The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1896-12-31
WAS AN AWFUL WRECK
TRAIN PLUNGED THROUGH
BRIDGE TO ROCKS BELOW.
Rails Had Been Removed by GhouIs
Who, Ii II Snid, Afterward
Robbed the Dead.

Memphis Tenn. Dec. 27.--A special TO
the Commercial-Appealf from Birmingham,
Ala, says:
Fiends in human form wrecked the Blr-
mingham Mineral passenger train. No. 40,
at Cahabo river bridge, 81 miles from here,
at 1850 o'clock this morning, and 20 lives
were lost. That number of bodies have
been recovered from the wreck, and fur
ther search may swell the list of dead.
The wreck Is regarded as almost certainly
accomplished by the removal Of a rail- on
the middle SPAN of the trestle. This de-
rallied the train, which caused 1t to fall
down the TWO spans and preciptated 1t
into the river, ITO feet below.
The wreck was the worst that has ever
occurred In the state, and the survivors
are so few and are SO badly hurt that they
are unable to give any detailed description
of how 1t happened. 1t Is not known, and
may never be ascertained, just how many
passengers were on the train. Most Of
them were miners and residents of mining
towns in this district, who had regular trip
tickets, and were returning to their homes
along the fne of the Birmingham Mineral
road.
Conductor Connell, who probably knew
better than any one else as to how many
passengers were aboard, is dead. 1t Is
thought, however, there were not exceed
ing 25 or 80, but no passenger purchased a
ticket at Birmingham.
The Inflated train was local passenger
which left here at $50 a. m. and was
scheduled to make a circuit of the Bir-
| mingham- Mineral, which is branch line
of the Louisville & Nashville road, reach
| ing the mining towns in the district The
train consisted OF an engine. a baggage
car and two coaches, and left here at $3.50
a. m. and went to Taccio, on the main line
Of the Louisville & Nashville. There 1t
switched off to the Birmingham Mineral
track and went to Guerney, from Guerney
to Blocton. The Mineral trains operate
over the Southern railways Brlarfield,
Blocton & Birmingham branch und,r a
contract arrangement
Frightful Drop.
| Six miles south of Gurney Is the Cahapo
river, a shallow mountain stream, which
| has a depth at this time OF only about
| three or four feet. This river is spanned
by an iron bridge with wooden trestles on
each side. Its entire length is 700 feet, and
the length of the span where the wreck c.
CURED is 11O feet The bridge was bull
only four years ago and was regarded as @
very safe structure.
The main span and the span just beyond
It, both made of iron, gave way and precip
itated the entire train into the river. The
engine landed on its side almost at rish
angles with the track. The cars piled upor
each other through the main span. HI
wreck took fire soon afterwards and wa.
rapidly burned to the waters edge. MINI
persons alone escaped alive from all wh'
went down, and several of them will prob
ably die.
Only Few Survivors.
The first news of the wreck was brough
to Hargrove, a telegraph station fou
miles from the river, by farmer VIII
said that while passing near the place h
heard a crash. Going nearer he saw tn
two spans OF the bridge broken out. H
then discovered the burning wreck in tn
shallow water below. He could hear tn
groans of the wounded and dying. bu
without waiting to see further, he rod
horseback to Hargrove as rapidly as h
could, where the operator telegraphed t
| Birmingham and Blocton for relief.
Many Victims burned.
| Meanwhile q few country people gatf
cred at the scene to render what aid the
Nine people had gotten out and the res
burned up in the wreckage. When tn
relief train from Birmingham arrive
there was little need for the army {
physicians that had gone along. Tt
wounded were quickly attended to an
then sent to Blocton for further attei
ton. The work of taking out the dea
was entered upon.
Nothing was left of the wreckage bl
| the smouldering remains, which had burr
| ed to the waters edge. Charred corps
were packed In between the iron fran
| work where the seats had been. Most
| the bodies had been burned beyond reco
| milton. Some had their heads burned c
and of others nothing was left but Il
q mere skeleton. AS rapidly as possible Il
remains were taken out and laid In a ro
. on the river bank.
At o'clock 20 bodies had been foul
a and no more were in sight. 1t is possib
however, that there are others under Z
i wreckage and also that some may
e hidden by the water.
n Survivors Dazed.
q OF the survivors, Sam Spencer was t
= ] only one of the train crew who escap
alive. He was the colored fireman.
jumped from the engine while 1t was
, | midair and landed in the water sol
distance from where the engine fell. I
% only injury was a broken arm. He Il
the scene for Blocton on foot almost 4
-, mediately after the wreck, apparen
A | crazed with fright. The railroad offici
a have not yet been able to see him a
p | get a statement.
/ iul,t ot w,
pe children, all of whom had their f
e. burned and mashed, and lady who h
IL both feet crushed. Their names have
.r- been learned. The other three men W
II | Henry Hanberry, a conductor from L
us mingham, who was taking his wife q
ur two children out for ride around
a circle, and VIII Gardner and Andr
on Bryson, miners, from Blocton.
Hanberry was on the same seat W
D. his wife and children when the CT;
came. The latter three were killed ;
oh he was pinned down and would have b
burned alive had he not been rescued
it'll Bryson and Gardner. These two men &
saved the unknown woman and tn
-as | children, who were likewise pinned
red ! appealing piteously for help, but by
at time they had rescued those five pers
of the heat had become so intense that t
ny were compelled to desist in their wor
nal 1t is thought that fully three-four
BAR of the dead were killed outright in
5ed crash, while the other five were pinto
err down and cremated.
Of Gardner and Bryson were both b;
oil hurt, while Hanberry will probably
The flames had completed the work