The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Tuesday, June 18, 1889. POOR SOULS!

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 313, 18 June 1889, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Tuesday, June 18, 1889. POOR SOULS !

Be just and fear not j Let all the ends thou alm’rt at be thr oouuto'i, Thy God’s, and truth's.

Death under any is never pleasant to contemplate. It is, however, peculiarly distressing to hear of children —young boys and girls just beginning to know what life is and to enjoy it—.being its victims. In our consolatory way we say, ’* Poor things I it’s just as well; they ar? saved tfie worry and trouble of this cruel world I” but no man does other than regret the untimely cutting off of those who are in the full bloom of health and youth, It is natural for our sympathies to make themselves felt in this way, strive how W.e kyill to stifle them and think all is for the best. It would therefore be impossible for anyone ,tp jiear of the dreadful railway disaster in County Armagh, Ireland, without feelings of grief 'And sadness. Thirteen hundred children—scholars in Methodist Sunday schools—f’ on pleasure bent,” were the passengers by two excursion trains. How it all happened, iji? jjrief cable news does not satisfactorily 'explalp, dreadful catastrophe occurred, in which' it is estimated that 150 children were killed and a like ppmber injured. We sincerely hope the figures have been exaggerated, but ibe flhai detejlfl of a railway aspirant generally prove thjaf estimates are radief below than above the mark. One hundred i|n|j fifty children killed 1 Do our readers '{iijipprphend what that means ? Imagine fin®' third of the total attendance at our public school suddenly swept into eternity I What a number of mourning families it would occasion I Picture

the grief and lamentations for the only and beloved child, or the whole family, not less loved for being numerous, cut off at one blow I Add to the misery and sorrow caused by such a terrible event the sufferings of one hundred and fifty other children—still alive, but all injured more or less, some perhaps fatally 1 Poor little mites with fractured limbs and little bodies crushed almost out of shape 1 It is too horrible to contemplate—death would be almost preferable to such mutilation. If we can feel so strongly for people thousands of miles away from us, how heavily must the blow fall upon the poor parents and relations. The Irish are conspicuous among nations for their affectionate regard for their offspring, and their loving thoughtfulness of the " poor children "is one of the most pleasing traits of the national character. We may be sure that the news of this regrettable accident has cast a dark shadow in many a home. The parents have our heartfelt sympathy in their affliction. The fact that those responsible are to be brought to justice is but poor satisfaction to hundreds of bereaved relatives. It cannot restore the dead to life, set the cripple on his legs again, or make the maimed whole. But we do trust that no stone will be left unturned to punish the carelessness or negligence which led to this awful catastrophe.