Irish bones found

Biggins

Source: Philly news


Bones may be from 19th-century gravesite

Clues to the mysterious deaths of 57 Irish immigrants came first from a secret file that had been locked in a vault until 1970. The men, who sailed from Ireland in 1832, arrived in Chester County to work on the railroad. They died about eight weeks later, most of cholera.
Until the file was read six years ago by two brothers, both historians, the immigrants were the stuff mostly of legend and ghost tale. On Friday, another milestone in their story was found in East Whiteland Township.
An archaeology research team based at Immaculata University in Chester County uncovered 90 human bones that they believe are part of a mass grave containing the workers' remains.
"We were shocked," said the Rev. Frank Watson, a historian and a leader of the research effort. "We had found animal bones before, but this was different. We suspected we hit pay dirt."
The findings were announced yesterday at Immaculata.
They are part of the Duffy's Cut Project, an archaeological research initiative that began in 2002 when Watson; his twin, William, a history professor at Immaculata; and several colleagues began a dig to find the gravesite of the men.
The immigrants had come from Donegal, Tyrone, and Derry Counties in Ireland to work for Willistown railroad man Philip Duffy. The workers helped build what was then the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, now SEPTA's R5 line.
Some researchers suspect violence in their deaths. The men were buried in a ditch somewhere near Sugartown and King Roads, where they had lived in a shanty and worked.
Their story came to the attention of the Watson brothers about six years ago. They had found a file, once locked in a railroad office vault, that they had inherited from their grandfather, Joseph F. Tripician. Tripician, of Narberth, was the private secretary to Martin W. Clement, who served as president of the railroad for 16 years starting in 1933.
Information in the file about the men and the burial site led to a wooded area near Sugartown and King Roads in East Whiteland Township.
The file also contained stories of ghost sightings of the dead men, specifically three of them dancing on their own graves. While he was working on the project, William Watson said, he saw ghosts of three men on the campus of Immaculata.
Since 2004, the team has been digging near the site, uncovering several thousand artifacts including pots, buttons, and smoking pipes. Team members combed newspapers, diaries, and immigration records to learn more about the men. Members of the Chester County Emerald Society, which represents police officers, helped obtain a historical marker for the site.
A turning point came Friday. The research team found bones including two skulls, teeth, and toe and leg bones, which could be remains for as many as four people.
One of the skulls is that of a teenager, who researchers think is John Ruddy. They have compiled the names of 15 of the 57 workers. Ruddy, 18, from Donegal, is on that list.
The research team will continue its excavation, and the remains will be catalogued and examined first by the Chester County coroner, then by researchers with the Smithsonian Institution. DNA testing will follow, with hopes of matching results with remains of family members in Ireland.
Several families suspect that their long-lost loved ones were among the 57 who died.
"They were thrown away by society," William Watson said. Once the bones are recovered, he said, the team "will commemorate them and give them a proper burial."