The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-01-02
FRIGHTFUL DISASTER.

narrowing Particulars of the Scottish Rail-
way Accident-Not n Single Survivor Left
to Tell the Awful Tale.
The recent bridge disaster at Dundee, Scot
land, was one of the most appalling in the long
list of railroad accidents. That train Of five
coaches, carrying ninety passengers, should
plunge from bridge into river,
and not living soul escape to
tell the story of the accident
seems almost incredible. Gable dispatches
give the following account of the affair: Dur
ing terrific gale several spans Of the bridge
crossing the Firth OF Tay were blown down.
This happened at Z IA o'clock in the evening,
while the express train from Edinburgh to
Dundee was crossing
At the time the train reached the south end
OF the bridge the signals indicated that every
thing was in safe condition. 1t was seen to
pass upon the bridge and soon after the gloom
was illuminated by flash of fire; then COM
munication by wire was broken. This inter
ruption alarmed the railway officials, who
ventured out upon the structure, notwithstand-
ing the storm, only to find huge gap, through
which the train had plunged inio the water
The loss was made certain. at the same time,
by the drifting ashore of mail-bags. baggage,
clothing, fragments of the coaches and por-
tons or the bridge-work.
The whole country was aroused by this catas-
trophe, and thousands of people came in from
the surrounding districts TO obtain news of the
accident. Steamers and small boats went TO
the scene of the accident for the purpose of
rescuiDg bodies.
The bridge at which this frightful calamity
took place was, until the erection of that over
the Firth of Forth, the largest in the world.
The Firth of Tay, across which the bridge is
built, is simply an arm of the sea, and vessels
of 500 tons burden run under the structure.
The Tay is a principal river and estuary of
Scotland, running from l2O to 100 miles The
cities of Dundee and Earl are on the north
side of the estuary, and Newburg on its south
side The bridge was commenced IN 1874, and
has only been completed within a few years
1t forms a connection between the town of
Dundee and the North British railway system
in Fife, and crosses the Firth of Tay about
mile and half to the west of Dundee. The
length of the bridge exceeds two miles For
the fret five spans the bridge is on curve of
a quarter of a mile radius; it Is then straight
for a distance of mile and a half. At the
sonth end of the bridge the rails are seventy
eight feet above high water. Over
the. navigable part OF the river the rails
are 90 feet above high water. There are three
spans OF 60 two Of 80, ten of 40, twelve of 1856,
thirteen of 230, one of $50, eleven of 120, TWEEN
ty-fve of 60, one of l55, and Elk of ~ feet: to-
tai number Of spans, "a. The piers are found
ed on rock, and are double cylinders of brick
work
Toe superstructure consists wholly Of
wrought-iron orders; the bracing is of double
lattice form. The Orders for the $50 feet
spans and the bow-string Orders have
wrought-iron cross girders resting on and riv
eted to the lower timber on which the roadway
| is placed.
It was supposed that the bridge was as
strong as iron, wood and brick could make it,
and was looked upon in the United Kingdom
as one of the finest specimens OF engineer art
| that had ever been produced.
! The gap created in the bridge through which
the train was precipitated is not less than half
mile in length 1t includes eleven spans of
| PAS feet each and one OF 145 feet
| The great height from which the cars fell,
| together with the fact that the passengers were
| all locked up, according to practice on British
| railways, rendered the destruction of al on
| board possible.