The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-12-29
WRECKED BY ROBBERS.
TWENTY.ONE BODIES FOUND AND
OTHERS PROBIBLr ~ THE Ruins.
A Number Injured, some Of Whom viii
Die-Evidence TO show That IL Was
the Work of Robbers.


cials have "A list OF twoniy-onc dead. that
number OF bodies has been taken o''
of the river. but the belief gains ground
that there are more dead bodies yet N
the river. or else some were entirely con-
sumed by FIRE The railroad officials now
ever, say the place has been Thoroughly
searched. IL seems impossible TO ascertain
how m.ny passengers Wcr on the iIdlh.
Nearly all held roand-trip holiday tickets,
and had been away from mere 10 sp'iu
Christmas. Many were on thcir way
back 10 the various mining towns Wheh
the disaster occurred.
only one ticket was sold out Of Biz
mingnam for the Inflated uain. Conduc-
tor Connell VINO know better than any
one else the number aboard, sSas Killed
ana burned up M the wreck IL develops
this morning that man named LiDDs
and his wife got ON the train AT Guiners'
six miles this side OF the wreck. They are
missing and il is probable that they We're
burned In the wreck. This runs the list
OF known dead TO twcntythrce. Others,
to the number of SIX, who were sup
posed TO be missing. have been accounted
for.
DEAD AND INJURED.
The correct list OF dead and missing
now stands as follows:
Railroad Employees White engi-
necr; James Bowling express messenger:
George Carney. nasman. a. T.. Council,
conductor. Tom Strcctcr, porter; r..
Webb. bridge Waterman.
Passenger Phillips. Blocton; l..
w. Martin. Brookwood; Mrs Henry Han
bury and two children. birmingham; Rev.
X. fl. Blount. Birmingham; Miss Ada
Powers. Blocton; j.. J. Powers. Blocton:
Mrs. Emma Powers and two children.
Blocton. Mrs. r. Little. Biocton; James
Gardner. mother and sister BlOctOn,
Mr. Libbs and wife. Of Gunner.
The injured are: Henry Hamburg, will
probably die. Andrew Bryson. will die,
IT, Reckel,s: VIII Gardner: Miss Booth.
Sam Stuart. fireman. a child Of Mrs
Powell. and Mrs. Walker, all slightly
hurt.
Tho injured are from mining towns in
this district. The only persons on the
train to escape unhurt were three little
children OF Mrs. Walker 1t is thought
that fun half the dead were cremated
alive.
A further examination of the bridge
shows that the spikes on one side had
been drawn for rails length with a
view OF wrecking the train. The story
that three men robbed the dying. as told
by one of the survivors. has not yet been
confirmed but the railroad officials. who
wreckers. and an army of detectives are
working on the case.
W. A. Ross. a bridge carpenter. hurt
I'm Il collision between two relief trains
died to-day. Another bridge carpenter.
named Estates. had both his legs cut Off
in the second wreck. and will die OF
the wounded in the bridge disaster, two
will likely die before night
Details of the accident.
A telegram from Birmingham Sunday
night gave the following details of the
accident.
The wreck was caused by the removal
of Il rail on the middle span of the bridge.
The train plunged into the shallow river.
40 feet below. 1t took lire after the fail
and burned to the edge of the water.
which was between three and four feet
deep.
After the crash robbers rushed TO the
scene and plundored the dead and dying.
There seems to be little doubt that these
robbers removed the rail which was miss
ing from the bridge.
The train was a local passenger which
left Birmingham at $3.50 A. NJ. and was
scheduled TO make circuit of the Birm-
ingham Mineral Road. which is "a branch
line of the Louisville and Nashville.
reaching all the important mining towns
I'm this vicinity.
IL consisted OF "A locomotive. a baggage
car and two day coaches. The tain went
20 Taccoa. on tho main lire of the Louis
Vile and Nashville. There it switched Off
to the Birmingham mineral track and
went TO Gurnee, and from Gurnee TO
Blocton.
The Mineral Railroad trains arc operat-
ed over the Southern Railways Brier-
field. Blocton and birmingham Branch
under a contract. on this part OF the
route the disaster occurred
Six miles south OF Gurnee is tho Cahaba
river. shallow mountain stream. This
river Is spanncd by an iron bridge with
wooden trestles on each side. The entire
length of the bridge is 500 feet and the
length OF the main span, on which the
wreck occurred. Is 10 feet The bridge
was built four years ago and was regard
cd as strong. The main span Is made
of iron.
When the crash came the locomotive
landed on its side almost at right angles
with the track. The cars were piled upon
each other The entire wreck took fire
soon afterward, and was rapidly burned.
THE FIRST NEWS.
The FIRST news of the wreck was taken
to Hargrove. a telegraph station four
miles from the Cahaba river. 10y a farm
er. who said that while passing near the
he saw two spans OF the bridge broken.
Then he discovered the burning wreckage
in The shallow water He could hear the
groans OF the wounded and dying but
without waiting to sec or hear further
ne rode his horse rapidly TO Hargrove,
where the operator teiegraphed to Birm-
ingham and Blocton for relief
Meanwhile a few persons gathered at
the scene TO render what aid they could.
but n was too late TO do much. Nine
persons had gotten out OF the werck and
the others had been burned.
When the relief train from Birming-
ham arrived the wounded were quickly
attended to and sent 10 Bloc,on for furth-
or attention. The work of taking out the
dead then began Nothing was left Of the
wrcckagc but the smouldcrlng ruins.
Charred bodies were packed i'm between
the iron framework where the seats had
been.
Most OF the bodies had been burned
beyond recognition. Some had their
heads burned of and of others nothing
was left hut skeletons. AS rapidly az
possible the hoAics of the victims were
taken out and laid in a row on tho river
bank
Samuel Spencer (colored) was the only
one OF the train crew who escaped alive.
He was the fireman. Spencer Jumped
from the locomotive while II was i'm mid
mir and landed In the water some dis
lance from where the train fell HIS
only injury was a broken arm He left
tho cconQ for Rlocfon foot c.,On flor