Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-12-28

mingham Mineral passenger train
30. at Cahaba river bridge, twenl. e
seven miles from here, at 1850 o'clock
this morning. and twenty lives were
lost That number of bodies have been
recovered from the wreck and further
search may swell the list of dead. The
wreck is regarded as almost certainly
accomplished by the removal of rail
on the middle span of the trestle. This
derailed the train, which caused it to
fall down the two spans and precipi-
tated it into the river, one hundred
and ten feet below.
THE WRECK WAS THE WORST
that has ever occurred in this State,
and the survivors are so few, and are
so badly hurt. that they are unable to
give any detailed description of how
it an happened 1t is not known just
how many passengers were on the
train. Most of them were miners and
residents of mining towns in this dis
trjct who had round trip holiday tick
cts and were returning to their homes
along the line OF the Birmingham Min
eral railroad.
Conductor A. p. Connell, who knew
probably better than any one else as TO
how many passengers were aboard, is
dead 1t is thought. however, that
there were not exceeding twenty-five
or thirty. But one passenger pur-
chased a ticket at Birmingham.
THE ILL-FATED TRAIN
was a local passenger. which left here
at $50 a. m. and was scheduled to
make q circuit of the Birmingham Min
eraI which is a branch line of the
Louisville and Nashville touching all
the important mining towns in the dis
trict The train, consisting OF an ell
zine. a baggage car and two coaches,
left here al $50 a. m, and went TO
TaCcoa. on the main line or the Lou
isviue and Nashville. There 1t switch
ed off TO The Birmingham Mineral track
and went TO GUney. from Gurney 10
BlOcton. The Mineral trains operate
over the Southern railways Brierheld,
Blocton and Birmingham branch under
q contract arrangement.
Six miles south of Gurney is the Ca
haba river. q shallow mountain stream,
which has a depth at this time OF only
about three or four feet. This river
is suanued by an iron bridge,with wood
en- tresrles on each side It's entire
length is 500 feet and the length OF the
main span where the wreck occurred
is 40 feet. The bridge was built only
four years ago and was regarded as
A VERY STRONG STRUCTURE.
The main span and the span just be-
vond ir. both made OF iron, gave way
and precipitated the entire train into
the river. The engine landed on ITS
side almost at right angles with the
track. The cars piled upon each other
through the main span. The entlre
v-recI, took fire soon afterWard and was
rapidly burned TO the waters edge.
Nine persons alone escaped alive
from an who went down, and several
of them viii probably die.
The first news of the wreck was
brought TO Hargrove. telegraph sta
tion four miles from the Cahaba river,
Inv n farmer who said that while pass
inc near the place he heard crash.
Going nearer he saw the two spans OIL
tbe bridge broken out. He then dls-
covered tine burning wreck IN the snail
low water below Ic could near the
e~o,Ds Of The wounded and dying, but
without waiting TO see further he rode
his horse rapidly to HargrOve, where
fhe operator telegraphed to Blrmlng-
ham and Bloctou for relief.
Meanwhile few country people
Gathered at the scene to render what
aid they could. but it was
TOO LATE TO DO MUCH.
Nine peopre had gotten out and the
others had been burned up in the
vreckaee. When the relief train from
birmingham arrived there was little
need for the army Of physicians Jhat
had gone along. The wounded were
ouicklv attended to and then sent to
Blocton for further attention. The
work of taking cut the dead was en-
tered uD0n Nothing was LETT or the
v-aek9ge but the smOUldering remains
which had burned to the waters edge.
Cbarred coruses were packed IN be-
tween the iron framework where the
seats had been. Most of the bodies had
boen burned beyond recognition. Some
bod their heads burned off and OF others
nothing was left but the mere skeleton.
AS rauidlv as possible the remains were
talzen ont and laid in a row on the
river bank.
At ( o'clock
TWENTY BODIES
had been found and no more were in
sight It is possible. however. that
There are others under the Wreckage
and also that some may be hid by the
safer OF the survivors sam Spencer
WAS tho only one Of the train crew that
osa9rod alive He was the COlOred fire
man. Tie jumped from the engine
while If was I'm mil-ai' and landed in
tho water some distance from where
tro engine fell His only injury was
n b~ol,en arm He left the scene for
procson on foot almost immediately
,fter the wreck. apparently crazed with
friobt The railroad officials have not
vet bsoD able 10 see him and get
statement.
Of fbe eight other survivors three
were children. al of whom had their
FrET BURNED AND MASHED.
and q lady who had both feet crushed.
Their names have not vet been learned.
me other three were, Henry Hand
berry. conductor from Birmingham,
VINO was taking his wife and two chill
drsn ont for ride around the circuit.
ard win Gardner and Andrew Bryson,
minors from BlCctOn Handberry was
an tho same seat with his wife and
children when the crash came. The
1atro- +h-ee we're killed. and he was
,,i-na1 down and would have been
burned alive had be not been rescued
bv Brvson and Gardner. These two
men also saved the unknown woman
-..7 +t-eo children who We're likewise