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Show VILLAGE OVERWHELMED BY VAST MOVING BOG Details have just begun to reach Boston 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 a thaw and more rain, a great section of a bog detached itself from the side of Mount Mary, in County Galway, and moved alor.g silently in the night, overwhelming over-whelming an entire village. The people were all asleep and the first intimation they had of the disaster 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 disaster dis-aster came so suddenly and the bog moved with such rapidity that it was with the utmost diffieultv that the neo- ple could get to s-afe ground, and in snite 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 seriously. se-riously. The latest accounts received in Boston Bos-ton state that 200 acres in the villages of Ballygar and Kilmore were covered cov-ered with mud to a depth of twelve feet and that the bog is still moving, but much more slowly than at the outset. out-set. The disaster attracted general atten- j tion in the west of Ireland, and the following fol-lowing appeal, signed by the archbishop, 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 destroyedhomesteads, de-stroyedhomesteads, lands, crops and much livestock. One mother perished 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 fled in terror and pain from their half-submerged or threatened homesteads. "The damage amounts to many -thousand pounds it falls on a simple, peaceful, industrious, but very poor, community. Temporary aid for the 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 our charitable fellow-o'izens of the empire, we appeal to the press tfte ever-read champion of the afflicted, and we appeal to all friends of suffering suffer-ing humanity. "Signed on behalf of the committee: John Healy, archbishop of Tuan: John Clancy, bishop of Elphin. Gleenbrock, H. M. L., County Galway; John Cheev-ers. Cheev-ers. D. L., County Galway: John Glynn, chairman county council; J. C. McDonnell. McDon-nell. A". G.. county council; Grey De Rutheyn. H. G. Bellew. Bart.; W. J. Talbot. D. L.: Martin Kielty. D. D.. P. P.; R. Miiler. M. A. (rector) ;A. Kenny, J. P chairman D. C: D. P. French, M. D.: J. O'Dowd. M. Wall, honorable secretaries." In response to ihe above appeal and the cabled request of the Very Rev. Dr. Kielty. P. P.. of Ballygar. a large number num-ber of Boston Irishmen formed a committee com-mittee for the purpose of co-operating with the relief committee in Ireland by raising a relief-fund for the helpless victims of the unexpected calamity. Of this committee John J. O'Hare is chairman: M. J. O'Brien, secretary, and j Dr. P. J. Tlmmins treasurer. I Chairman O'Hare said yesterday: "We are already promised several subscriptions, sub-scriptions, and I am confident many more will comte when the extent of the catastrophe becomes known. Contributions Contribu-tions may be sent to Dr. Timmins at 487 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, discloses the fact that the loss to the small farmers in the vicinity vi-cinity is much greater than was at first expected. "A large crowd, assisted by the local police, were busiiy engaged all day in endeavoring to recover the body of Mrs. McDonnell from the ruins of her little house, but up to the present without with-out success. Nothing but the outer walls of the house remain, and as the inside is flooded with water it is impossible im-possible to locate where the-body lies. "One constable today dived into the seething mass, but was forced to come to the surface again without1' 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 became 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 filled the roadway in the scramble to reach a place of safety. The extent of the slide may be imagined when it is stated stat-ed that at the present time over 100 acres of land that yesterdav were under un-der grass is today covered with about twelve feet of solid bog. "The loso to the unfortunate farmers is very great, as not alone do thev lose their houses and. in some cases, their stock, but the land will never be of any use to them, as it is lost forever under the mass of bog constantly piling pil-ing up on it. One unfortunate man. Lawrence Martin, came near to losing his life in rescuing his wife and family. He was awakaned about 6:30 o'clock in the morning by a noise, as he describes it, like thunder. "When he opened the front door the inrush of water and bog almost smothered smoth-ered him. and in a few seconds he was immersed up to his armpits. He rushed back to the bedroom to rescue his wife and two girls, and with the greatest difficulty managed to carry them to a neighbor's house. When. this was done it was too late to think of his stock locked up in an outhouse, and thev perished per-ished miserably. "Kvery possible effort is being made to check the slide. Mr. Cornwall, company com-pany surveyor, has a large gang of men opening up the rivers choked, so as. to run oil" the Hood, and Mr. Bates, on Inspector of Ihe congested districts board, has employed over 100 men to help In thj work. So great has been the extent of the movement that the entire en-tire face of the district is altered. Well-defined Well-defined rivers and roads have disap- : peured and all the tsual landmarks are totally submerged. Thousands of peor ! plo visited the scene yesterday, and the ! greatest sympathy is expressed for the I unfortunate sufferers," ! |