Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-12-31
RAIL VA KBRIDGE
ACCIDENT NEAR DUNDEE,
SCOTLAND.

LONDON, December ga portion of
the bridge across the Firth of Tay was
blown down while a train from Edin-
burgh to Dundee was crossing at fourteen
minutes past o'clock last nj ght. A dis
patch says that the train was bound for
Dundee, and had arrived safe at the south
end of the bridge crossing the Firth of
Tay, shortly after o'clock The bridge
was intact at the time, for signals were
given to allow her to cross. The wires
interrupted few minutes thereafter, and
no further communication could be OBJ
tanned. The gale was so strong that the
steamboats, were unable to reach the scene
of the disaster, but several mail-bags have
been washed ashore, four miles from the
bridge, and there is no doubt that the
train is i'll the water. Large quantities
of wreckage and clothing and six
London mail-bags for Dundee and
Aberdeen drifted ashore, and by 9 clock
all the beach was strewn with the re-
mains of broken carriages and pieces of
bridge-work
The passengers who are certainly all
drowned, are variously estimated at from
$50 to 200 in number.
The gale having moderated somewhat,
the Provost of Dundee and a number of
leading citizens started on a steamer to
the scene of the disaster, but have not vet
returned. The excitement at Tay Bridge
Station is appalling; many thousand peo-
pie are congregated awaiting definite
intelligence.
LONDON, December 29.-10 A. M.
Manager North, of the British Railway,
telegraphing from Luchars, at o'clock
this morning, says: Several large grid
ers along with the last train from Edin-
burgh, were precipitated into the river
last night. There were nearly 800 pass
engers, besides the company's servants,
all of whom are believed to have perish
ed.''
A dispatch from Edinburgh, dated at
4 this morning, says: .The portion of
the bridge which fell consisted of several
large superintendent girders at the GEN.
trail and navigable portion of the river,
which averages from forty to forty-fve
feet in depth. The train would fall
about eighty-eight feet before reaching
the water. Some time elapsed before the
nature of the disaster was ascertained.
The damage to the wires on the bridge
and the badness of the weather interfered
with the transmission of news and it is
unknown whether the girders were blown
down before the train entered the bridge
or were carried away with it, and it will
probably never be ascertained, as there
are no survivors. The bridge was only
opened for traffic in May, 1878 1t was
considered a triumph of engineering
skill. 1t was about two miles long and
had eighty-five spans, the widest of which
245 feet. At the highest point it was
130 feet above high water
The train left Edinburgh at 4:15 in
the afternoon. 1t consisted of four third
class cars, one first-class and one second
class, and the brakesman's van. At the.
last station before entering the bridge the
tickets were taken and the train was then
crowded.
Vast quantities of wreckage, such as,
doors and roofs of carriages, pieces of the
bridge, and articles of wearing apparel
coming ashore.
LONDON, December 29-1 p. M.-The
Provost of Dundee and the party of citi-
Zens who accompanied him in steamer
to the scene of the disaster have returned.
Search was made about the bridge in
small boats, but no trace of any surviv-
ors could be found. The gap in the
bridge is about half mile long, compris-
ing eleven of the longest spans, each 245
feet in length, and one span 145 feet in
length.
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