Duffy's Cut

Duffy's Cut
Enclosure where the majority of human remains are believed to rest, possibly after having been moved
Enclosure where the majority of human remains are believed to rest, possibly after having been moved[1]
Map
Coordinates: 40°02′14″N 75°31′57″W / 40.03722°N 75.53250°W / 40.03722; -75.53250 (accident site)
CountryUnited States
TownMalvern, Pennsylvania

Duffy's Cut is the name given to a stretch of railroad tracks about 30 miles (48 km) west of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally built for the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad in the summer and fall of 1832. The line later became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Main Line. Railroad contractor Philip Duffy hired 57 Irish immigrants to lay this line through the area's densely wooded hills and ravines. The workers came to Philadelphia from the Ulster counties of Donegal, Tyrone, and Derry/Londonderry to work in Pennsylvania's nascent railroad industry. While their fates are unclear, a theory based on a record from a railroad archive suggests all 57 died of cholera during the second cholera pandemic. The remains of seven have been discovered at the site, and forensic evidence suggests that some may have been murdered, perhaps due to fear of contagion[2] as the pandemic spanned several continents over many years.[3] While this has become the most popular theory, a coroner who studied the bones believes the alleged bullet holes and injuries were actually due to natural decomposition and post-mortem damage.[4]

State historical marker near the site

The site is located in East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania,[5] 1,500 feet (460 m) northeast of the intersection of King Road and Sugartown Road, where a Pennsylvania state historical marker has been placed.[6]

  1. ^ "Death on the Railroad". Secrets of the Dead. PBS. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  2. ^ Watson, William E.; Watson, J. Francis; Schandelmeier, Earl H. & Ahtes, John H. (2006). The Ghosts of Duffy's Cut: The Irish who Died Building America's Most Dangerous Stretch of Railroad. Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-98727-2.
  3. ^ Crimmins, Peter (March 24, 2009). "Irish Laborers Buried Under Suburban Railroads". Weekend Edition. WHYY/NPR. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  4. ^ Pirro, JF (August 8, 2019). "This Local Coroner Still Has Questions About the Duffy's Cut Mass Grave Site". Main Line Today. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  5. ^ Miller, Jennifer (March 24, 2009). "Bones may reveal Pa. grave of Irish immigrants in Chesco". The (Delaware County) Daily Times. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  6. ^ Barry, Dan (March 25, 2013). "With Shovels and Science, a Grim Story Is Told". The New York Times.