Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-06-14
Terrible Loss Of Life in q Railroad
Accident Which Occurred Near
Armagh, ireland.
Part of an Excursion Train Breaks
Loose and Dashes Down q
Steep Grade.
The Runaway Cars Collide With
Another Train Coming Up
the Grade.
A Bad smashup.

DUBLIN, June 12-An excursion party
train was wrecked near Armagh and q
large number killed. Seventy bodies have
been taken from the wreck. The engi-
neer, fireman and guard of the train and the
traffic managers clerk has been remanded
for being responsible for the accident.
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:
"I'm afraid we can't do It," The following
train was commencing the ascent when
the engineer saw the runaway cars.
Shutting off the steam and reversing the
lever, the engineer and fireman jumped,
shouting to the passengers to do likewise.
The latter, however. not hearing the cries
did not obey. No one was injured on that
tram. The engine was hurled sixty feet
down the embankment. The carriage that
ran into the engine was shattered into
splinters, and fragments Of dress, UNI
brellas, ETC., were scattered hundreds Of
yards. A dozen corpses were found be-
meath the engine in a parboiled condition.
Some of the occupants 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 dis
tance of 800 yards. Car-driver
Hughes, who visited the scene Of
disaster, was SO Mortified at the sight that
he died on the spot. His corpse was taken
to Armagh in his own car. Another
account Of the disaster says the engineer
Of the second train, finding his engine
powerless to pull the train up the steep
grade, unlinked several 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 en-
tire train shunt that displaced the stones.
The result was that the detached cars be.
gan to slip backward down the grade, their
speed gradually increased till they had
attained q frightful velocity. After run
ming four miles they crashed with terrific
force into the third train at kpoint
about mile and half from Armagh.
The shrieks of children were horrible.
The bodies of victims were arranged in
rows as soon as recovered, many mangled
beyond DESCRIPTION. There is scarcely a
family in Armagh that has not some one
dead. The embankment on which the ac-
cident occurred is seventy feet high.
Many touching scenes were witnessed.
Children bore their injuries with great pa
thence. The wrecking gang is at work
clearing away the debris. In many cases
whole families perlsned. The train con-
sisted of fifteen carriages. The bulk Of
the children were in the front part of the
train. Only about one dozon children were
killed. The majority of the victims were
about 20 years Of age. They were in the
last carriage, which was completely
smashed. Many occupants jumped from
the windows and escaped with slight in.
juries before the collision. The passen-
gers on tie hind train were not injured.
They alighted and assisted in the work of
relief. The scenes of the identification of
victims by friends or relatives were pain.
full in the extreme. All the bodies have
now been taken from the. wreck. The
total killed is seventy-two, of whick sixty
four have been identified.