The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-12-30
IN THE DEPTHS.
RAILROAD ACCIDENT
A Train in scotland Falls Through n
Bridge-An the Passengers
and Train Hands go
Down to Death.

London, Dec. ga portion of the
bridge across the Firth of Fay was
blown down while the train from Edin-
burg TO Dundee was crossing, at Z
O'Clock last night, The gale was SC
strong that steamboats, were unable to
rush to the scene of disaster, but sey-
eral mail bags have been washed ashore
four miles from the bridge, and there
is no doubt that the train is in the
water. The passengers, who are GER
tainly all drowned, are variously esti-
mated at from 100 to 200 in number.
New York, Dec. pa special from
Dundee says:
"The appalling catastrophe of last
evening has thrown the city into a
state of frantic excitement, and the
neighborhood of the fatal bridge is
thronged with horror-stricken visitors.
Not soul escaped who was ON the ill.,
fated train. The gallantry of James
Roberts, locomotive superintendent of
the North British railway, of Dundee,
and Stat ion Master Smith, in adyen-
turing out on the bridge is highly COM
mended. In spite of the fury of the
gale, which rendered the attempt
doubly perilous, ane after tremendous
exertions, their hands lacerated by
clinging to the rails for dear life, they
reached the edge of the fatal gap.
Here they discovered that fifteen grid
ers, each 245 feet wide and weighing
250 tons, all forming kind of tunnel
in the middle of the bridge, had been
washed away. Nothing remained but
the bare iron piers About one third Of
the whole structure had vanished.
Thirteen brick-work stumps were to be
seen In the midst of the waves. 1t is
positively asserted that 315 people are
lost.
The London Standard in an editorial
this morning says that when the first
feeling of horror. which hangs over the
country, shall have subsidized, strict and
severe investigation into the causes of
the accident will be demanded by the
people, and nothing short of complete
answer will be accepted. The gale to
which the bridge succumbed was not ex-
ceptionally violent, the train of cars
having apparently nothing to do with
the accident, which had occurred be-
fore the cars reached the broken por-
tion.
London, Dec 29.-The train left Ed
inburg at 4:15 in the afternoon. 1t
consisted of four third-class cars, one
first-class, and second class, and one
brakeman's van. At the last station
before entering the bridge tickets were
taken and the train was then crowded.
Vast quantities of wreckage, such as
the doors and roofs Of carriages, pieces
of the bridge and articles of wearing
apparel are coming ashore. The entire
thirteen girders of the long central span
of the bridge are gone. The moon was
shining very brightly but the wind was
blowing ahurricane.
The provost of Dundee and party of
citizens who accompanied him in a
steamer to the scene of disaster, have
returned. Search was made about the
bridge in small boats, but no trace of
any survivors could be found. The
gap in the bridge is about half mile
long, comprising eleven of the longest
spans, each 245 feet in length, ana one
span las feet in length.
The manager of the North British
railray, teleRraphing from Leuchars at
a O'Clock this morning, says: Several
lage girders, along with the last train
from Edinburg, were precipitated into
the river last night. There were nearly
three hundred passengers, besides the
company's servants, all of whom are
believed to have perished.
A dispatch from Edinburg dated at
A O'Clock this morning, says: ''The
portion of the bridge which fell con-
sisted of several large superintendent
girders at the central and navigable
portion of the river, which averages
: from 40 to 40 feet in depth. The train
would fall about SS feet before reaching
the water. Some time had elapsed be-
fore the nature of the accident was as
certained. The damage to the wires
on the bridge, and the bad 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 car
ried away with it, and it will probably
never be ascertained, as there are no
survivors. The bridge was only open
for traffic in May, 1878. 1t was con.
sidered triumph of engineering skill.
1t was about two miles long and had
S5 spans, the widest of which was 24S
feet. AT the highest point it was 13C
feet above high water"