The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-15
Vivid Description q the ray disaster.

An eyewitness 81 the dreadful catastrophe
OF the Tay bridge disaster writes to the Lon
don Telegraph as follows:
Enjoying the cosy comforts Of my own
partOr tireaide on Sunday night, listened to
the fierce clamor OF the storm without, and
felt q deep sense Of gratitude for the security
| possessed, mingled with feeling OF com
passion for tho poor sailors on the sea bat
thing with the storm The children had gath
cred around me for their usual Bible stories,
and with an fnstlncttve sense OF fear they
neetled close to my side as thoy heard the
wild efforts OF the blast to batter 10 the case.
st. Paul's shipwreck on the island OF Melita,
thinking the storm without might help me to
Impress upon their young minds the terrible
nature OF the dangers to which the Apostle
was exposed as the ship lay riding helptessly
upon the waves, with four anchors between II
and certain destruction. While thus engaged
a blast OF wind more furious than before had
caught the chimney tops OF house almost
opposite my parlor windows and brought
them down to the ground with laundering
crash that startled every oneof us to our feet.
Stepping overto the easement gazed out upon
the street, and just then blaze OF moonlight
lighted up tho broad expanse 81 the Iay
down below, and the long white sinuous line
Of the Tay Bridge came into view. looked
At my watch and saw that 1t WAS exactly
o'clock The Edinburgh train will be due Inn
mediately, exclaimed to my wife; come and
let us see and watch II 1t Will attempt to cross
on 6uCu u nl4nt. % bHy VIC tuiueu AOWu
the gas In the parlor and prepared to wait
the appearance 81 the train. The light by
this time had become most htful. Great
masses OF clouds were sweeping across the
expanse Of the heavens, at times totally OBJ
occurring the light Of the full moon. There
she comes cried one Of the children and at
that moment the slowly moving lights Of the
Edinburgh train could be distinctly seen
rounding the curve at Wormit, and passing
the signal box at the south side, entering
No az teyh ri nj
the bridge The train once on the bridge,
seemed to move along with greater swift
ness, and when the engine entered the tun-
nel-like cloisters Of the great Orders my
lights as seen through the lattice work, when
she exclaimed: Look. papa, isn't that like
lightniDgY All this takes some time to write
down, but to the eye 1t seemed as II almost
simultaneous with the entrance Of the train
sparks sprang out as II forcibly elected into
| the darkness from the engine. In a long vsi-
BILE train the streak OF fire was seen TILL
Quenched In the water below. Then there
was absolute darkness from the bridge. A
silence fell upon our eager group at the WIN
dow. Then. with stunning force, the idea
| broke upon my mind. Heavens! | cried, 1
fear the train ls over the bridget With grow
ing horror l watched the curve at the north
| side to try II l could see the train pass that
point, but as several minutes passed and no
moving object broke the continuity OF the
bridge ut that point, l snatched up my hat
and hurried down and across the Magdalen
green to meet several individuals. all bent
upon the same errand as myself.
1.-The terrific nature OF the gale at this time
may be inferred from the fact that, descend
Ing the slope OF the green. had to crouch
down upon the grass to prevent my being
blown bodily away. It seems as II the wind
had become solid compelling power. One
gentleman was blown against another on the
green, and both tumbled together. The mas
sive signal post beside the signal box on the
north end Of the bridge was bent by the wind
esplanade the sand and pebbles were dashin9
about with such force that the hands and face
were positively sore with the violence OF the
impact. Ny hands held behind my back FOL
minute were completely tilled with the dr NJ
ing sand and pebbles. Looking towards the
river nothing clearly could be made out. The
water from the broken Newport water-pipt
\ on the bridge was pouring Into the river, and
I being caught In its descent by the wind, Wat
dashed into misty spray that helped to vel
the gap that had by this time been made II
the iron highway.
IA number Of gentlemen having now col
lected below the bridge on the esplanade. ont
of them climbed up into the sl9nal box above
and there learned from the man stationed
less than mile from the scene Of the catas.
trophe that he knew nothing more OF wha
had happened than that the train signaled t.
him as having entered upon the bridge full.
fifteen minutes before had never reacned MI
station, and that all telegraphic communica
ton with the other side had ceased. Wha
had In reality happened the public know nov
as well as they will ever be likely to know
An entire train with Its living freight ha'
been swept Into the bosom Of the Tay. Eth
rest was left to the imagination. In the clea
sunlight Of this morning have again visite'
the spot, but 30 calmly was the river the
rolling onward toward the sea, that. save 70
the incontestible evidence OF the great gap |
: mtd-river. 1t was difficult to think that IL