DREADFUL CATASTROPHE NEAR ARMAGH.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 330, 27 July 1889, Page 3

DREADFUL CATASTROPHE NEAR ARMAGH.

full details of the accident. GREAT LOSS OF LIFE. — |I>BOX OUB OWN C ?BBEfTOXDENT.) London, July 15. On the 12th inst. the city of Armagh was thrown into a state of the mo?t terrible horror and consternation by the occurrence within a couple of miles of the eity of a railway accident, certainly the most dreadful that it has aver been my painful duty to record in Ireland, and which perhaps has never been surpassed in the United Kingdom. The loss of life, which cannot bo ocrreelly estimated at pierent, is very large, and still a greater pupiber of persons have received injuries of a very serious, and in some cases fatal, character. It appears that Wednesday was the day fixed for the anneal excursion of the pupils of the Methodist Sunday School and their friends, under the direction of Surgeon-Major Lynn, an event in which great local interest is centred every year. The trip had been looked forward with the HOST FLBASVBABLE ANTICIPATIONS, and the day being fine the excursionists, to the number of about twelve bundled, assembled to travel to Warrenpoint, which charming watering-place was the rendezvous agreed upon for the occasion. A special train was in readiness for their conveyance to that place, and the excursionists, full of life and gaiety, and looking forward to a day's nnbroken recreation and enjoyment, took their scats in it, little dreaming of the terrible v calamity which was so soon to happen, rob'vbing many of them of life, leaving others Jterribly injured, and depriving a still larger , 'number of their nearest and dearest friend?, All the necessary preliminaries having been satisfactorily got through, the steam-horse and the train, with its heavy freight ■ ’*.'ol happy holiday-seekers, started on its way Shortly after ten o'clock, the ordinary 10.35 train from Armagh leaving the station within .g few minutes after that time. The accounts of what subsequently occurred are very contradictory, but as far as could be ascertained the following is a correct description of the terrible catastrophe. When the excursion train, which pqneieted of fifteen carriages, drawn by one ' engine, had proceeded as far as Kilooney -• ' C? THE STEEP fIBADIENT . It was found that the engine was unable to draw the train over the hill. The officials in charge of the train then held a consultation . as to what should be done, with the result that it was decided to leave a number of the carriages behind, to prooeed to Hamiltonsbawn, and then to return with the engine for the carriages that had been left behind. Jhi* appears to have been attimpted. Five . of the carriages were detached from the train, and were, as it was thought, securely sprigged Upon the line to prevent them moving. Hardly, however, had the train started when, to the horror of all spectators, the detached . carriages were seen to move and to commence to move slowly down the steep gradient to .Armagh, Nothing could be done to stop the truant carriages, and the horror of the occupants and those who were spectators can be more easily imagined than described when it Was seen that the carriages increased in speed every moment, dashing down the incline at a terrible rate, right in the teeth of the ordinary train, which had just left Armagh Station, The occupants of the carriages were St once alive to the awful position which they occupied, but were powerless to do anything to save themselves, as the doors were locked, *nd, indeed, even if this had not been the case, the rate at which the carriages were travelling was such as to make escape from them a very dangerous, if not, indeed, fatal, operation,

\ TEBBOB AND DISMAY w.- reVepicted upon the faces of the imprisoned excuAionists as the carriages rushed on to -■ V'fieir fate, dashing with a terrible crash into the approaching train, The scene which then occurred, as described by an eye-wit-ness, is one that will never be forgotten. Three carriages were completely telescoped, being smashed to pieces like matchwood, and scattered in all directions, while the powerful engine lay on the side of the embankment, completely overturned. The shrieks and groans of the wounded and dying were most heartrending, and as those persons who bad not been injured escaped from the carriages and began to search for their friends among the debris, the scene was one of an indescribably horrifying character. The intelligence of the terrible catastrophe was at once conveyed to Armagh, and in a very short space of time the inhabitants, who a few minutes before had been congratulating themselves upon the splendid weather which favored the event, turned out en masse, and proceeded with all haste to the scene of the disaster, many of them in a terrible state of anxiety for the safety of their children or other friends.

THE SCENE WAS A MOST APPALLING ONE, the unfortunate excurtionists lying in heaps under the broken timbers and under the engine, while many more were precipitated great distances down the embankment. A large number of conveyances of all kinds were sent from Armagh, and in these the fiaad and wounded were conveyed into the city, escorted by their weeping friends and relatives. The route to the infirmary was crowded, and as the ghastly procession of shattered and bloody corpses proceeded slowly along, the scene was a sad and terrible one. Dr Palmer, surgeon of County Armagh Infirmary, and all the local medical men were in attendance at once, and set about relieving the sufferings of those who bad not to their injuries. They were reinforced some time afterwards by a party of medical-men from Belfast, The wounded were at once taken to the infirmary, where their injuries were attended to, but in some ■ s eases it was quite apparent that surgical skill could do little else than mitigate their final sufferings. In fact some died while on the way. The dead were taken some to the market-bouse, some to the Tontine Booms, and others to the railway station, where they wore laid out pending identification by their friends, Borne

XkBY PAINEVL SCENES were witnessed in this connection, and the grief of tbe large numbers who thronged the buildings was very great as they reoog. hired among the ghastly array the mangled bodies of relatives who had left them that morning alive and well and full of joyfulneu agd good spirits. Under the circumMances it is very difficult to estimate correctly the number of the dead and injured, as many were taken to their homes by their friends, and it is very difficult to obtain particulars with regard to them. With regard to the dead, however,, it must be said that at tbe lowest calculation there are about seventy, while it is even more difficult to compute tbe number cf the wounded, as, in addition to those very serious cases Which were conveyed to the infirmary, many persons were taken to their homes and treated there. The following is as complete A LBTOJT THE DEAD

as It was possible to obtain :—Samuel Steele, patty sessions clerk, and two children] Mina Reilly, Abbey Strset, niece ; Minnie Boyd, Banbrook Hill; Joseph Johnston, Banbrook Hill I Agnes Hill, JennisKow ; a servant girl in MrM'Kinny's, Scotch Street; Catherine Murray, Lower English Street; Eliza Johnston, ifanbrook Hill; Margaret M'Ciure, ■ ennli Row ; Jane Thomas, English Street ; Vm. Robt, M’Mullan, son of Rev, Mr I ('Mullan ]'Wm. Crozier, (Market Street] ' homas Henderson, Barrack Street; Charles i (sale, gatekeeper Lunatic Asylum ; Mary , (sale, hie wife ; William Walker; Minnie Sdwards ; David Edwards ; James Cleeland, Bailway Street; Margaret Cleeland, wife; Robert Cleeland, and Samuel Cleeland, sons; Margaret Patterson. Drumard; Margaret Bteenson, Linenhall Street; Margaret ConHolly, Manchester; Joseph M'Caun, Pcor BcboolLane; Jane M’Cann, bis wife; Robert Mitchel), English Street; Mary Mitchpll, his | Win. Robert Mitchell, his son ; Wtn,

(ChntlHutd on fourth