The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-29
Awful Calamity at Dundee,
Scotland.
TRAIN PRECIPITATED INTO
THE RIVER TAY.
Three Hundred Passen-
gers Lose Their Lives.

GLASGOW, Dec. 29-Last night (sunday)a
.ery heavy storm prevailed at Dun
dee which destroyed the center portion Of
the new bridge across the River Tay. A
train from Edinburgh, which was on the
bridge at the moment that it fell, was en-
quilted, and at least two hundred lives were
lost. The most fearful scenes took place
among those who were precipitated into
the water, as we'll as among those who esl
capped from instant death. Particulars will
follow. , .-
LONDON, Dec. 29-Noon.-The consterna-
tion and amazement with which the news
OF the calamity at the Tay Bridge in sc't-
land has been received are deep and uni
versal. 1t is almost the only subject of
conversation. Thousands of people who
either knew they had friends on board the
train or have reason to think they have are
besieging places where the latest intelli-
gence from the scene of the disaster is to be
looked for.
The bulletins are surrounded by crowds
eager for the last scrap of information. But
little news is at hand up to the present
time which throws any additional light
upon the cause of the accident A tremen-
dous gale was raging at the time the train
ran on the bridge, but no fears were, nor
could naturally be, entertained for its safe
ty. The bridge across he Firth of Tay was
completed in 1873, having been in process
of construction for several years. When
finished 1t was pronounced one Of the
strongest and most trustworthy pieces of
railroad bridge engineering in the world.
Including its approaches. the bridge is
about two miles in length and at the high
est point ninety-two feet above high water
and seventy-eight feet at its lowest. The
superstrncture consists wholly ofswrought
iron girders. For mile and d half the
bridge is perfectly straight, but there is q
curve Of about quarter of mile radius at
each end.s The gap created in the bridge
through which the train from Edinburgh
was prccipitated last night is not less than
half mile in length. 1t includes eleven
spans Of two hundred and forty-five feet
each and one OF one hundred and forty-five
feet.
Estimates more carefully revised than
those at first sent out place the number Of
persons OH ard of the train at three hun
dred. all Of whom we're lost II is not be-
lieved to be possible that any have escaped.
The great height from which the cars fell,
together with the fact that all the passen-
gers we're locked up in them, according to
the practice OF British railways, is held to
render certain the destruction of all on
board. 1t is not thought that the cars
can have foated any nsiderable distance
from perpendicular line with the spot
where they first struck the water.
No trace of the cars have been found on
the water except few mail hags, VIII eli
in some way Became released and foa ed
ashore four miles from the bridge.
The depth of water at the scene of the
iccident is considerable, and great diff
Guilty will be experienced in raising the
ears. If the operation is attempted.
Divers will be sent down on the sub
sidance I the storm To ascertain the CON
dition aud location Of the submerged cars.
Whether the TALL II the bridge was due to
the act of the wind and waves alone or t.,
the far produced by the train upon the
structure is II t vet determined.
The Firth IS always a stormy piece OF
water, and receives the inflow from all tho
streams Of Perth and large proportion "f
those from Forfarshire, and is navigable
for vessels Of 500 tons burden to Perth.
Dispatches from Dundee state that the