Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-01-09
A TERRIBLE DISASTER IN SCOT
LAND.
A Train Falls EIghty-Eight Feet Into
the Tay River.

LONDON, Dec. %.
Manager North, of the British Railway, tel
egraphiug from Denchars at four o'clock this
morning, says: Several large girders along
with the last train from Edinburg were pre-
cipltated into the river last night. There
were nearly three hundred passengers besides
the company's servants, all Of whom are be-
lieved to have perished.
A dispatch from Edinburg dated at four
a. m. says: The portion of the bridge which
fell consisted of several large superincumbent
girders at the central and navigable portion
of the river, which averages from forty to
forty-hve feet in depth, and the train would
fall eighty-eight feet before reaching the
water Some time elapsed before the nature
of the disaster was ascertained. The damage
to the wires on the bridge and bad weather
interfered with the transmission of the news,
and IL Is unknown whether the girders were
blown down before the train entered the
bridge or were carried away with it, and it
will probably never be ascertained, as there
are no survivors.
The bridge was only opened for traffic in
May, 1873. 1t was considered a triumph OF
engineering skin. 1t was about two miles
long and had eighty-tive spans, the widest of
which was 245 feet. At the highest point
was 1870 feet above high water
The Provost of Dundee and party of citi-
zens who accompanied him in the steamer to
the scene of the disaster, 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 2d5 feet in length, and one span
145 feet in length.
A 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
a soul escaped who was on the Inflated train.
The London Standard in an editorial this
morning says that when the first feel.
| ing of horror which hangs over the
| country shall have subsided, a strict and
severe investigation into the cause of the acci-
| dent Will be demanded by the people and moth
| ing short of complete answer will ba accepted.
| The gale TO which the bridge succumbed was
| not exceptionally violent, the train of cars
| having apparently nothing to do with the ac-
cident, which occurred before the cars reach
ed the broken portion. A National reputa-
! ton is at stake, and the investigation must
| be searching indeed.
The train left Edinburg at :15 in the after
noon. 1t consisted of four third-class cars,
one tirst-class, one second class, and brake
mans van. AT the last station before enter
| ing 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
ashor0 The entire thirteen girders of the
| long central spans of the bridge are gone.
The railway authorities estimate the total
number Of lives lost at seventy-fve. A tele-
! gram from Dundee states that only tifty-siX
| passenger tickets were taken up at the last
| stopping place, but these do not account for
Il number of young children requiring no
| tickets nor for number of railway employees,
nor a number of passengers for Broughty
| Ferry, whose tickets were not taken up.
However, il this statement is correct, it is es-
ttmated the loss of life has been greatly over
estimated
A special to the telegram from Dundee
| says: The tidtngs of the disaster were first
conveyed by a gentleman who had left his
house with u friend while the southwest gale
| was blowing with all its fury. They began
discussing whether, on such night, the Ed
inburg train would venture across the bridge.
They then went to a telegraph signal box situ-
ated at the north end of the bridge, where they
| found a number of men also anxiously await
ing Information on the subject. Some of them
asserted that they had seen the lights of the
train in question enter on the bridge and cross
! the lower span into the high girders; then
they saw a sudden shower Of fire which, with
the lights of the train, seemed to descend
with great velocity into the river, then per-
feet darkness followed. Minutes and minutes
passed, but no signs of the train were to be
seen, and the people asked themselves
"Were these really the lights of the Edin-
burg train had sesn so suddenly
made vehement appeals to the signal man to
asceI tain the truth. He replied that all he
knew of the matter was that the train had
been signaled to him from the south end OF
the bridge at nine minutes past seven O'Clock
Discovering no indications of the approach OF
the train, the alarmed signal man endeavoret
to telegraph to the south end of the bridge
but the communication had ceased.
The Government has sent two inspectors L
ascertain the particulars Of the Tay bridg,
disaster and has also directed a formal in
J quiry into the occurrence. Divers have thu
I far been unable to discover the wrecked train
They will make another effort to-day. Tn
place where the train sank is full of quick
sands, and if the bodies of the drowned ar
not recovered within a few days they will bC
come imbedded with the cars beyond recovery
LONDON, December 81.
} After several unsuccessful attempts dive
: has discovered frst-class carriage of tn
, wrecked train, but as there were no tirst-clas
passengers no bodies we're discovered In tn
car. Operations will be resumed to-day
, Three bodies have been washed ashore nea
r the scene of the Tay bridge disaster. All th
mails have been recovered.