The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-28

from birmingham who was taking his
wife and two children out for a ride
around the circuit. and VIII Gardner and
Andrew Bryson. miners from Blocton.
Hanberry was on the same seat with his
wife and two children when the trash
came. The latter three were killed and
lie was pinned down and would have been
burned alive had he not been rescued by
Bryson and Gardner. These two men
also saved the unknown woman and
three children who were likewise pinned
and appealing piteously for help. but by
the time they had rescued these five
persons the heat had become so intense
that they were compelled TO desist In
their work of rescue. II IL thought that
fully three fourths OF the dead were
killed outright I'm the crash, while the
others were pinioned down and Gre
mated. Gardner and Bryson were both
badly hurt. while Hanberry will proba-
bly, die.
The flames had completed the work
OF destruction before any help arrived
The country around the scene of the
accident is sparsely settled and the few
farmers who heard of the wreck and
went TO the scene arrived too latA to
be OF any assistance, except to the sur
vivors.
DR.. Ray, a Blocton physician who at
tended Gardner. one of the injured sur
vivors, telegraphs the statement made
by Gardner as to the cause OF the wreck.
Gardner says when he felt the cars leave
the track he looked out and saw three
savage looking men rush from hiding
place down toward the watr's edge
and that after the wreck they went
through the wreclSage. roboing the dead
and wounded. and then fed lo the woods.
They did their work quickly, and offered
no assistance whatever In the way CT
rescuing the imprisoned and injured
passengers. This story. however. has
not yet been corroborated, but other
facts tend 70 show that It was the work or
train wrcckers.
An examination Of the engine shows
that Engineer White had shut or the
steam and reversed before il went
down, indicating that he saw danger
ahead as he approached the bridge, and
| tried to stop his train. His charred
| body was found with his hand on the
throttle. The survivors all agree that
the train left the track and bumped
| along the ties and then with crash
| plunged through the bridge. Expert
| engineers say that there Is every indi-
| cation that a rail was removed which
| derailed the train and caused II to pull
| down the bridge. The cross ties show
| marks of the wheels. To add TO this,
is the fact that three men tried to wreck
Southern railway train near Henry
Ellen, 15 miles east OF here, FIVE days ago
by removing a rail on trestle 30 feet
high The fast express left the track
but the engineer mnaged by super
human efforts to stop 1t before IT tore
down the trestle. This was regarded
as a most remarkable escape. In TIM
case, three men were seen running IRON
the place and crow bar with which thu
spikes had been withdrawn was found
The railroad company last nigh
furnished the following as the list o.
dead: James Boiling, Guthrie, Ky.
Southern express messenger; Franz
White. Birmingham, engineer; p. Con
nell, Helena, conductor; George Carney
Birmingham, flagman; r. Webb. Biz
mingham: Bruce Phillips, Blocton: L. w
Martin, Brookwood, Ala; Mrs. Henr!
Hanberry and two children, Birrning
ham; r. X. Bloant, birmingham (col
cred minister): Miss Ada Powers
Bocton; DR.. l.. N. Powers, Blocton
Mrs. Emma Powers and two children
Blocton: Mrs. r.. Little. Blocton; MI
Gardner, Blocton; Mrs. Gardner, Bloc
ton; Miss Gardner, Blocton; one un
identified body, but supposed to be Tor
Struther. a colored porter
This makes 21 killed instead of n,
previously reported. This mistake. tn
railroad officials cay, arose from the fac
. that q was the number reported a
having been recovered from the wrec
dead and alive.
The following are the injured: Henri
". Berry, Birmingham. Louisville an
; Nashville conductor, seriously; f. /
: Eckels, Helena, slightly; Sam Spence
|