Then we forget 1901 and Lincoln last time ever seen before 30 feet of concrete.... He got the idea from Pullman's burial...
George M. Pullman, in full George Mortimer Pullman, (born March 3, 1831, Brocton, New York, U.S.—died October 19, 1897, Chicago), American industrialist and inventor of the Pullman sleeping car, a luxurious railroad coach designed for overnight travel. The labour movement continued to revile Pullman. After he died of a heart attack in 1897, he was buried at night in a lead-lined coffin within an elaborately reinforced steel-and-concrete vault. Workers then poured several tons of cement over the vault to prevent his body from being exhumed and desecrated by labour activists
This web page tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's exhumation in 1901.
rogerjnorton.com
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ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BODY EXHUMED AND VIEWED IN 1901
Both the cage and the coffin would be hardened forever in a solid block of rock
. Robert's idea for this had come from the burial procedure employed for George M. Pullman (inventor of the Pullman sleeping car).
Finally, on September 26, 1901, all was ready. Because of the permanency of this burial,
a discussion arose among those present as to whether the coffin should be opened. Some people argued that the remains should be identified due to rumors around the country that Mr. Lincoln was not the body in the box. Other people thought opening the casket would be a violation of privacy. In the end, it was decided to open the coffin
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All 23 of the people who viewed the remains of Mr. Lincoln have long since passed away. The last one was Fleetwood Lindley who died on January 31, 1963. Three days before he died, Mr. Lindley was interviewed. He said, "Yes, his face was chalky white. His clothes were mildewed. And I was allowed to hold one of the leather straps as we lowered the casket for the concrete to be poured. I was not scared at the time but I slept with Lincoln for the next six months." Mr. Lindley was 75 when he died and 13 when he had viewed the body. He had been the only child to do so. Mr. Lindley was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery not far from Lincoln's Tomb. The photograph to the left depicts the youthful Mr. Lindley at age 13. The one to the right depicts him when he was 75
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