The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-01-02
TERRIBLE RAILROAD DISASTER.
An English Railway Train Falls Eighty-fv
Feet Through Broken Bridge-No Surviv RS

An English Railway Train Falls Eighty five
Feet Through Broken Bridge-No Surviv RS.
LONDON, Dec. 29.-The manager of the
North British Railway, telegraphing from
Leushars at this morDiDl, says Several
large orders, along with the last train from
Edinburg, were precIpitated into the river
last night. There were nearly 300 passen.
gers besides the company's servants. all OF
whom are believed to have persisted"
A dispatch from Edinburg dated 4 O'Clock
this morning, says: "The portion OF
bridge which fell consisted Of several large
superincumbent grders at the central and
navigabls portion of the river. which aver.
ages from forty to forty five feet in depth
The train would fall about eighty eight
feet before reaching the water. Some time
elapsed before the narure of the disaster
was ascertained. The damage to the wires
on the bridge and bad weather interfered
with the transmission Of news and ID is un-
known whether the girders were blown
down before the train entered the bridge
or were carried away with it, and it prob.
ably never will be ascertalned, as there are
no survivors. The bridge was only opened
for traffic in May, 1878. II was considered
q triumph of engineering skill. 1t was
about two miles long and had eighty-five
spans. the widest of which was PAS feet.
At the highest point it was 1870 feet above
high water.
The train left Edinburg ut 4:15 in the
afternoon and consisted Of four third-class
cars, one frst-class and one second class
and brakesman 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 bridge
and articles Of wearing apparel, are coming
ashore. The entire thirteen orders OF the
long central span OF the bridge are gone.
The night was one Of bright moonlight,
but the wind was blowing hurricane.
NEW YoKK, Dec. ga special from
Dundee says "The appalling catastrophe
Of last evening has thrown tho city into a
state Of frantic excitement, and the neigh
borhood Of the fatal bridge il thrOnged
with horror stricken visitors. Not soul
escaped who was on the ili-fated train.
The gallantry Of James Roberts, locomo-
tive superintendent Of the North British
Railroad, Of Dundee, and station master
Smith, In a6venturing on the bridge, Is
highly commented. In spite of the fury of
the gale, which rendered the attempt
doubly peril0us, after tremendous exertions,
their hands lacerated by clingirg to
the rails for dear life, they reached the edge
OF the fatal gap. Here they discovered
that thirteen eirders, each 245 feet wide
and weighing $50 tons, all forming a kind
Of tunnel in the middle of the bridge. had
been washed away. Nothing remained but
a bar OF the iron piers. About one. third
Of the whole structure had vanished. Thir-
teen brick-work stumps were to be seen in
the midst OF the waves. 1t Is positively
asserted that 315 people are lost.
NEW YORK, Dec. GA London special
to the Telegram says the tidings of the
disaster were frs conveyed by gentleman
who had left bis house with friend while
the southwest gale was blowing with all its
fury. They began discussing whether ON
such night tie Ednburp train would ven-
ture across the bridge. They then went to
the block telegraph signal box. situated at
the north end Of the bridge. whers they
found number Of men waiting informa-
ton or the subject. Some of them assert
I'd that they had seen the lights of the train
in question enter on the bridge and cross
he lower spans into the high Rirders Then
they saw on sudden a shower of fire
which with the lights of the train eemed
to desceud with great velocity into the
river. Then perfect darkness followed.
Minutes and minutes passed, but no signs
Of the train were sesn, and people asked
themselves were those really the lights of
the Edinburg train they had been so sud.
denly quelched. The borror stricken be-
holders made vehement appeals 10 the sie.
pal man to ascertain the truth. ae replied
hat all he knew of the matter was that
The train had been sigpaled to him from
the south end Of the bridge at 10 o'clock,
Discovering no indications of the approach
ng train, the alarmed signal mar endeavor-
I'd to telegraph to the south end of the
bridge. but communication had ceased
LONDON, p. m, Dec. 29.-The Provost
If Dundee and the party of citizens who
him on the steamer tn the
search was made about the bridge In small
,Oats, but no trace Of any survivors could |
,e found. The fatal bridge is about half a |
nile long, comprising eleven Of the long |
'st spans, each 245 feet in length, and one |
pan 145 feet long.
LONDON, Dec. 20. 8 p. m.-The railway
BOW estimate the total number |
" lives lost at seventy seven. kilograms |
rom Dundee state that only fifty-six pass
niger tickets at the last stopping places /
we're taken up; but these do not account
or the number Of children requiring no
lckets. for railway employees, nor for the /
lumber Of passengers for BroughtOn, whose
lckets were not taken mp. However, IL
his statement IL correct, il In evident that
he loss of life has been greatly overesti-
mated.