Birmingham state herald., 1896-12-29
NO WATCHMAN AND TWENTY ONE
 DEAD

\ terrible wreck has occurred Twenty one human beings were launched into cternity last Sunday morning at the bridge across the Cahaba river almost in The twinkling of an eye and without moments warning. Eight others were wounded, some of whom we are informed will die and others maimed for life.
 The regular passenger train over the Birmingham Mineral railroad left Bir- mingham bound for Blocton on time Sun Jay morning. The train did not reach ts destination. Only few of the pas sengers aboard and but one of the train crew are among the living today
 There was to be passed over an un- guarded bridge no feet high and several Hundred feet long lot fore the train reached Blocton Notwithstanding it had only been a few days since the timely action uf a brave engineer on a Southern rail- road train and a kind providence saved he lives of mere than 200 human beings that had been placei in jeopardy by the lack of watchman a a very high trestle only few miles out from Birmingham 10 which fact attention had been especial ly directed in these columns Engineer Crank White and his train load of hu- man beings were left to the tender mer- cies of fickled chance to pass safely over or go through the 110 foot bridge that had been left without watchman during he night, to receive any depredations hat fiendish train wreckers might see it to commit upon 1t.
 The authorities of the road, we learn. are confident that the wreck was the re- suit of the work of fiendlsh train wreck CTS If in this they are correct then we are justified in saying that the lack of a watchman at the Cahaba river bridge resulted in the death, outright, of twen- ,y-one people last Sunday morning and injuries that will result in the death of probably half dozen others.
 Whether the work of fiendish train wreckers or not the wreck was appall- tug, nothing equaling it having occurred before in the south.
 If the work of murderers and wreclxers they should be hunted down and dealt with as the enormity of their crime de- nands. The fact that three men held up and robbed passenger train some sixty five miles from this point a short while ago and the general impression having gone out that the rail found out of place on the trestle on the Southern road a few nights ago was the work of wreckers makes it easy to believe the awful occur renee of Sunday on the Birmingham Mineral was the result of train wreck CTS If such characters are in our midst and free the lives of people who ride on railroads are in terrible danger Espe- cially so if the operators of railroads pre- fer to take the chances of having their train loaded with people plunge through or off of high trestles and bridges rather than incur the expense of keeping a watchman on duty at such places at all hours of the day and night.
 Human life is entirely too precious for common carriers to endanger so greatly, simply to avoid the incuring of the addi- tional expense necessary to give employ ment to safe, competent and trust-wor- thy watchmen at such places as the high trestles and the bridge over the Cahaba river; besides it Is, as the occurrences of Sunday establishes, an unwise and costly policy The damages. growing out of Sundays wreck to the railroads involved,