The train ride to Elberon, New Jersey was peaceful. All the engineers and conductors in the region switched off their engines and waited for the president to pass so that no sound of bell or whistle would disturb him. Along the train tracks thousands of ordinary men and women stood in silent respect. When the train reached Elberon it continued on 3,200 feet of track laid by two thousand people the night before so the president could be taken to the door of where he was staying, Franklyn Cottage. However, the train could not reach the cottage due to its steep hilltop location.
A crowd had been waiting all day for the president’s arrival. As soon as the problem became apparent, two hundred men ran forward. They grabbed ahold of the train cars and silently rolled them up the hill.
