Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-13
WRECK ON THE RAIL.
The Worst Disaster of the Kind in
the History of Ireland.
NEARLY A HUNDRED ARE KILLED
Passengers Give Conflicting Accounts of the
Catastrophe.
THE TRAIN MEN ARE UNDER ARREST
1t is Asserted That the Accident Was Due to Gross
Mismanagement.

| In collision near Armagh. ireland, yester.
| day. 70 persons were killed. They were excur.
sionists who were out on picnic expedition.
Those alleged to irresponsible for the disaster
are under arrest
DUBLIN, June IA train containing an ex-
cursion party from Armage was wrecked near
that place. The train contained 1200 persons,
composed of Methodist Sunday school scholars,
their teachers and relatives. They were going
| on an excursion to Warren Point.
Seventy bodies have been taken from the
| wreck and there are others buried under the de.
bris. Warren Point, the place where the
party was bound, is watering place at the
mouth of the Newry river. in County Down.
The following particulars have been received
in regard to the accident to the excursion
train: The excursion party left Armagh this
morning in two trains. The accident occurred
at point where the trains had to ascend a
grade on bank so feet high. The first train
assembled the grade without trouble. The Sec
Ond section attempted the ascent, but the
weight of the train proved too great for the
engine.
Together on the Same Track,
Several cars were detached and allowed to
run back toward the level track, but before
they reached it they came in collision with an
ordinary train from Armagh, which was pro-
ceeding at good. rate of speed. The ex-
cursion cars were completely wrecked. The
scene which ensued was heartrending. Hosts
of volunteers were soon at hand, and the dead
and wounded were taken from the wreck and
carried down the bank.
Medical aid was called for, and special
train from Belfast brought to the scene 20
surgeons and number of medical men from
other places between Belfast and Armagh.
The disaster is unparalleled in the railroad
history Of ireland. The accident has cast
gloom over Armagh. All the shops were closed
this afternoon, and the people are in general
mourning.
The engineer fireman and guard of the train
and the trat1c managers clerk were summoned
before a magistrate, and were remanded on
the charge of being responsible for the acci.
dent. The brake power of the engine of the
third train was inadequate. While the second
train was ascending the incline the engineer
remarked to the fireman: II am afraid we
can't do it." The following train was com.
mencing the ascent when the engineer saw the
runaway cars Shutting off the steam and re-
versing the lever the engineer and fireman
jumped from the engine, shouting to the
passengers to do likewise. The latter, how
ever, not hearing the cries did not obey them.
No one was injured on that train.
Struck With Plenty of Force.
The engine was hurled 90 feet down an en-
bankment. The carriage that ran into the en-
gine was shattered to splinters, and fragments
OF dress, umbrellas, ETC., were scattered hun
dreds of yards. A dozen corpses were found
beneath the engine in parboiled condition.
Some of the occupants Of the runaway cars
tried to escape, but the doors we're locked. The
front part of the train started back in pursuit
OF the runaway cars and the passengers saw
the collision at distance of 800 yards,
A car driver named HuOhps who v1eitnd ho
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. Another ac-
count of the disaster says that the engineer of
the second train finding his engine powerless to
pull the train up the steep grade, unlinked sew.
ersl of the cars, with the object of taking the
front portion of the train to the next station
and returning for the remainder.
Heavy stones were placed behind the wheels
of the detached cars to prevent them from
slipping, but the locomotive on restarting gave
the entire train shunt that displaced the
stones. The result was that the detached cars
began to slip backward down the grade, their
speed gradually increasing until they had at
tanned frightful velocity. After running
four miles they crashed with terrific force into
Armagh.
The Little Victims.
The shrieks of the children were horrible.
The bodies of the victims were arranged in
rows as soon as recovered. Many were mangled
beyond recognition. There is scarcely family
in Armagh that has not someone dead. The
embankment on which the accident occurred is
70 feet high. Many touching scenes were
witnessed.
The children bore their injuries with great
patience. Wrecking gangs are at work clear.
ing away the debris A private of the Irish
Fusileers, before the collision, jumped on the
foot plate of one of the cars and dropped four
children to the ground. He then offered to as
sist others to escape, but his offer was refused.
In many cases whole families were killed.
Crowds of people are visiting the scene of the
disaster, and the air is rent with their lamenta-
uons.
Before starting on the fatal excursion the
children paraded through the streets of Ar.
magh with flags and banners, and the towns.
folk turned out almost en- masse to wish them a
happy holiday The party of excursionists in
cluded ministers, teachers, the parents of some
of the children.
Many Different Accounts.
The accident happened opposite Sir Capel
Molyneaux's establishment on the Belfast
road. The passengers give different accounts
of the accident but they all complain bitterly
of the stupidity of those in charge of the
wrecked train, who they say, tried to block the
wheels of the detached cars with pebbles. The
train consisted OF Is carriages. The bulk of
the children were in the front portion of the
train. Only about a dozen children were
killed. The majority of the victims were
about 20 years. They were in the last carriage
which was completely smashed:
Many of the occupants jumped from the
windows and escaped with slight injuries be-
fore the collision: The passengers on the hind
train were not injured. They alighted and as
sisted in the work of relief The scenes on the
identification of victims by friends or relatives
were painful in the extreme All the bodies
have now been taken from the wreck. The
total killed is 70. of which "a have been ident-
fed.
THE LIST OF THE DEAD.
The following are the names of the identified
dead;
SAMUEL NJ. STEEL.