Fly Through Historic Ford’s Theatre

[L Verge]

Gene - I'm finding more and more researchers/authors in our field are using "perhaps" and other similar "unsourced" terms quite a bit now to cover their derrieres in proposing theories that they are unable to prove...

That said, I suspect that there were quite a few props, pieces of lumber, debris, etc. strewn on the floors behind the scenes at most theaters (then and now) for the lack of cleaning crews, etc. I don't think anything had to be torn off its hinges or the walls in order to get a makeshift stretcher for the President. Maneuvering him out of the box might be an issue -- and certainly getting that non-flexible board down the winding stairs would take a bit of skill. The width of the stair would allow no more than three men in my estimation to bear the litter downwards -- one at the feet, walking backwards and leading; two at the head, holding things level. I would even hazard a guess that two (one at each end) carried Mr. Lincoln down the stairs and then were joined by others to get him across the street.

Anyone been a coffin bearer in the days before the dead were wheeled into church? I think there were generally six, with two at the head, two in the middle, and two at the feet. Not sure that the stairs at Ford's had the width to accommodate that many because I've been to services in colonial churches where the aisle is almost too small to accommodate the coffin and the men.