First Report of Lincoln Assassination

[historybuff22]

(03-08-2013 02:54 PM)Hess1865 Wrote:  The New York Herald???
Plus wasn't only one telegraph line down in DC that night??

Wow! Right on! Yes, it was the New York Herald and this is the reason it has been reprinted so many times.

Also, while the public telegraph was down, the military telegraph remained working throughout the night. The reporter managed to talk someone at the military telegraph office to send his report.

As a side here, think about this: Booth shot Lincoln at approximately 10:10 PM. The reporter managed to interview a dozen eye witnesses, get in the President's box, go to the public telegraph office, then to the military telegraph office and send his report. He was literally writing his report as the telegraph operator was sending each page. Then typesetters at the New York Herald had to set the type for about 10,000 words. (Type had to be set letter by letter at that time - and the type was only about 8 points in size.) Then making plates, then print it, and lastly get it on the streets by 2 AM. That is less than 4 hours!

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
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