The herald., 1896-12-28
THERE WAS NO NEED
OF DOCTORS DRUGS
For All We're Dead When
Help Arrived
M|SCREAAIS REMOVE THE rails
Ditching a Train Laden With
Women and Children
A FALL OF A HUNDRED FEET
Killed the Passengers and Smashed
All the Cars i.
The Debris Takes Fire and Many Bodies
Are Cremated
-
A FALL OF A HUNDRED FEET
Killed the Passengers and Smashed
All the Cars
The Debris Takes Fire and Many Bodies
Are Cremated
Seven Persons Escaped Instant Death
But All Were Injured and Some
Will Die-Twenty-two Bodies
Now Recovered.
Associated Press special wire

Associated Press Special Wire
ATLANTA, Ca, Dec. 27-It is'feport-
ed here that a Louisville and Nashville
train ran off the trestle at Bloctons
near Birmingham. Ala, this morning,
killing 27 persons.
NOT ONE ESCAPED.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Dec. PA special to
the Republic from Birmingham says:
BY far the worst railway wreck that has
occurred in Alabama for years occurred
today at the Cahaba river bridge, on the
Briarfield Blocton and Birmingham
branch of the Southern railway, twenty
seven miles from here. Twenty-seven
| persons were killed, that many bodies
having already been removed from the
wreck. Further search may increase
the number. OF those on the train only
nine escaped, and not one escaped un-
injured. The entire train crew, except
the fireman, was killed. -Four relief
trains, with surgeons and nurses, have
been sent to the scene of the disaster.
CONFLICTING REPORTS.
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 27.-The Daily
Items Birmingham special says: One
of the most disastrous railroad wrecks
| that has ever taken place in this state
occurred at $3.50 o'clock this morning on
the Birmingham Mineral road, a loop
| road that extends all over this section,
| taking in the mines and furnaces. The
wreck occurred at what is known as the
| Cahaba bridge, about fifty miles from
Birmingham between Gurney and Bloc
tom The bridge is about 1000 feet long
and 30 to 100 feet high. The train jump
ed the track from some cause unknown
md ra1rrt cd off he n
below. AS to the number of passengers
on board the reports conflict but tina
best obtainable information places the
number at 80 to 35
Seven were taken out alive, but in =
dying condition. The wreck caught fire
and many victims were burned TO
death. The scene at the wreck pre-
scented most heart-rending and sicken-
| ing spectacle. The cars were smashed
to splinters on the rocks fully 100 feet
below the track from which the train
! had been hurled. The groans and la
mentations of those who crowded
around were pitiable in the extreme.
Physicians from Birmingham and the
| adjacent villages were sent to the
wreck and rendered efficient service N
endeavoring to alleviate the sufferings
of those who escaped with their lives.
NO ACCURATE DETAILS.
LOUISVILLE. Ky. Dec. 27.-Reports
| TO superintendent Ol IIdHSpOTldIlOl
| George Evans of the Louisville and
Nashville railroad indicate that the fa-
! talities in today's disaster near Birming-
| ham will number at least twenty-tw
OF the total number of persons, crew
| and passengers. on the train but seven
| escaped and the number of dead can
| only be conjectured. for no one knows
| exactly how many people there were on
| the train. The fact that the train was
| destroyed by fire almost Immediately
after the accident, and before wrecking
trains could reach the scene also adds
to the uncertainty on this point. as many
! bodies were burned beyond recognitiOn-
| The train was small local passenger,
which, starting from Birmingham at s
| a. M. runs to point near Guerney,
then goes over connecting link OF
| track controlled by the Southern rail-
way, and known as the Briarfield, Bloc
| ton and Birmingham road. The train
returns to the Louisville and Nashville
| tracks at Blocton and makes the return
| trip to Birmingham after circuit
| touching numerous mining towns IN
! that region. Between Guerney and
Blocton the track crosses the Cahaba
| river. an unimportant stream, which,
| except in times of heavy rains, is quite
| shallow. The bridge was about ninety
| feet high. with a 100-foot span in the
middle and approaches several hundred
| feet long. Into the bed of the Cahaba
| the unfortunate passengers ana crew
were plunged. That any one escaped
with his life is little short of miraculous.
Almost Immediately the train. which
consisted of an engine. combination
| baggage and express car and two
coaches, took fire, increasing the horror
4, of the calamity. That any lives were
saved is probably due to the fact that the
! crash was heard by the telegraph OPP
orator at Hargo, three miles from the
river. He reported this to the train dis
patcher about Sis o'clock, and half an
| hour later the news that the train had
gone down was carried to Blocton, six
miles away, by a native who also heard
| the noise.
| A relief train bearing all the physi-
| clans of Blocton and about fifty citizeu0
was made up hurriedly and sent to the
scene of the wreck. closely followed by
others from Birmingham and Bessemsr.
There is nothing in the report to the
| general officers here upon which to base
| a theory as to the cause of the accident.
| The Louisville and Nashville officers are
! especially careful in discussing this
| point as the disaster occurred on the
| tracks of the Southern railway, they
say. and complications likely to arts4
will no doubt prompt a very rigid in
vestigation.
The last report from the compapyis
physicians was that the known dead are
| numbered 22 Not q member OF the
train crew Of I'VE lives to tell q GtorY41f