The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1896-12-30
More Than Twenty Lives Lost.
The Exact Number Unknown
As the Wreckase Took
Fire and the Dead Bodies We're
Entirely Consumed-0ne Of the
Survivors Says That The
Wreck Was The Work Of Train
Wreckers.

MEMPHIS, Dec. ga special to The
Commercial Appeal from Birmingham,
Ala, says: Fiends in human form
wrecked Birmingham Mineral passenger
train No. 40 at Cahaba river bridge, ~
miles from here, Mt Z go o'clock yester-
day morning and 20 lives were lost
That number Of bodies have been recov-
cred frcm the wreck, and further search
may swell the list of dead. The wreck
Is regarded as almost certainly accom-
plished by the removal of a rail on the
middle span Of the trestle. This de-
rallied the train which caused it to fall
down the two spans and precipitated it
into tl.e river, 10 feet below.
The wreck was the worst that has
ever occurred in the state and the sur
vivors are so few and are so badly hurt
that they are unable to give any de-
tailed description of how it all hap
pened. 1t is not known and may never
be ascort,,ined. just how many passen-
gers.weie ON the train. Most of them
were miners and residents of mining
towns in this district who had round
trip holiday tickets and were returning
TO their homes along the line of the
Birmingham Mineral railroad.
Conductor A. Z. Conell, who proba-
bly, knew better than anybody else as to
how many passengers were aboard, is
dead 1t is thought, however, that
there were not exceeding 20 or 30. But
one passenger purcha sed ticket at
Birmingham.
The following have so far been iden-
titled:
Frank White Of Birmingham, en-
gineer, aged 40, leaves wife and five
children
A. p. Council of Helena, conductor,
aged 36, leaves wife and two children.
George Carney of Birmingham, flag.
man, leaves wife and child
James Boiling of Guthrie, KY, South
ern express messenger, aged 20.
Mrs. Henry Hanberry of Birming-
ham and two children.
r. Webb of Birmingham.
Bruce Phillips of Blocton.
L. w. Martin, Brook'7ood, Ala.
r.. ii. Bloant of Birmingham, colored
minister.
DR.. l.. N. Powers of Blocton and his
wife, Mrs. Emma Powers, and two
children.
Mrs. Il. Little of Blocton.s
Mr.. Gardner of Blocton and his wife
and daughter.
oil l.rxf cQd
to be Tom Struther, colored porter.
The Inflated train was local passen-
ger which left here. at 6 $50 a. M, and
was scheduled to make circuit of the
Birmingham Mineral, which is branch
line of the Louisville and Nashville,
reaching all the important mining towns
in the district. The train, consisting of
an engine, bagl,agecar and swo coaches,
left here at 6 80 a. m. and went to Tao
Goa, on the main line of the Louisville
and Nashville. There i sv itohed off to
the Birmingham Mineral track and
went to Gurneo, from Gun ace to Bloc
ton. The Mineral trains operate over
the Southern Railways Brierfeld,
B,octon and Birmingham branch under
q contract agreement.
Six miles south Of Gllrnes is the Ca
kaba river, shallow inoui tain stream
which hasa 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 500 feet and the length of the main
span where the wreck occurred is no
feet. The bridge was built only. four
years ago and was regarded as a very
strong structure. The main span and
the span just beyond it both made Of
iron. gave way and precipitated the en-
tire train into the water. The engine
landed ON its side almost at right angles
with the track. The cars piled upon
each other through the main span. The
entire wreck took fire soon afterward
and was rapidly burned to the waters
edge. Nine persons alone escaped alive
from all who went down and several OF
them will probably die.
The first news Of the wreck was
brought TO Hargrove, telegraph sta
ton four miles from the Cahaba river,
by farmer, who said that while pass
ing near the place he heard crash
Going nearer he saw the two spans Of
the bridge broken out. He then discoy-
cred the burning wreclage in the shall.
low water below. He could hear the
sroans Of the wounded and dying, but
without waiting TO see further he rode
his horse rapidly to Hargrove. where
the operator telegnphed TO Birming'
ham and Blocton for relief Meanwhile
few country psople gathered at the
scene TO render what aid they could
but il was too late 10 do much. Nine
people had gotten ont aud the Others
had been burned up in the wreckage.
When the relief train from Bifming
ham arrived there was little need fol
the army of physicians that had gon'
along. The wounded were quickly at
tended to and then sent to Blocton fol
further attention. The work Of taking
out the dead was entered upon. Moth
ing WIS lett Of the vreckage but thu
suouldering remains which had burne'
r. ~ ,Rator's edge Charred CORPSE
|