The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-28

under the wreckage and also that some
may be hiuuen oy tne water. or IN,
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 II was
in mid air and landed in the water some
distance from where the engine fell
His only injury was a broken arm. He
left the scene for Blocton on foot almost
immediateiy after the wreck apparently
crazed from fright The railroad Of
fcials have not been able to find him.
or the eight other survivors three were
children, all Of whom had their feet
burned and mashed, and lady who had
both feet crushed. Their names have
not yet been learned. The other three
were Henry Hanberry, a conductor
from birmingham who was taking his
wife and two children out for a ride
around the circuit, and VIII Gardner and
Andrew Bryson, mihers froNp Blocton.
Hanberry was on the same seat with his
wife and two children when the crash
came. The latter three were killed and
lie 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 children who were likewise pinned
ard appealing piteously for help. but b.
the time they had rescued these five
persons the heat had become so intense
that they were compelled TO desist IN
their work OF rescue. IT is thought that
fully three fourths of the dead were
killed outright In the crash, while the
others were pinioned down and Gre
mated. Gardner and Bryson were both
badly hurt while Hanberry will proba-
bly, 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 Of the wreck and
went to the scene arrived too late to
be OF any assistance, except to the sur
yivors.
Dr. Ray, Blocton physician who at
tended Gardner, one of the injured sur
vivors. telegraphs the statement made
by Gardner as to the cause Of the wreck.
Gardner says when he felt the cars leave
the track he looked out and saw three
savage looking men rush from hiding
place down toward the watr's edge
and that after the wreck they went
through the wreckage, robbing the dead
and wounded. and then fled TO the woods.
ney ulu THEIR WOTh anu
no assistance whatever in the way of
rescuing the imprisoned and injured
passengers. This story, however. has
not yet been co. roborated, but other
facts tend to show that it was the work of
train wreckers.
An examination OF the engine shows
that Engineer White had shut off the
steam and reversed before it went
down. indicating that he saw danger
ahead as he approached the bridge, and
tried to stop his train. His charred
body was found with his hand on the
throttle. The survivors all agree that
the train left the track and bumped
along the ties and then with a crash
plunged through the bridge. Expert
engineers say that there Is every indi-
cation that a rail was removed which
derailed the train and caused 1T to pull
down the bridge. The cross ties show
marks OF the wheels. To add to this,
is the fact that three men tried to wreck
a Southern railway train near Henry
Ellen. Is miles east Of here, five days ago
by removing a rail on a trestle 80 feet
high. The fast express left the track.
but the engineer mnaged by super
human efforts to stop it before ii tore
down the trestle. This was regarded
as a most remarkable escape. In this
case, three men We're seen running from
the place and crow bar with which the
spikes had been withdrawn was found.
The railroad company last night
furnished the following as the list OF
dead: James Boiling, Guthrie, KY.
Southern express messenger; Frank
White. Birmingham, engineer; p. Con-
nell. Helena, conductor; George Carney
birmingham, fagman; II. Webb, Bir
mingham; Bruce Phillips, Blocton L. w
Martin, Brookwood, Ala; Mrs. Henry
Hanberry and two children, Birming-
ham; r. Fl. Bloant, Birmingham (col-
cred minister); Miss Ada Powers.
Blocton: Dr. l.. n. Powers, Blocton;
Mrs. Emma Powers and two children
Blocton; Mrs. X. Little, Blocton; Mr.
Gardner. Blocton; Mrs. Gardner, Bloc
ton Miss Gardner, Blocton; one un-
identified body, but supposed to be Tom
Struther, colored porter
This makes q killed instead of q, as
previously reported. This mistake, the
railroad officials say, arose from the fact
that q was the number reported as
having been recovered from the wreck
dead and alive.
The following are the injureds Henry
". Berry. Birmingham, Louisville and
Nashville conductor. seriously: f.. f.
EckeIs Helena slightlN: Sam Spencer