Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-12-30
TAY BRIDGE DISASTER.
NO ONE LEFT TO TELL THE TALE.
The Loss Of Life Estimated as High as
Three Hundred and Fifteen, and as
Low as Seveny-fye-A Rigid
Investigation Demanded,

| tllat several laTge RlIueIs, alOHs Will tIiO
east train from Edinburgh, were precip-
itated into the river last evening. There
were nearly
Three Hundred Passengers
besides the company's servants, all of
whom are believed to have perished.
A dispatch from Edinburgh dated at
/ o'clock this morning says that the por-
ton of the bridge which fell consisted
of several large superintendent girders
at the central and navigable portion OF
the river, which averages from forty TO
forty-fve feet in depth. The train fell
about lightweight feet before reaching
the water. Some time elapsed before the
nature of the disaster was ascertained.
The damage to the wires OH the bridge
and the badness of the weather inter
fered with the transmission OF news. 1t
is unknown whether the girders were
blown down before the train entered the
bridge or were carried away with 1t, and
it will probably never be ascertained, as
there were
NO SURVIVORS.
The bridge was only opened for traffic
in Nav, 1873, and it was considered
triumph of engineering skill. 1t was
about two miles long, and had 50 spans,
the widest OF which was 245 feet. At
the highest point it was l3O feet above
high water.
The train which left Edinburg at 4:l5
p. NJ. consisted of four third.class cars,
one iirst-class and one second-class and
a brakemen's van. At the last station
before entering the bridge the tickets
were taken, and
The Train was then Crowded
Vast quantities of the wreckage, such
as doors and roofs OF carriages, pieces OF
the bridge and articles ofwearing appar-
el are coming ashore. The entire thir-
teen girders of the long central spans OF
the bridge are gone The night was
one of bright moonlight, but the wind
was blowing hurricane.
Searching for Survivors.
M.-The provost of Dundee and
party of citizens who accompanied him
i'm steamer TO the scene of the disas-
ter, have returned. A 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,
and one span l45 feet in length.
Three Hundred and Fifteen Lives Lost.
New YORK, December pa special
from Dundee says: The appalling catas-
trophe of last evening has thrown the
city into a state of frantic excitement,
and the neighbOrhood OF the fatal bridge
is throngcd with horror stricken visi-
tors. Not a soul escaped who was on
the ill.iated train. The gallantry OF
James Roberts, Locomotive Superlnten-
dent of the North British railroad, OF
Dundee, and Station Master Smith, III
vCnturing out on the bridge, is highly
commended. In spite of the fury OF the
gale, which rendered the attempt doubly
perilous, after tremendous exertions
and their hands lacerated by clingng to
the rails for dear life, they reached the
edge OF the fatal gap. Here they dis
covered that the thirteen girders, each
245 feet long and weighing 250 tons, all
forming a kind OF atunnel in the middle
of the bridge, had been washed away,
nothing remaining but the iron piers.
About One-third of the whole structure
had vanished. Thirteen brickwork
stumps were to be seen in the midst OF
the waves. 1t is positively asserted that
3l5 people are lost.
Rigid Investigation Demanded.
LONDON, December 29.-The 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 in
vestigatiOn into tine causes OF the accl-
dent will be demanded by the people
and nothing short of a complete answer
will be accepted. The gale to which the
bridge succumbed was not exceptional
lv violent, the train of cars having APP
parentiv nothing to do with the acci-
dent, which had occurred before the cars
reached the broken portion. The Ma
tiOnal reputation is at stake and the in
veStigation must be searching indeed.
Efforts 70 Warn the Train.
New YORK, December pa London
special to the Telegram says: The It'd
ings of the disaster were first conveyed
by a gentleman who had left his home
with friend While the southwest
yale was blowing with all its fury they
! began discussing whether, on such a
night, the Edinburgh train would
venture across the bridge. They then
went to the clock telegraph signal
| box, situated at the north end of the
bridge, where they found a number
of men also anxiously awaiting infor-
nation on the subject Some OF them
assert that they had seen the lights of the
| train in question enter on the bridge
and cross the lower spans into the high
/ girders. Then they saw a sudden shower
| of fire, which, with the lights OF the
train, seemed to descend with great We
| lOcity into the river. Then perfect dark
| ness followed, and some minutes passed,
| but no signs OF the train were seen, and
/ the people asked themselves, were these
really the lights of the Edinburgh
/ train they had seen so suddenly
| guenched? The horror-stricken be.
/ holders made vehement appeals to the
| signal man to ascertain the truth. He
/ replied that all he knew of the matter
/ was that the train had been signalled to
/ him from the south end OF the bridge at
nine minutes past seven o'clock. Dis
/ covering no indication OF the approach
Of the train, the alarmed signal man en-
deavored to telegraph to the south end
OF the bridge, but communication had
/ ceased.
| The Loss Of Life Estimated at Seventy
five.
LONDON, P. M.-The railway author
! tiles now estimate the total number OF
/ lives lost at 75
4 telegram from Dundee states that
| only 81 passenger tickets were taken up
at the last stopping place, but these do
not account for the number OF young
children requiring no tickets, nor for the
number Of railroad employees, nor for the
number OF passengers for Broughty Fer
~, whose tickets were not taken up.
/ However, If this statement is correct, 1t
is evident that the loss of life has been
| greatly Over-estimated.
LONDON, December 29.-The govern
| ment has sent two inspectors TO ascer-
tain the particulars Of the Tay bridge
disasters, and also directeda formal in
Quiry into the occurrence.
The divers have thus far been unable
| 20 1;acOyar tho urrackal train They