Susquehanna from
Harrisburg. On either side of the
stream, up and down for miles. the
banks teemed with legions of people,
From the brink of the stream they
were in solid masses to the trees far
In the background. On the bridge it.
self urchins had clambered into the
tangle of steel at the sides of the roof.
ON the surface of the river, in
fotilla of rowboats and yachts hun
dreds more looked up at the train of
death.