Plans On Track for Lincoln Train and Funeral Re-Enactments

The Funeral Train

Abraham Lincoln

On  April 21, 1865, the train carrying the body of President Abraham Lincoln left Washington in-route to Springfield, Illinois where the president was to be interred. Over 180 stops were made along the way and over 3-million people paid their respects.

 Crowds

The Lincoln Special, as the train was called, took 12 days to reach Illinois’ capitol city covering over 1,600 miles before reaching the end of its journey.

Lincoln's Hat

Next year marks the 150^th Anniversary of Lincoln’s death and the running of the Funeral Train. To commemorate the event, a devoted group of Lincolnites from Illinois are planning to re-enactment the train trip, along with a re-enactment of his funeral in the city of Springfield.

Train Plans

The 2015 Lincoln Funeral Train group plans to travel the original train route as part of this tribute tour, in replicas of the steam engine and the Lincoln funeral car. Both are being built from scratch to look just as they did in 1865, complete with accurate car body, interior and exterior finishes and trims, and furniture. (The original car was destroyed by fire in 1911.)

David Klole

David Kloke, a master mechanic and owner of Locomotive Works, LLC in Elgin, Illinois, has built an operating 19^th century steam locomotive, which will make the journey from Washington D.C. to Springfield, Illinois.

Building Train

Kloke sees this as a labor of love and has been inspired by Lincoln since he was a child. About 10 years ago, Kloke came up with the idea to reconstruct the funeral route and the funeral train for the 150^th Anniversary. Kloke has built the train using his own money.

The first official ride on the reconstructed steam engine, the Leviathan 63, will be in Wellington, Ohio this weekend - April 18 -20, 2014. This fundraiser is the first of several to secure donations for the completion of the Lincoln Funeral Car by next April. If you can't ride the rails but would still like to help, donations may be made to The Historic Railroad Equipment Association and are tax deductible. Visit http://www.the2015lincolnfuneraltrain.com/donate or mail contributions to:

The Historic Railroad Equipment Association

1325 Spaulding Road

Elgin, IL  60120

Funeral Train Arrives

But the re-enactment is not over once the train pulls into the station on May 2, 2015. Far from it! From there, members of the 2015 Lincoln Funeral Coalition lincolnfuneraltrain.org will began a re-enactment of the funeral procession held in that city.

Funeral Hearse

It was May 4, 1865 when Lincoln’s body was taken to Oak Ridge Cemetery and placed in the reception vault to await the construction of his cemetery monument.

Next year, there will be a 3-week event to commemorate the 150^th Anniversary of Lincoln’s final arrival back home in Springfield. Beginning on April 14, the day Lincoln was shot while attending the play, “Our American Cousin,”  the program will once again be performed, this time at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield.

The Lincoln Home

Rees Carillon

A scholarly symposium will begin April 15 with talks being held at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the Executive Mansion, and the University of Illinois at Springfield.

On Wednesday, April 29, a special concert will be performed on the Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon in Washington Park. And on Friday, May 1^st, Civil War military and civilian re-enactors will open their encampments to the pubic.

Lincoln's Funeral

Then on Saturday the 2^nd  the funeral train will arrive in town. Once the replicated coffin is unloaded from the train, a hearse procession will travel the same route to 6^th and Washington Streets for the opening ceremonies. The day will conclude with civil war-era band concerts and a candlelight vigil to be held throughout the night at Washington and 6^th Streets.

The historic procession to the cemetery will be held on Sunday, May 3

Lincoln's Interment

accompanied by re-enactors from around the country. The same eulogy, speeches and salutes will be given once again in Oak Ridge Cemetery, along with the original music played at the ceremony in 1865.

If you would like more information about the events, to take part, or donate, visit the 2015 Lincoln Funeral Coalition’s web page at lincolnfuneraltrain.org

What fitting tributes for the man who once said “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

~ Joy

Remembering the Pets On The Titanic

Today is National Pet Day, and Monday will be the 102nd Anniversary of the Titanic Disaster, which made me wonder: How many pets were on board the Titanic when she sank on April 14, 1912 during her maiden voyage?  The answer, unfortunately, were many …

Titanic

The Breakup

It was a Sunday night, 11:40 P.M. when the largest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic.  Less than 3 hours later the massive ship disappeared under the icy waters.  Just over a third of the 2,200 passengers and crew were still alive and aboard the half filled lifeboats, or trying to stay alive in the frigid waters. When the Carpathia arrived the next morning to rescue survivors, only 700 remained alive. So what happened to the pets?

Traveling with his dog

At the turn of the 20th century, it was in vogue to travel with a pet – or two, and those well to do traveling on the Titanic were no exception. The fare price for a dog was about half the cost of an adult ticket: about the same amount as for a child’s ticket. Rosters indicated that there were several pets on board when the ship set sail including 12 dogs, the ship’s cat, several roosters and hens, and a canary.

Cat and Kitten

It is interesting to note that the ship’s cat, Jenny had just had kittens on board –but when the ship docked at Southampton before heading out into the Atlantic, Jenny was seen carrying each kitten off the ship. She was then seen leading them away into the city. The sight was enough to make one seaman refuse to set foot on the Titanic, believing that the cat “knew something,” and that the ship was doomed. 

Pet's of the Titanic

Those pets known to have been on board and lost included John Jacob Astor’s Airedale, a King Charles Spaniel, a French Bulldog, a Toy Poodle, a Fox Terrier, an elderly Airedale, and a Chow.

Dogs on the Titanic

Many pets were not taken on deck when the alarm sounded that fateful night because passengers thought it was a drill. Some of the pets were sleeping in their master’s quarters; others were being cared for in the kennel area. Few passengers had the foresight to retrieve their pets before the sinking. Unfortunately, most of the animals were left below board to fend for themselves. It was said that as the ship began to sink, someone went to the kennels and released all of the animals in an attempt to allow them to save themselves.

Permit to Inter William Dulles

Crossing records indicated that attorney William Crothers Dulles was traveling with his dog. Both went down with the ship.

Ann Isham

There was also a rumor that Ann Isham was traveling with a large dog, possibly a Great Dane. When she was told she could not get in the lifeboat with her dog because he was too big, she refused to go. A German liner later reported seeing the bodies of a woman and a large dog floating together after the disaster.

Sun-Yat Sen

Three dogs and the canary were said to have survived the sinking. One was a Pekingese named Sun-Yat Sen owned by Henry Sleeper Harper of the Harper and Row Publishing Company. Harper and Sun-Yat survived, along with his wife, Myra by getting into Lifeboat 3.

Lady

Margaret B Hays

Lady, a Pomeranian pup survived along with her owner, Margaret Bechstein Hays in Lifeboat 7. Hays had purchased Lady in Paris and was taking her home to New York City. Lady was wrapped in a blanket and the crew allowed Hays to board the lifeboat with her, thinking it was a baby. From then on, Hays took Lady everywhere with her, even the opera. Lady died in 1920 and was cremated.

Elizabeth B. Rothschild

The third dog to survive was another Pomeranian owned by Elizabeth Barrett Rothschild who hid the dog in her coat when she boarded Lifeboat 6. When the captain of the Carpathia refused to allow the dogs to board his ship, Mrs. Rothschild refused to leave the lifeboat. The captain acquiesced and both were hauled on board. Unfortunately the dog was attacked and killed by a larger dog only a few weeks later.

Rigel ?

And there was the story of a Newfoundland named Rigel, supposedly the pet of First Officer William Murdoch (who went down with the ship) that managed to survive in the water and alerted the crew of the Carpathia where some of the lifeboats were by barking.  Rigel was taken aboard the rescuing ship and adopted by a crewman.

Newspaper Article About Rigel

The story was told by Carpathia crew member Jonas Briggs to a news reporter in New York, but the problem was that there was no Jonas Briggs on the Carpathia’s crew roster, and no survivors reported seeing or hearing the black New Foundland that supposedly saved them. But readers took the story to heart, regardless of the facts, because it provided a ray of hope that those surviving, and those reading about it needed in the face of such a tragedy.

Remembering Those Lost at Sea

Recovering Remains

Recovery ships found 340 bodies floating on the ocean, but only 209 remains could be delivered to Halifax. The other 128 were too badly decomposed to be retrieved. They were buried at sea. Of all the animals that had died, none were taken back to shore for burial.

~ Joy

Fala – The Most Famous Four-Footed White House Resident

WW II

President Roosevelt

He arrived at the White House just one year before the U.S. would wage war on Japan and officially enter World War Two.  With a master who was under the scrutiny of the entire world, Fala had his job cut out for him as companion, confident, and best friend to the president.

Fala, the Scottish Terrier

Born April 7, 1940, Fala was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s favorite dog. Given to the president by a friend and cousin, the little black Scottish Terrier was originally named Big Boy. Roosevelt renamed him Murray the Outlaw of Falahill after his famous 15^th century Scottish ancestor, John Murray, but his name was quickly shortened to Fala.

FDR and Fala

Fala's Collar

Fala arrived at the White House well trained. Besides the usual house training, he could also roll over, sit up, jump, and curl his lip into a smile upon command. The American public and dignitaries from around the world were enamored with the little Scotty. Always in style, he sported a leather collar with a silver nameplate that read, “Fala, The White House.”

Fala Traveling with FDR

Walking Fala

Fala immediately became the constant companion of the president, traveling with him around the world via chauffeured car, presidential airplane, custom-made train car, and ship. But his presence often alerted others where the president was traveling since he would require regular walking on a trip. Because of this, he was given the code name, “The Informer” by the Secret Service.

FDR in Aleutians

In fact, his inclusion to the president’s travels sparked a trumped up controversy in 1944 when a Republican in the House of Representatives alleged that FDR had accidently left the dog on Adak Island in the Aleutians during a trip. The representative claimed that the president sent a destroyer back to get Fala.

FDR Speaking

Fala Listens in

Roosevelt denied the charges in what is now the famous “Fala Speech” where he told listeners that the Republicans were not content to attack him and his family, “now they attack my little dog. I don’t resent the attacks and my family doesn’t resent the attacks, but Fala does resent them … He hasn’t been the same dog since.”

Fala's Movie

Fala's Fan Mail

The public loved stories about the little dog and Fala had his share of the limelight. He attended a conference in Quebec where the media held a photo op for him. In 1942, a movie was made about him, and a book was written about his life at the White House called The True Story of Fala. He was also the star of several cartoons. The little dog received so much mail that he required a secretary to respond to all of his correspondence.

Faithful Companions

FDR's Funeral

When FDR died in April 1945, Fala was devastated. His life-long companion was gone. He accompanied the president on the presidential funeral train from Warm Springs, New York back to Washington D.C. and then attended the president's funeral.

Eleanor and Fala

Fala with Portrait of FDR

Fala lived the rest of his life with Eleanor Roosevelt in her home at Val-Kill. Although well-loved and with plenty of room to play, Fala never seemed to get over the loss of his best friend.

Fala at FDR's Grave

Fala's Grave

Fala died on April 5, 1952, just two days short of his 12^th birthday. His death made national media and he was buried in the rose garden at Hyde Park, close to his beloved master.

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial

Fala

In 1997, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial was dedicated in Washington D.C. There, a life-sized statue of FDR sits draped in a cape with Fala ever watchful at his feet. Fala is the only pet to ever be represented in a presidential memorial - That is how inseparable the two are remembered.

~ Joy