Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-06-13
SEVENTY LIVES LOST
And Hundreds Injured in The Greatest Railway
Disaster That Ireland Has
Ever Known.

DUBLIN, June IA train carrying an
excursion of /, 200 scholars and teachers of
the Methodist Sunday School was wrecked
near Armagh to-day. The train WAS run
ming in two sections. The second section
engine, in ascending steep incline, became
uumaDsgeable, and the brakes failing to
work, the train plunged backward down
the incline at terrific speed. Following
this section WAS regular passenger train,
and against the engine the train dashed.
The brake power of the engine of the
'I-i.d eiain ueo ;.-.-l~' U..to. Trhile tile
second train was ascending the incline the
incline the engineer remarked to the fire.
man, Il am afraid we can't do it. The
following train was commencing the as
cent when the engineer saw the runaway
cars Shutting off the steam and revers-
ing the lever, the engineer and fireman
Jumped from the engine, shouting TO the
passengers to do likewise. The latter,
however, not hearing the cries, did not
obey. No one was injured on that train.
the engine was hurled go feet down an
embankment. The carriage that ran into
the engine was shattered to pieces, and
fragments of dress, umbrellas, ETC., were
scattered hundreds of yards. A dozen
corpses were found beneath the engine in
a parboiled condition. Some of the occu-
pants of the runaway cars tried to escape,
but the doors were locked. The front part
of the train started back in pursuit of the
runaway cars, and the passengers saw the
collision at a distance eff 300 yards
A car driver named Hughes, who visited
the scene of the disaster, was so Mortified
at the sight that he died on the spot. His
corpse was taken to Armagh in his own
car.
The bodies of the victims were arranged
in rows as soon as recovered. Many were
msngled beyond recognition. There is
scarcely family in Armagh that has not
some one dead. In many cases whole
families were killed. The embankment
on which the accident occurred is seventy
feet high Many touching scenes were
witnessed. The children bore their in
iuries with great patience WreckiDg
gangs are at working clearing away the
debris.
Before starting on the fatal excursion,
the children paraded through the streets
of Armagh with flags and banners, and the
townsfolk turned out almost en- masse to
wish them happy holiday. The party
of excursiOnists included ministers, teach
ers. the parents of some of the children.
The accident happened opposite Sir
Oapels MOlyneaux's establishment on the
Belfast road. The passengers give different
accounts of the accident, but they all COM
plain bitterly of the stupidity of those in
charge of the wrecked train, who they say
tried to flock the wheels of the detached
cars with pebbles The train consisted of
fifteen carriages. The bulk of the children
we're in the front portion of thu train. Only
a dozen children were killed. The majority
of the victims were about twenty years.
They were in the last carriage, which was
completely smashed.
The scenes on the Identification of vic
tins by friends and relatives were painful
in the extreme. All the bodies have now
been taken from the wreck. The total
killed is 72, of whom 64 have been identi-
fed.
At the formal inquest this evening the
Magistrate said it appeared on the face OF
il that there had been most culpable negli-
gence. The number of injured is about
one-third of the entire number of psssen-
GERS. Many of these are certain to sue
cumb to the effects of their injuries.
Mr.. Grath, the engineer of the wrecked
train; Parkinson, fireman; Moore. guard,
and Elliott, the traffic managers clerk,
are held on the specific charge OF having
by their negligence caused the death OF
Mr.. Steel, Clerk of the Petty Sessions, and
his two children, who we're among the ex-
cursiOnists.