PHOTOS - Duffy's Cut - Irish labourers burial site in Pennsylvania slideshow
The dig for Irish remains at Duffy’ Cut in Pennsylvania has come to an end.
Frank and Bill Watson, the historians who first located the remains of Irish railroad workers, many of whom are believed to have been murdered in 1832, say that the mass grave they have been seeking is unreachable.
It has been located 30 feet underground but too near to an existing Amtrak track to unearth it. It is said to hold the remains of up to 57 Irish emigrants from Donegal, Derry and Tyrone.
The Watsons, believe most of the Irish were likely victims of lynch mobs driven by anti-Irish sentiment which was widespread at the time.
The discovery of the mass grave came when geophysicist Tim Bechtel used updated equipment electrical imaging and seismic surveys, to discover the mass grave 30 feet below the surface.
It's also on Amtrak property. They will not permit any digging because of its proximity to the tracks, spokeswoman Danelle Hunter told Associated Press.
"I don't blame them for not being keen on excavating there," Bechtel said,
The mass remains are of Irish immigrants, mostly from Donegal, who were building the railroad near Philadelphia when they all mysteriously died.
It is suspected some died for cholera and others were murdered because they were suspected of being disease carriers.They were only in the US a few weeks.
Frank and Bill Watson with the help of volunteers and archaeologists proved via DNA and testing that most of the Irish had been murdered and did not die of cholera.
"Since the beginning, we have seen it as our job to get their story out of folklore and into actual history, and we hope we have done that," Bill Watson told Associated Press.
A local monument stated the men had died of “black diptheria” in 1834 but it is known they died two years earlier.
--------------------
READ MORE:
PHOTOS - Duffy's Cut - Irish labourers burial site in Pennsylvania slideshow
More news from Duffy's Cut on IrishCentral
Sinead O'Connor admits she had sex operation in Los Angeles
--------------------
Soon after they started digging they found the remains of six people and a nearby shantytown.
University of Pennsylvania anthropologist Janet Monge found proof of savage violence done to the remains including a bullet wound to the head of one of them.
Many locals had been sceptical that anything would be found. East Whiteland Township Manager Terry Woodman told AP.
"Some people thought that this was lore, a story that through the telling had been exaggerated," Woodman said. "There was a lot of skepticism."
The rest who were killed were ordered buried in a mass grave and their shantytown burned to the ground.
One victim was identified victim as 18-year-old John Ruddy, based on his bone size and the passenger list of a ship that came from Ireland to Philadelphia shortly before the men died.
The brothers plan to bury the remains found in a suburban Philadelphia cemetery around St. Patrick's Day, March 17.
Dennis Downey, a history professor at Millersville University, said the work done has been invaluable.
"You see industrial history, you see immigration history, you see the broad contours of changing cultural history," said Downey.
Michael Collins, Ireland's ambassador to the U.S., told AP he was deeply struck by the emigrants "arriving here full of optimism and hope only to die so anonymously and tragically."
"Their story needs to be told," Collins said. "So many from Ireland helped to build America but it was not an easy life, or an easy time."
The Watsons believe what happened at Duffy's Cut was not an isolated case.
Their next investigation involves another site ten miles away they believe is another Irish mass grave and two other sites have also been possibly located.
Visit Duffy's Cut website here.
PHOTOS - Duffy's Cut - Irish labourers burial site in Pennsylvania slideshow
Duffy's Cut documentary:
Christy Moore's song 'Duffy's Cut' dedicated to the men and women who died at Duffy's Cut:
20 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.CKELLEY | May 11, 2012, 08:22 PM EDT
They need a proper burial. Where any of the names ever none?
redsean | Mar 09, 2012, 10:18 AM EST
Take them boys out of there and bring them home !!!!! To hell wit that train ! It is bad enough that we are not in most history books !!! But give some rest to them !! They have earned it . As Irish people we need to push on some things !! What if it was your grandfather in that hole ? You who silence every instrument of music, yourself a sweet plaintive instrument, dweller among the Race of Conn, instrument yellow-brown and firm. The one darling of sages, restless, smooth, sweet of tune, crimson star above the Fairy Hills, breast jewel of High Kings.- Gofraidh Fion O Dalaigh. 1385]
Searlit | Nov 01, 2011, 09:03 PM EDT
The Irish have been discriminated against since Strongbow's invasion of Ireland in 1170. That's way before discrimination took place in the land now known as America.
irishedd | Nov 01, 2011, 08:10 PM EDT
i added aarticle re slavery but it isnt showing ill trya gain as some people on here seem to be missing the facts
bootsjoyce4 | Nov 01, 2011, 05:27 PM EDT
My ancestors in the hard coal mines were trated badly like these people. The Irish built America. In the mines a mule had more preference than an Irish miner according to the WASP management of the day. Thank God for the Molly Maguires.
irishedd | Nov 01, 2011, 12:22 PM EDT
some typos below sorry but typed too fast in my anger
irishedd | Nov 01, 2011, 12:22 PM EDT
whatsort of irishpeople are yu whoa re reding this. where is the campaign to ahve these dead irishmen uninterrred in a mass grave and returned homw to be buried or buried properly in america. Tey were treated worse than dogs some of who may also ahve been murdered. SHAME ON YOU ALL WHERE IS THE EMAIL CAMPAIGN , THE PETITION or is the inconvenience and minor cost all too much.
joan1954 | Oct 31, 2011, 09:34 PM EDT
The Irish died of cholera, typhoid and typhus building the New Basin Canal in New Orleans. It was cheaper to see the Irish died than slaves.
BBB0617 | Oct 31, 2011, 07:01 PM EDT
"Posted by Murph46 on Oct 31, 2011, 09:37 AM EDT Mass Graves,lynching ,Jobs available Irish Need Not Apply- I have told Afro Americans for years that we were discriminated before they were.More proof!" Um, you do realize slavery of Africans occurred before 1832, right? They weren't even considered a whole person when it came to population counting in the U.S in the 18th century. So sure, the Irish were discriminated against and so have many groups (the group du jour is Hispanics) but Africans definitely came first (along with Native Americans) in the U.S. timeline.
ags4thpcs | Oct 31, 2011, 05:54 PM EDT
I lived near the Sugartown curve in Malvern. My boys have spent evenings in the woodland by the tracks. The place speaks silence. its a shame those bones cant find restful peace
jamieLM | Oct 31, 2011, 05:42 PM EDT
@phinsman: just read on the net about Davenport, Iowa (100,000 pop.) unveiling a new sculpture in their downtown celebrating the contributions and culture of Irish immigrants to Davenport and the Quad-City area. The sculpture of a man, woman, & child symbolizes the plight of the Irish when they came over. The trio are wearing clothes that aren't in good shape. From the picture, the life-sized sculpture looks very nice. There are many small towns in the Midwest that celebrate their Irish ancestry. I would hope that the sign at Duffy's Cut would be taken down and a new one would be erected with the correct version of the events that took place. Btw: all the ethnic groups in America were prejudiced against each other and each group started out by segregating themselves from the other ethnic groups. Even Catholicism didn't unite groups, like Irish and German Catholics in Davenport who didn't like each other at all and split the city right down the middle, each claiming a side.
rainbowbrew | Oct 31, 2011, 03:59 PM EDT
Interesting that they came to build a railway were murdered buried under a railroad tracks. And the railroad does not want to find the real answer. Engineering could be used if they really wanted to know more. phinsman - there are people over here who would shoot at anyone different if given the chance. They are called white trash and we have plenty of it for sure.
phinsman | Oct 31, 2011, 01:52 PM EDT
How dare those Americans be so discriminatory against the Irish. The Irish are hard working, intelligent and humble people. Memorial monuments for the Irish who dedicated so much time in helping build American for such a low wage should definitely occur.
PhoenixZouave | Oct 31, 2011, 12:35 PM EDT
Duffy's Cut? Go to Gettysburg and check out the 69th Pennsylvania Volunteers memorial.....Maid of Erin and all!
feeblefrog | Oct 31, 2011, 12:01 PM EDT
I hope they can figure out a way to shore up the rails and get the people out so they can be properly buried. Such a horrible tragedy.
Nearly Normal | Oct 31, 2011, 10:08 AM EDT
I felt a tearing up of my eyes when I read this. Many of us here in McLean County, Illinois helped erect a monument to Irish railroad workers who died of cholera and are buried in the Funks Grove Cemetery. The Funk family donated a gravesite at the time and the locals knew not to bury anyone else there as the site was unmarked. Now a fine Celtic cross marks their graves. Perhaps something similar could be done here. It is my understanding that Amtrak does not own the roadbed but uses the rails of others. Perhaps some sort of negotiations could be made to put the monument as close to the correct site as possible. The director of our county's museum has said that it cost one Irish worker's life for every mile of railroad.I think of that whenever I take the Amtrak up to Chicago. My great-great grandfather was one of those workers but fortunately he survived the backbreaking work to have his own farm.
Murph46 | Oct 31, 2011, 09:37 AM EDT
Mass Graves,lynching ,Jobs available Irish Need Not Apply- I have told Afro Americans for years that we were discriminated before they were.More proof!
antoman | Oct 31, 2011, 09:36 AM EDT
Say a prayer over them and let the dead rest in peace.
BoraBora98 | Oct 31, 2011, 08:28 AM EDT
This should not end until all the remains are recovered and given a proper burial.
bootsjoyce4 | Oct 31, 2011, 08:16 AM EDT
Terrible, reminds me of the way Native Americans were massacred in this country. Maybe a monument should be built near there just to remind people that they are at rest there.