The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1896-12-30

work where the seats had Teen. MOSi
of the bodies had been burned beyond
recognition. Some had their heads
burned off and Of others nothing was
left but the mere skeleton. AS rapidly
as possible the remains were taken out
and laid in row ON the river bank Az
o'clock 20 bodies had been found and
no more were in sight. 1t is possible,
however, that there are others under
the wreckage and also that some may
be hid by the water.
OF the survivors Sam Spencer was the
only one of the train crew that escaped
alive. He was the colored fireman. He
jumped from the engine while It was
In midair and landed in the water some
distance from where the engine fell
His only injury was broken arm. He
left the scene for Blocton ON foot inn
mediately after the wreck, apparently
crazed with fright. The railroad OIL
Gals have not yet been able to see him
and get a statement.
OF the eight other survivors three
were children, all of whom had their
feet burned and mashed, and a lady,
who had both feet crashed. Their
names have not yet been learned. The
other three were Henry Handberry, a
conductor from Birmingham, who was
taking his wife and two children out
for a ride around the circuit, and Will
Gardner ard. Andrew Bryson, miners
from Blocton. Handber1ry was ON the
same seat with his wife and children
when the crash came. The latter three
were killed and he-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 chill
dren who were likewise pinned and APP
pealing piteously for help, but by the
time they had rescued these five per-
sons the heat had become so intense
that they were compelled to desist in
their work OF rescue.
1t is thought that fully three-fourths
of the dead were killed outright In the
crash while the others were pinioned
down and cremated. Gardner and
Bryson were both badly. hurt, while
Handberry will probably 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 CT the wreck and
went to the scene arrived too late to be
of any assistance except to the surviv-
ors
DIR. Ray, Blocton physician who at
tended Gardner, one of the injured sur
viyOrs, te.e.I apis the statement made
by Cardne- as TO the cause of the wreck.
Gardner sas when he felt the c; rs leave
the track he looked out and saw three
savage-lOOkng men rushing from a
hiding place down toward the water S
edge, and that after the wreck they
went through the wreckage, robbing the
dead and wounded, and then fed to che
woods. They did their work quickly,
and offered no assistance whatever in
the way'of rescuing the imprisoned and
and injured passengers. This story,
however, has not yet been corrobordted,
but other facts tend to show that 1T was
the work of trainwreckers.
An examination of the engine shows
that Engineer White had shut OF che
steam and reversed before it went
down, indicating that he saw danger
ahead rs he approached the bridge, and
tried to stop his tra;r. His charred
body was found with his had ON the
throttle.
The survivors all agree that the tr lin
left the track and bumped along the
ties and then with a crash plunged
through the bridge. Expert engine ers
say that there is every indication that a
rail was removed which delsliied the
train and caused it 20 pull down the
bridge. The crossties, show marks of
the wheels.
To add 10 this is the fact that three
men tried 70 wreck a Southern railway
train near Henry Ellen, 10 miles cas- OF
here, five days ago, by removing a rail
on a trestie 90 feet high. The fast ex-
press left the track, but the sngin er,
by superhunan efforts managed to stop
1t before it tore down the trestle. 7 his
was regarded as most remark bic
escape. In this case three men " ere
seen running from the place, ar d a
crowbar with which the spikes had been
withdrawn was found. The scenes OF
both accidents are in wild, mountains
Gus country.