When President McKinley's Funeral Train Passed Through The Valley

President McKinleys Funeral Train came through the valley on September 16, 1901

McKinley had been assassinated while attending the Pan-Am exposition in Buffalo NY. Shot twice, it was first thought he would recover, but the Dr was unable to locate the second bullet, and the President died of gangrene a few days later. McKinley was the 3rd US president to be assassinated, and after this the Secret Service was assigned to protect all future presidents. 

The body of President McKinley was transported by train from New York to Washington DC, along a route that passed through all of our Susquehanna Valley towns. Many photos were taken that day, as businesses and schools closed , and thousands flocked to the tracks and train stations to watch the train pass through.

The Assassination

During the economic panic of 1893, a man by the name of Leon Czolgosz lost his job, and turned to anarchism.  As an anarchist, he considered it his duty to kill President McKinley. While attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo NY, Czolgosz concealed a revolver  under a handkerchief, and used it to fire two bullets into the President. One bullet only grazed the ,McKinley the other lodged in his abdomen, where the doctor was unable to locate it to remove it. 

At first, President McKinley appeared to be recovering, but on September 13th, gangrene set into his wounds. At 2:15 a.m. on Sept. 14, McKinley, while staying at the Millburn House in Buffalo, died from gangrene poisoning resulting from the bullet wounds and infection.

McKinley was the third United States President to be assassinated, and it was after this that congress passed legislation to officially place the Secret Service in charge of protecting future Presidents.

The Train

The body of President McKinley was transported by train from New York to Washington DC, along a route that passed through all of our Susquehanna Valley towns. Businesses and schools closed that afternoon, and thousands flocked to the tracks and train stations to watch the train pass through. Many photos were taken that day, of President McKinley's funeral train. Here's a little of what it looked like in each of our areas towns:

 

The last words uttered by the President were "Nearer My God To Thee".  This hymn was sung in nearly every city, as the train passed through.

Only the engines and observation cars were shrouded in black, the other cars were left unadorned. All other trains were  brought to a halt as the funeral train came through an area. Not another train wheel was to turn as the funeral train passed.

Two engines were used for the trip, as the train was run the entire course with a pilot engine a safe distance ahead to insure the safety of the train following.  The pilot engine, five minutes ahead of the funeral train, would blow it's whistle as it entered each town, alerting the citizens that the funeral train was approaching.

The train left Buffalo at 8:46am, 16 minutes behind schedule. 

It was scheduled to pass slowly through the principal cities of Erie, Emporium, Renovo, Lock Haven, Williamsport, Sunbury, and Harrisburg.

At Emporium, Williamsport, and Harrisburg, the train would stop for new engines.  In each of those towns, the engines were ready and waiting, draped in black.  The stops lasted just 5 minutes.

1:25 pm, Renovo

“The train entered the station very quietly, without giving the usual whistle as the signal for its arrival. There was a breathless silence when it came to a stop, the solemnity of which was very impressive.”

The train could not possibly have been expected in Jersey Shore that late - perhaps this should read 1:10?

2:20 pm, Lock Haven

In Lock Haven, "young ladies of the city lined up along the track and strewed the path … with flowers.”

2:45 pm, Williamsport

Waiting as the Williamsport station was a Guard of Honor that was “composed of four companies of the 12th regiment (of the National Guard of Pennsylvania); Reno post, Grand Army of the Republic; Veteran Legion, Sons of Veterans and the Spanish-American war veterans.”

“along the route of the funeral train … there was no more impressive sight than that of thousands of school children lined up along the railroad tracks. At Williamsport a most impressive showing was made by the little ones. The scholars of the St. Boniface and the Washington Building Schools (were) particularly prominent.” - The Philadelphia Enquirer

At Park Station, in Williamsport

(Notice that the Park Mansion is still 4 stories tall)

Theodore Roosevelt on the back of the train, the flag draped coffin can be seen inside

As  the train “came slowly rolling into the Williamsport station,” McKinley’s widow, Roosevelt and the rest of the passengers were greeted “with tolling bells, the muffled roll of drums and the chimes of the Trinity Episcopal Church ringing out in subdued tones ‘Lead, Kindly Light,’ the favorite hymn of the martyr president,” according to the Record-Argus.

The  stop in Williamsport lasted just five minutes and, as the train pulled out of the station near the Park Hotel, the mourners aboard would see that, for about 2 miles, “the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad were lined on either side with a weeping and (an) uncovered multitude, who had assembled for the purpose of paying their last respects to the dead and honored president.”

3:10 pm, Watsontown

At Watsontown, the Sun Gazette reported that a “crowd stood with uncovered heads” while a band played “Nearer, My God, to Thee.”

3:26 pm, Milton

3:15 pm, Montandon

3:46 pm, Sunbury

 Sunbury’s third street was covered with flags and bunting, all heavily draped in crepe.

At Sunbury, the train stopped for four minutes, for water.

5:00 pm, Harrisburg

York

On to Washington D.C.
From there, the train went on to Baltimore, then Washington DC, where the where President McKinley  would lie in state.  On Sept. 18, McKinley a second funeral train made the trip to  Canton, Ohio, where the President was  interred in West Lawn Cemetery.  A memorial was built there in his honor. Ida McKinley, his widow, would join him in death in 1907.

Czolgosz  was quickly arrested, tried and found guilty of murder. He was executed in the electric chair on Oct. 29, 1901.

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At Williamsport

Engine No 1771, with Engineer Mackey and Fireman Martin, piloted the funeral train from Williamsport to Harrisburg, closely followed by Engine 1096, with Engineer Burd & Fireman Sterner.

At Harrisburg, Companies D & I of the eighth regiment of the National guard presented arms as the train passed under the sheds at Union station, remaining until the train left the city. Preceding the arrival of the train, the courthouse bell tolled.

The Choral society sang Nearer My God To Thee, with many of the spectators joining in.  My Country Tis Of Thee was also sang

at the arrival of the train, signal given to man in the belfry of the Zion Lutheran church, chimes play nearer my god to thee

Engine Nos 3031 and 3017

Pilot 3031 Engineer Frank Pull and Fireman Gemmitt

3017 Conductor J.H. Melstead, Brakeman A. F. Rhinehold, C.M. Lewis, C.E Gladden

In Harrisburg, the train was to stop for ten minutes to change engines.