The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-12-31
REPORT THAT VICIOUS LOOKING
MEN WERE LURKING IN THE
VICINITY.
THE WRECKAGE Immediately CAUGHT FIRE.
And Many Were Burned Alive ME
Pinioned by Heavy Timbers-lt Was
Some Time Before Relief Ar
rived and Suffering of Sur
viyors Was Terrible.

Memphis. Tenn. Dec. "a special tt
the Commcrcial-Appea from Birmlng
ham, Ala, says:
Eiends of human form wrecked the
Birmingham Mineral branch passenger
train No. 40 at Cahaba river bridge,
twenty-seven miles from here, at i:oo
This morning and twenty-five lives were
lost. That number of bodies nave Deeil
recovered from the wreck and further
q search may swell the list of dead. Inc
wreck. it is regarded as almost certain,
was accomplished by the removal of rail
in the middle span of the trestlc. This
dcrailed the train which caused II to iail
down between the TWO spans and perclpi-
rated it into the river below.
The wreck was the worst that ever oc-
Cured in the state, and the survivors are
so few and so badly hurt that they are
unable to give any detailed description OIL
how il all happened. 1t is not known, ana
may never be known as certain Just now
many passengers were on the tram Most
of them were miners and residents OF the
mining towns in this district, who had
round-trip holiday tickets and were re-
turning to their homes along the line OF
the Mineral road.
Conductor A. F. Council, who probably
knew better than anybody else as to how
many passengers were aboard, Is dead.
1t is thought. however that there We're
not exceeding twenty-five or thirty. But
one passenger purchased ticket at
birmingham. The Inflated train was a
local passenger which left here at o:5o
Il. M. and was scheduled to make trip
on the Birmingham Mineral branch,
which is Il branch line of the Louisville
and Nashville. reaching all the important
mining towns in the district. The tram
consisted of a baggage car and two
coaches and left here at G:3O a. m, and
went to Taccoa, ON the main line of the
Louisville and Nashville There it switch
ed off to the Birmingham track aud went
10 Gucrncy.
The Mineral trains operate over the
Southern Railways. known as the Bier
field. Bocton and Birmingham, branch.
under contract agreement. SIX
miles south of Gucrney is the Ca
haba river. a shallow mountain
stream which has depth at this time of
only about three or four feet. This river
is spanned by an iron bridge with wooden
trestlcs on each side. Its entire length is
800 feet and the length of the main span,
where the wreck occurred, is 10 feet
The bridge was built only four years ago
and was regarded as Il very strong struc-
ture. The main span and the span just
beyond it are both made of iron and gave
way. prccpitating the entire train into
the river The engine lays on its side al
most at right angles with the track. The
cars piled upon each other through the
main span. The entire wreck took fire
soon afterwards and was rapidly burned
10 the waters edge. Nine persons alone
escaped alive from all who went down,
and several of them will probably die.
The first news of the wreck was brought
to Hargrove telegraph station four
miles from the Cahaba river. by Il farmer
who said that while passing that place
he heard crash. Going nearer. he saw
the two spans of the bridge broken out.
He then discovered the burning wrecka2:
in the shallow water below. He could
hear groans of the wounded and dying
but without waiting TO see further, he
rode his horse rapidly to Hargrovc where
the operator telegraphed to Birmingham
and Bocton for relief. Meanwhile few
country people had gathered at the scene
to render what aid they could, but it was
TOO late to do much. Nine persons had
gotten out and the others had been burn
ed up in the wreckage. When the relief
train arrived from Birmingham there wa:
little need for the physicians that haC
been sent The wounded were quickly at
tended to and then sent to Blocton TO
further attention. The work of gettin:
out the dead was then commenced. Moth
ing was left of the wreckage but tn,
smoldering remains which had burned t,
the waters edge. Charred corpses wer,
packed in between the iron framework
where the seats had been. Most of thu
bodies were burned beyond recognition