The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-01-14
A RAILROAD HORROR.
A Train In Scotland PlunRes into the
Firth OF Tay from a Bridge Ninety
Feet Hieh-Not n Soul on Board Sur
ylvea.

A Train in Scotland Plunges into the
Firth OF Tay from q Bridge Ninety
Feet Hieh-Not n Soul on Board Sur
Wives.
On the day after the railroad disaster in
Scotland, the following account was sent BY
cable to the New York Telegram: The ap-
palling railroad tragedy near Dundee, in
Scotland, by which about 100 persons lost
their lives in the FIRTH OF lay, has senta thrill
OF horror through the British Isles. Six
bodies have been recovered 80 far, and in all
probability many days will elapse before
divers can bring to the surface the railroad
carriages in which the other victims are en-
tombed. Thousands of people are anxiousiy
ANYTHING news in Dundee and Edinburg.
The scene at the broken bridge this morning
is a most pathetic one, wives, brothers, hus-
bands and lovers all broken.hearted and de-
spairing. No sadder spectacle could I've wit
messed in Gods world. A large number OF
steamers and small craft are around the spot
where the catastrophe occurred. The tidings
OF the disaster were first conveyed by O gen.
,leman who had lett his house with a friend
while the southwest gale was blowing with
nil it's fury. They began discussing whether,
OH such a night, the Edinburg train would
venture across tho bridge, which was the
largest structure OF the kind in the world,
being nearly two miles long. They then
went to the block telegraph signal box, Sit
uated at the north end OF tho bridge, where
they found a number Of men, also anxiously
awaiting 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 spans into the higl,
Orders; then they saw a sudden shower OF
fire, which, with the lights OF the train, seemed
to descend with great velocity in:o the river;
then perfect darkness followed. Minutes and
minutes passed, but no signs OF the train were
seen, and the people asked themselves were
these really the lights OF the Edinburg train
they had seen 80 suddenly quenched. The
horror.stricken beholders made vehement
appeals to the signal man to ascertain the
truth. He replied that all he knew OF tho
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 endeavored to tele-
graph to the south end OF the bridge, but be-
tween fourteen and seventeen minutes COM
munication ceased. The news was conveyed
to James Smith, master of the Tay bridge
station, and it spread like wildfre. Crowds
from Dundee and the adjoining neighborhood
thronged the north end Of The bridge.
In order to ascertain the real state Of affairs
two men volunteered to venture out on the
bridge to make apersonal investigation. They
were James Roberts, locomotive superin.
tendent OF the North British railway, and
James Smith, in charge OF the lay bridge
station. AS they advanced upon the bridge
the gale seemed TO increase in fury and
almost swept them off their feet. They per-
severed, however, and made their way tor.
ward slowly and with difficulty, clinging
at times to the rails to prevent themselves
from being carried away by the fierce storm
and flung into the boiling waves OF the Firth,
ninety feet beneath. At length, after in
finite toll, their hands lacerated and bleed.
ing, they reached the brink Of the awful abyss.
The magnitude OF the calamity was then re-
vealed to their horror stricken eyes. Roberts,
although stunned and dazed for the moment,
determined 10 pnsh his investigations still
further. He crawled out to the point where
the high girders begin, and found that the
whole thirteen girders had disappeared. Eacl,
girder was 245 feet in width and weighed 25O
tons. Tney formed a sort OF tunnel in the
mlOQle Ol LuC UIluS6. 4uo WltFCo 4OutSu u.
meath around the bare iron piers, and one
third OF the whole structure had vanished,
leaving rs melancholy monuments thirteen
stumrs of b,ickwork in the Firth. Not n soul
on board the train has escaped to tel! the story
oil that awful plunge.
Tho Bridge Described.
1'he bridge was building nearly five years,
and Mt times as many az 1900 persons were
employed in the work. Its construction con-
sumeI 5000 tons of iron work, 1900 tons OF
cast iron work, $4,000 cubic yards OF brick
work, and 81, S45 cubic feet OF timber. The
contractors estimated the cost at about Sl0,-
600, 900. The builders found the bottom com
posed OF rock in some places, OF a hard ma.
terial resting on silt in other places, and OF
sand covered with shingle and great boulder
along the remainder OF the route across the
stream. The stream is about twenty-five icct
deep in the channel. Storms hindered
the work. .Northerly and southwesterly
winds sweep with terrific force down che
river, md because OF its great width
and strong tides the sea is often very
heavy. Once a gale blew for three weeks,
and all work was suspended until the
storm ceased. It was on account OF these
disadvantages that so much OF the work was
zone Oh suOTo. 1HcTo tuc Hlcul lHcio "oSo
built, and from there they were floated out
into the stream and lowered in position by
great hydraulic rams. These piers were
formed OF immense double cylinders Of iron,
which were let down upon tho river bottom.
Workmen inside OF them eNcayated the ground
beneath and imbedded them in their places.
Then they were filled with broken stone and
liquid concrete, and the columns OF the bridge
p,arn hri1f ,,,rp fhan Nnor the Qhnrp
n huge brick wall connected these piers. The
brick work OF the piers was held together
with cement, and this and the concrete bo.
came so strong that when two piers, that cap.
sized in tho early part OF the work, wele
dragged ashore, they could be broken up only
by blasting. Tho Orders spanning the col.
n,nns were put together on shore and floated
out to their places in the bridge. These
Orders are of heavy wrought iron, braced
with angle iron. The roadway is carried by
cross sleepers, twelve by nine inches, placed
three feet apart. Where the roadway r1lns
below the girdcrs it is carried by iron cross
Orders five feet apart, the rails being laid
Upon fou rteen-inch longitudinal s~leepers.
There are double cylindrical columns
under most Of the spars. but on the
Dundce end of the bridge, at the curve, the
sixty six.ioot spars are upheld Gy three cnst
iron tiles, two of which are vertical, while
the t!rrd ia a "raker," with a batter Of one
foot III three, and is placed outside the curve.
When it was built it was the longest iron
bridge in the world. Throughout the king.
dom many expressions OF doubt rs to the
wisdom OF building such n long and slender
bridge found their way into the newspapers,
and were noticed in the parliamentary debates
OF the time.
The Tay riees in a small loch on the border
of Argyleshire, and is called the Fillan until
it passes through Loeb Dochart, and thence
to Loeb Tuy, nineteen miles from its mouth,
it is known as the Dochart. 1t receives the
River Lochie and the River Lyon, and many
lesser streams. 1t is l20 miles long, and de-
scribcs almost a scmicircle in its course.