Lankester, Tunbridge Wells, Photo
A holiday excursion had been arranged by the teachers connected with a Sunday-school in Armagh. The place selected was Warrenpoint, on Carlingford Bay. The number of excursionists was about 1,200, mostly children of both sexes, with a few parents. The first train, consisting of 13 carriages and a brake-van, drawn by one engine, set off at 10 o'clock with 940 passengers. The officials at the station had been rather sceptical of the adequacy of one engine to draw the train, especially as there is a steep incline of 1 in 75, running along an embankment 60 feet high, at Killooney, two miles from Armagh. The driver, however, expressed absolute confidence in the capability of his engine.
Shortly after the excursion had left Armagh, an ordinary passenger train followed it from the same station at its scheduled time; but, owing to the excursion being heavily laden and unable to proceed very rapidly, the ordinary gained upon it, and was pulled up at Annaclare Bridge, at the foot of the incline. Meanwhile the first train was proceeding up the incline with great difficulty, and when halfway up came to a dead stoppage, the load proving too heavy for the engine.
The traffic master of the line, who was travelling with the train, knowing that the ordinary must be but a short distance behind, rendering shunting back to Armagh for additional locomotive power impossible, ordered the train to be divided, in spite of the objection and remonstrances of the guard and some of the passengers. As a precaution, he ordered stones to be placed under the wheels of the last carriage of the detached section to prevent its running away. The first part of the train, in starting, set back a trifle—not much, but sufficient to give the second half, consisting of seven carriages, crammed with its full complement of passengers, a start. The brakes were immediately applied, but were absolutely ineffectual, and the train, gathering momentum every minute, ran backwards towards Annaclare Bridge. Who shall describe the feelings of the unfortunate passengers, many of whom knew they were rushing to inevitable destruction, and yet were unable to do anything to prevent it or to save themselves?
THE ARMAGH ACCIDENT IN WHICH 80 PERSONS WERE KILLED AND 400 INJURED.
Hunter & Co., Armagh, Photo
After running a mile and a half, it dashed into the stationary train with a frightful crash. The force of the impact was terrific, and, although no one in the ordinary train was seriously hurt, the engine was overturned, crushing four children beneath it. All the carriages in the excursion train were wrecked. Some were smashed to atoms, scarcely one timber being left joined to another; many were telescoped, and formed a fearful pile, which in turn was mounted by one carriage almost intact.
The scene that followed baffles description. There being few men among the unfortunate party, and some of the officers accompanying the train having been seriously injured, a terrible panic ensued. The agonising cries of the wounded, and the frantic shrieks and exhortations for help from the imprisoned children, were sufficient to make the boldest shudder. But the teachers soon regained their presence of mind, and, help having arrived from Armagh, the work of rescue was begun.
It was fraught with great difficulty, and attended with grave danger, as the huge pieces of timber were poised in the most dangerous positions, threatening to fall every minute, and bury both rescuers and rescued beneath them.