The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-02-14 00:00:00

THE TAY-BRIDGE DISASTER.

DUNDEE, February 8.
Thirty-five of the bodies of the victims of the Tay-
bridge disaster have now been got—the remains of two
of the passengers having been picked up on Saturday.
In the morning, William Brown, gardener, Newport,
was walking along the beach about half a mile to the
west of the pier, when he saw an object floating in the
water a few yards from the shore. He waded in and
brought ashore the body, which proved to be that of a
middle-aged man. Decomposition had far advanced,
and the features were perfectly unrecognizable. Brown
immediately made known his dilcovery to the police at
Newport and the remains were taken care of. informa-
tion in the meantime being sent tro Dundee. One of the
Dundee police constables and Mr. Smith, undertaker,
went over to Newport by the ten o'clock boat, and had
the body brought to the mortuary at the Tay-bridge
station. From the papers found on the body it was
identified as that of Mr. W. H. Beynon, Cheltenharo,
Mr. Beynon was a partner of the firm of Messrs.
Beynon and Co., fine art publishers and engravers,
Cheltenham, and had been in Scotland arranging for
the publication of a photographic group of the prin-
cipal officials of the North British Railway Company.
He left Edinburgh by the afternoon train for Dundee
on the 28th of December. At Ladybank he got out
of the Dundee train and went into a train then at the
Junction, and about to start for Perth. Being made
aware of his mistake, however, he hurried back and
just got into the Tay-bridge train as it was on the
point of starting for Dundee. Mr. Beynon was
insured for £l,OOO with the Accidental Company,
And only a few days before his death he received
information that his claim for a slight injury sus-
tained by him at Alloa had been allowed. On the
body were found a gold watch and chain, with two
gold appendages, and a sum of £lB ss. 7d., chiefly in
gold. On the right hand there was a gold buckle ring
and on the left a valuable diamond ring. From the
fact that the body was without a coat, and that the
vest was unbuttoned, some people are of opinion that
the deceased, on being aware that something had
gone wrong with the train, had begun to throw off his
clothing, with view of being the better able to swim
ashore, Mr. Beynon's ulster was picked up in the
river a month ago.
On Saturday evening, while a girl was walking along
the beach at Monifieth, nine miles from Dundee, she
came on the body of a man. It was soon removed to
Dundee, where it was identified as that of Peter Gray
Salmond, blacksmith; residing in Dundee. The de-
ceased, who leaves a widow and family, had been at-
tending the funeral of a friend at Kilkcaldy on Satur-
day, and was returning to Dundee on the Sunday uieht,
when he met his death.

DIINDEB, Monday Night.
No additional bodies have been recovered .to-day.
Mr. Twenty, of Swansea, an intimate friend of
the late Mr. Benyon, arrived in Dundee to-day
to take charge of the remains. Decomposition
had far advanced, and Mr. Twenty completed
his identification by the examination of the teeth,
two of which were false. In the afternoon the
remains were removed to Cheltenham for interment,
and the bodies of James Murdoch and Peter Craig
Salmond were buried. To-day a meeting of the
Relief Committee was held. It was reported that,
having regard to the number and nature of the
claims, the funds, which amounted to £5,600 would
not do more than meet the requirements. Blasting
14 dynamite was resumed to-day. A six-pound charge
was exploded on the southern girder, and a great
quantity of wooden wreckage came to the surface. It is
now supposed that the southernmost girder has been
detached from all the others, and if the weather should
continue favourable, of which, however, there is not
much prospect to-night, a strong easterly gale blowing,
an attempt will be made to raise thelirder to-morrow.
—The Board of Trade inquiry regarding the circum-
stances atten3ing the disaster is to be resumed in
Dundee on Monday, the 23rd inst.