The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-02-27
VILLAGE OVERWHELMED
BY VAST MOVING BOG

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Details have just begun to reach Bos-
| ton of a disaster in the west of ireland,
| which in many respects has had no
parallel in recent years
Because of heavy rains and a severe
| frost, which was again followed by
thaw and more rain, a great section of
a bog detached itself from the side of
Mount Mary, in County Galway, and
moved along silently in the night, over
whelming an entire village.
The people were all asleep and the
| first intimation they had of the disas-
ter was the houses began to rock and
| move from their foundations. Some of
the people, on trying to escape, found
themselves waist deep in mud. The dis
aster came so suddenly and the bog
moved with such rapidity that it was
with the utmost difficulty that the peo-
pie could set to safe ground, and in
spite of all efforts one woman lost her
life.
Cattle and livestock of all kinds were
lost, and, of course, the people lost all
their personal property. Ten houses
were totally destroyed and fully 100
were damaged some of them very Sc
riously.
The latest accounts received in Bos-
ton state that 200 acres in the villages
of Ballygar and Fillmore were COW
cred with mud to a depth of twelve
feet and that the bog is still moving,
but much more slowly than at the out
set
The disaster attracted general atten-
ton in the west of Ireland, and the fol-
lowing appeal, signed by the archbish-
op, bishop and public officials of the
district, has been received in Boston
from the relief committee, which was
formed to raise funds for the people
left destitute by the catastrophe:
"As the hamlet of Kilmore was
awakened from sleep a bogslide from
the overhanging slope of Mount Mary
came upon them, bearing death and
destruction as effectively as a burning
tide Of lava, from Vesuvius or Etna.
Practically the entire village was de-
StTOyed-homeSteadS. lands, crops and
much livestock. One mother persisted
in her home. to be dragged forth some
days after by a heart-broken soldier
son. The remainder of the villagers
with difficulty escaped. Ten families
are homeless and many more have fed
in terror and pain from their half-sub-
merged or threatened homesteads
The damage amounts to many %1Ou-
sand pounds-it falls on a simple,
peaceful, industrious, but very poor,
homeless-women, children and babes
will cost much. In these circumstances.
the County Galway relief committee
appeals to Irishmen blessed with
means, the world over: we appeal to
ou" charitable fellow-ciiizenS of the
empire, we appeal to the press-the
ever-read champion of the afflicted,
and we appeal to all friends Of suffer
ing humanity.
"Signed on behalf of the committee:
John Healy, archbishop of Tuan; John
Clancy, bishop of Elphin. Gleenbroci<
H NJ L., County Galway; John Cheev-
ers. D. L., County Galway; John Glynn.
chairman county council; J. c. McDon-
nell. V. G.. county council; Grey De
Rutheyn. H. G. BelleW. Bart; W. j.
Talbot. D. L.: Martin Kelly, D. D., P
P; r. Miller. NJ. A. (rector) "a. Kenny,
J. p, chairman d. c.: D. P. French,
NJ D.: J. O'DoWd. NJ. Wall, honorable
secretaries"
In response to the above appeal and
the cabled request of the Very Rev. DR.,
Kielty. P P. of Ballygar, a large num-
Der of Boston Irishn1en formed a COM
mittee for the purpose Of cooperating
with the relief committee in ireland by
raising a relief fund for the helpless
victims of the unexpected calamity
OF this committee John j. OHare is
chairman; NJ. j. O'Brien, secretary, and
DIR. P. j. Timnlins treasurer
Chairman O'Hare said yesterday:
1--WE are already promised several sub
scriptions, and / am confident many
more will come when the extent of the
catastrophe becomes known. Contribu
tons may be sent to DR. Timmins at
4S7 Broadway South Boston, and they
will be acknowledged in the public
press.
One of the Irish papers describes this
affair as follows:
"a visit to the scene Of the deplorable
bog slide at Kilmore. near Ballygar,
County Galway, discIoses the fact that
the loss to the small farmers in the vi
entity is much greater than was al first
expected.
"a large crowd. assisted by the local
police, were busily engaged all day IN
endeaVoring to recover the body of
Mrs. Mcdonnell from the ruins of her
little house. but up to the present with
out success. Nothing but the outer
walls of the house remain. and as the
inside is flooded with water it is i'm
possible to locate where the-body lies,
lone constable today dived into the
seething mass, but was forced to come |
to the surface again without locating
the body. The bog moved again this
morning at the rate Of about five miles !
an hour. The farmers living in the |
course of the second movement be-
came alarmed and Immediately set
about clearing out their furniture. The |
scene when this work was in progress
would remind one of an extensive
eviction. Carts and cars laden with |
furniture and other effects filed the |
roaS 1y-av in fhe scramble to reach a |