The San Francisco call., 1896-12-29
Residence of Lord Kenmare's
Steward Demolished and
Nine Lives Lost.
LEAVES A TRAIL OF RUIN A
MILE IN WIDTH.
Finally the Huge Mass of Earth
Lands in the River Flesk and
Dams the Stream.

DUBLIN, IRELAND, Dec. ga laud-
slide has occurred near Baltimore, County
Kerry, doing great damage to property
and causing the loss of at least nine lives.
Heavy rains have fallen in that part of
Ireland lately, with the result that the
same places that are generally dry now
resem BILE vast morasses. Near Baltimore
there is an eminence about a thousand
feet high, known as Boy Hill. and it was
here that the landslide occurred.
The rains percoiating through the
ground gradually Ioosened huge mass of
earth, and on Sunday night, apparently
without the slightest warning, q large
part OF the surface of the hill began to
slide toward the valley. Gaining momen-
tum as it moved, it swept downward with
a roaring sound. carrying rocks, trees and
everything before it for miles. In some
places the path of the landslide was mile
wide, and as it moved along it buried
everything, entirely changing the aspect
of the section over which it passed.
The residence of Mr.. Donnelly, steward
of Lord Kenmare, one of whose seats, Kill
larney House, is at Killarney was enguIfed
in the mass of earth and debris and all OF
it's occupants, Mrs. Donnelly, his wife,
and seven children, were killed. 1t is sup
posed that the house was swept from its
foundations by the crushing mass, over
turned and buried it to great depth. As
the present locality is not known it is
hardly probable that the bodies will be re-
covered.
All the cattle, pigs and horses on tie
place we're also buried, and there is now
scene of utter desolation where on Sunday
stood the neat dwelling and outbuildings
of Mr.. Donnelly.
The movement of the landslide was to
the southwest, in the direction of the river
Flesk. into which large section of the
earth slipped, blocking it up. The cur
rent of the river was employed in running
dynamos, which furnished electric light
for the Kerry lunatic asylum and some
buildings in Killarney. The blocking of
the river, of course, stopped the current
and rendered the dynamos temporarily
useless. All the buildings using the
light from this source were plunged into
darkness and it was some time before
other lights could be obtained.
The part of the hill where the slide be-
gan was bog and much of the earth that
moved off was soft. Huge quantities
plunged into the river, and there IS dam
ger of the backwater flooding the country
around about unless the current is able to
carry the debris down with it. If any one
was passing along the roads at the time
the slide passed over the highways they
would surely have been buried. There
have Deen no reports of anybody being
missing and on this is based the belief
that there was no loss of life outside the
Donnelly family.
The thatch which formed the roof of the
Donnelly house was found floating in the
river, and some people surmise that the
bodies of some of the family may have
been carried that far as weli.
The bog is still moving this afternoon,
but no further damage can result unless
it be the more effective damming of the
river.