Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-06-19


cline and ColIides With Another
Injured
DUBLIN, June 13.-The train CARRYING
an excursion party from Armagh was
wrecked this morning, near that place.
The train contained 200 persons, COM
posed of Methodist Sunday school
scholars, their teachers and relatives.
who were going on an excursion to
Warren Point. The party left Armagh
this morning in two trains, and the acc1-
dent occurred at q point where the
train had TO ascend grade on a bank
fifty 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. Several
cars were detached and allowed to
run back towards the level tracks, but
before they reached it they came in
collision with an ordinary train from
Armagh. which was proceeding at q
were completely wrecked. The scene
that 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
a special train from Belfast brought to
the scene twenty surgeons from that
city and number of medical men from
other places between Belfast and Ar
magh.
The disaster is unparalleled in the
railroad history of Ireland. 1t has cast
a 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 traffic managers clerk
were summoned before a magistrate
and were remanded on charge of be-
ing 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:
81 am afraid we cannot do it," The fol-
lowing train was commencing the ascent
when the engineer saw the runaway
cars. Shutting off the steam and re-
versing the lever, the engineer and the
fireman jumped from the engine. shout
ing to the passengers to do likewise.
The latter, however, not hearing the
injured on the train. The engine was
hurled sixty feet down an embankment.
The carriage that ran into the engine
was shattered to splinters, and frag-
ments of dress, umbrella, ETC., were
scattered hundreds of yards. A dozen
corpses were found beneath the engine
in parboiled condition. Some OF the
occupants of the runaway cars tried 10
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
lance of so yards.
A car-driver named Hughes who Wis.,
tied the scene of the disaster was 80
Mortified at the sight that he died on
the spot. His corpse was taken to Ar
magh in his own car.
Another account of the disaster says
that the engineer of the sec md train
finding his engine powerless to pull the
train up the steep grade, unlinked sew
eral of the cars, with the object of TAX
ing 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 de-
tached cars began to slip backward
down the grade, their speed gradually
increasing until they had attained
trightlul velocity. After running four
miles they crashed with terrible force
into the third train at a point about
mile and half from Armagh.
Seventy bodies have been taken from
the wreck, and there are others buried
under the debris. Over loo of the pas
sengers who escaped death were injured
more or less seriously.
TNo~ hi, 6a via rv,1, l.
party was bound, is watering place at
the mouth OF the Newry River, in Coun-
ty Down.
Before starting on the fatal excursion
the children paraded through the
streets of Armagh with flags and ban
ners, and the town folks turned out
almost en- masse to wish them a happy
holiday. The party of excursionists in
Guided ministers, teachers, the parents
of some of che children, and few
other adults.
The accident happened opposite Sir
Capels Molyneaux's establishment on
the Belfast road. The train consisted of
fifteen carriages. The bulk Of the chill
dren were in the front portion of the
train and only q dozen or fifteen of
them were killed. The majority of the
victims were about 20 years of age.
They were in the last carriage, which
was completely smashed. Many of the
occupants jumped from the windows
and escaped with slight injuries before
the collision. The passengers on the
hind train were not injured, and they
assisted in the work of relief All the
bodies have not been taken from the
wreck. The total killed is seventy-two,
of which sixty-four have been identi-
fed. The number of injured is about
one-third of the entire number of pas
sengers and many of these will die.
Al the formal inquest this evening
the magistrate said it appeared on the
face of it that there had been most Gull
pable negligence. DR.. Lynn is at the
head of the school to which most of the
youthful excursionists belonged. He
is one of the most prominent
Methodists in Ireland. and his
school is attended by many children
of other denominations. The annual
excursion has always been a very pop
ular event. McGrath, the engineer of
the wrecked train; Parkinson, fireman;
Moore, guard; and Elliott, the traffic
managers clerk. are held On the specific
CHARGE of having nv their naplpancA