Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-06-21
SEVENTY-TW0 LIVES LOST.
A RAILROAD WRECK IN IRE
LAND.

IA RAILROAD WRECK IN IRE.
LAND.
CAUGHT IN A COLLISION-FOUR
HUNDRED PERSONS INJURED
A MAN DROPS DEAD AT THE
SIGHT OF HEARTRENDING
SCENES.
An excursion train en route to
Warren Point, watering place at
the mouth of Newry river, County
Down, Ireland, containing 1900 per.
sons, composed Of Methodist Sun
day-school scholars, the teachers
aud relations, from Armagh, was
wrecked near that place Wednes-
day morning, June 18th, causing
I the death OF Seventy.twO persons
and the injury OF four hundred or
more.
The train was made up of two
sections, and fully 1900 children
and their relations and teachers
were Oh board. A short distance
out of Armagh the train was as
cending a steep grade to a bank
that rises to height of fifty feet
when the engine of the rear section
gave out, and was unable to draw
the heavy train. In some way,
which is not clearly understood,
several of the rear cars became de-
tached from the balance of the
train and started down the steep
grade. In q few seconds the cars
we're coming down hill! at terrific
rate of speed, with tie brakes en-
tirely useless or, from negligence
en- the part OF the guard, without
proper attention.
Had the track on the leYel just
be low the grade been clear for any
considerable distance, the detached
cars might have lost their momen-
tum and the terrible accident that
followed been averted, but, unfor-
tunately, the regular train from
Armagh followed just behind the
rear section of the excursion train,
and with the locomotive of this
rain the detached cars came into
ollision with terrific force, wreck
in e the locomotive as we'll as the
ca RS themselves.
The scenes at the wreck Immedi-
ate ly after the accident were heart
rem ding in the extreme. The rear
sect ion OF the excursion train, from
which the ill.fated cars had become
deta ched, was stopped after pro.
ceediug but a short distance, and
the passengers, as well as those OF
the forward section, ran back to
render what assistance they could
TO those OF the little children in the
wrecked cars whose manned and
mangled bodies still showed SYM
toms of life.
The dead and dying little ones
we're scattered in an inextricable
confusion among the Jagged tim
bers and twisted iron work of the
wreck, and the groans of the i'm
prisoned sufferers mingled in an
awful din with the shrieks of their
more fortunate companions, who
srood by powerless to afford assis-
tance.
People from the surrounding
country hocked to the scene and
set to work to remove the victims
from the wreck. Physicians we're
summoned by telegraph from Bel
fast and other points and attended
to the wants of the injured, while
the dead were taken from the ruins
as fast as possible and placed in
rows upon the grass.
While the second train was as
eending the incline the engineer
remarked to the fireman 81 am
afraid we can't do it," The fol
lowing train was commencing the
ascent when the engineer saw the
runaway cars. Shutting Oft the
steam and reversing the lever the
engineer and fireman jumped from
the engine, shouting to the passen
gers to do likewise.
The latter, however, not hearing
the cries, did not obey. No ont
was injured on that tram. The EN-
giue was hurled sixty feet down al
embankment. The carriage tha
ran into the engine was shattered
to splinters, and fragments of dress
umbrellas, &c, were scattered hun
dreds of yards.
, A dozen corpses were found be
+. meath the engine IN a parbolleC
8 condition. Some of the occupant
, Of the runaway cars tried to escape
, but the doors were locked. Tit
front part of the train started bacI
IN pursuit of the runaway cars
b and the passengers saw the COLI
n sion at "a distance OF 800 yards.
0 A car driver named Hughes, whit
= visited the scene OF the disaster
was so hornied at the sight tha
he died on the spot. His corps'
was taken to Armagh IN his owl
car.
, Another account of the disaster
says that the engineer OF the sec
ond train, finding his engine pow
erless to pull the train up the steel
grade, unllnked several of the car
" with the object of taking the from
,. portion of the train to the mex
8 station and returning for the re
IS nooI,dar Haavv sfonps wer