The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-09-20
JOURNEY FROM BUFFALO,.
Train Passes Through a Living Lane
of People.

Washington. Sept. 17.-Through a
living lane of bareheaded people
stretching from Buffalo up over the
Alleghenies, down into the broad val
| ley of the Susquehanna and on to the
Marble City on the banks of the shin
| ing Potomac, the nations martyred
president made his last journey to the
seat of the government over which he
presided for tour 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
districts thickened at the little ham
| let's, covered acres in towns suddenly
grown to the proportions of respect
able cities and were congested into
vast multitudes 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. At all the
larger towns and cities after the train
got into Pennsylvania militiamen
drawn up at present arms kept back
the enormous crowds. The silence
with which the countless thousands
viewed the remains of their hero and
martyr was oppressive and profound.
Only the rumbling of the trains
wheels, the sobs from men and women
with tear-stained faces and the dole
full tolling of the church bells broke
on the ear. At several places, Will
Transport, Harrisburg and Baltimore,
the chimes played Cardinal Newman s
grand hymn. Taken altogether the
journey home was the most remark
able demonstration of
Universal Personal Sorrow
since Lincoln was borne to his grave.
Every one of those who came to pay
their last tribute to the dead had an
opportunity to catch glimpse of the
| fag-covered bier elevated to view in
the observation car at the rear of the
train.
There were no other bits of color
to catch the eye on this train of death.
The locomotive was shrouded in black,
the curtains of the car in which sat
the lonely, stricken widow, the rela-
tives of the president, cabinet and
| others, were drawn. The whole black
train was like suffered house save
only for that hindmost car where the
body lay, guarded by soldier Of the
army and a sailor of the navy.
Mrs. Mckinley stood the trip brave
ly. In the morning soon after leaving
Buffalo she pleaded so earnestly to be
allowed to go 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 Is minutes
by a pilot engine sent ahead to test
the bridges and switches and prevent
the possibility Of accident to the
precious burden it carried. The train
had the right of way over everything.
Not wheel moved on the Pennsyl-
vania railroad system 80 minutes be-
fore the pilot engine was due, or for
the same length of time after the train
had passed.
The train left Buffalo at $3.50 a. m.
and arrived at Washington at S:3S p.
m. In IL hours it is estimated over
held all that was mortal of President
Mckinley.
STANDS THE ORDEAL WELL.
Mrs. MckinIey's Friends Fear a Col
lapse When All Is Over.
Washington, Sept. 17.-Mrs. Nc
Kinley has stood the strain of the
trying ordeal following the death OF
the president without breaking down
and her physician, DR.. Rixey, is en-.
couraged to believe that she will go
through the state ceremonial without
collapse. She spent a half hour be,
side tha coffin on the train during the
morning. This was followed by a
period of depression, but DR.. Rixey
induced ner to sleep during the after.
noon. Now that she has gone through
with the trials and fatigues so far
those nearest to her feel there is little
serious danger of immediate collapse
Their dread is for the future, when
the nerve tension of the present or.
deal is over and when the widow is
back alone in the old house at Canton
with the flood of reflection and reali.
cation that must come upon he=.