The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-06-18
IRELAND'S WOE.
An Excursion Train from Ar
magh Wrecked on a Heavy
Grade.
Seventy Dead Bodies Recovered
and Over One Hundred
Persons Injured.

Dublin, June ia train containing
an excursion party from Armagh has been
! wrecked near that place. The train con-
tanned 1900 persons. composed OF Methods,
Sunday school scholars, their teachers and
relatives. They were going on an excur-
sion TO Warren Point. Seventy bodies
have been taken from the wreck, and there
| are Others buried under the debris. War
ren Point, the place where the party was
bound, is a watering place at the mouth of
the Newry river, in County Down.
Over hundred OF the passengers were
injured.
The following particulars have been re-
ceived in regard TO The accident:
The excursion party left Armagh this
morning on two trains. The accident &C.
Cured at a point where the trains had to
ascend grade on a bank 90 tset high.
The first train assembled the grade without
trouble. The second section attempted
the ascent, but the weight of the train
proved too great for the engine. Several
cars were detachad and allowed to run
back toward tue level track, but before
they reached il they came in cOlii,ion with
an ordinary train from Armagh, which
was proceeding at good rate OF speed
The excursion cars were completely
wrecked. The scene which ensued was
heartrending. Hosts OF volunteers were
soon at hand, aud the dead and wounded
were taken from the wreck and carried
down the bank. Medical aid was called,
and a special train from Belfast brought to
the scene twenty surgeons from that city
and a number of medical men from other
places between Belfast and Armagh. The
disaster is unparalleled in the railroad his
tory of Ireland. The accident has cast a
gloom over Armagh. All the shops were
closed and the people were in general
mourning. The engineer, fireman and
guard of the train and the traffic manager
and his clerk were summoned before a
magistrate, and We're remanded on the
charge of being responsible for the ac-
cident.
INADEQUATE BRAKE POWER.
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 can't DO it."
The following train was commencing
the ascent, when the engineer saw the rum
away cars, Shutting of the steam and re-
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 60 feet down an
embankment. The carriage that ran into
the engine was shattered TO splinters, and
fragments OF dress, umbrellas, etc, were
scattered hundreds of yards. A dozen
corpses were found beneath the engine in
a partly burned condition. Some Of the
occupants OF the runaway cars tried to es-
cape, but the doors were locksd.
The front part of the train started back
in pursuit of the runaway cars, and the
passenger saw the collision at distance
Of 800 yards. A car-driver named Hughes,
who witnessed the disaster, was so horri-
fed at the sight that he died on the spot.
His corpse was taken ia Armsgh IN his
own cart.
Another account of the disaster says that
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 return
ing for the remainder. Heavy stones were
placed behind the wheels OF the detached
cars to prevent then from slipping. but the
locomotive, on restarting, gave the whole
train a shove that displaced the stones.
The result,was that the detached cars be-
gan to slip backwards down The grade,
their speed gradually increasing until they
had attained q frightful velocity. After
running four miles they crushed with
terrific force into the third train at point
about mile an half from Armagh.
49, CO pautuyo plantw ~ ersuo