The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-28
Passenger Train Wrecked
on a TreStle.
Rail Removed and Many Per-
sons Lost Their Lives.
Only Nine Persons Escaped Awful
Death at Cahaba Bridge.

Birmingham, Ala. Dec. 2S.-Ffends In
human form wrecked Birmingham
Mineral passenger. No. 40. at Cahaba
river bridge, 27 miles from here, yeeter-
doy morning and 90 lives were lost That |
number of bodies have been recovered |
from the wreck, and further search may |
increase the list of dead.
The wreck is regarded as almost cer-
tainly accomplished by the removal OF
a rail on the middle span of the trestle.
This derailed the train, which caused
II TO knock down the two spans and pre-
cipitated it into the river. 110 feet below.
The wreck was the worst that has ever
occurred in the state. and the survivors
are so few and are so badly hurt that
they are unable to give any detailed
description OF how 1t all happened. 1t
IL not known and may never be ascer-
tained just how many passengers were
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.
Conductor A. p. Connell, who probably
knew better than anybody else as to
| how many passengers were aboard.
| Is dead. II is thought however. that
| there were not exceeding 25 or 30. But
| one passenger purchased a ticket at
| Birmingham.
| The train consisted Of an engine, bag
gage car and two coaches. Six miles
| south Of Gurnee is the Cahaba river.
shallow mountain stream. which has a
depth at this time of only about three
or four feet. This river is spanned by
an iron bridge. with wooden trestles on
both sides. Its entire length is 500 feet.
and the main span where the wreck oc-
CURED Is 10 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 1t, both
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
entire wreck took fire soon afterward
and was rapidly burned to the waters
edge. 1,
Only nine persons escaped alive from
all who went down, and several Of them
Will probably die.
The first news of the wreck was
brought to Hargrove, a 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 dis
covered the burning wreckage In the
shallow water below. He could hear the
groens of the wounded and dying. but
without waiting to see more he rode
rapidly to Hargrove, where the operator
telegraphed to Birmingham and Bloc
ton for relief
Meanwhile q few country people
gathered at the scene to render what aid
they could but II was too late to dc
much. Nine people had crawled out
and the others had been burned in the
: wreckage. When the relief train from
Birmingham arrived there was littl,
need for physicians. The wounded wer,
, quickly attended TO and then sent Il
Blocton. The work OF taking out tht
/, dead was then begun. Nothing was lof
a of the wreckage but the smouldering re-
r mains Charrcd corpses were packed n
: between the iron frame work where tn,
/, seats had been. Most OF the bodies haC
y been burned beyond recognition. Som,
had their heads burned off ond OF other
nothing was left but the mere skeleton
= As rapidly as possible the remains wer,
taken out and laid in q row on the rive
II bank.
n At o'clock 20 bodies had bee
, found and no more were in sight.
Is possible however. that there are other
' under the wreckage and also that som
may be hidden by the water. or th
= survivors Sam Spencer was the only on
J. OF the train crew that escaped alive
}, He was the colored fireman. n
o Jumped from the engine while II wa
IN in mid air and landed in the water som
!. distance from where the engine Eel
Ills only injury was n broken arm. ii
= left the scene for Blocton on foot almos
y Immediately AFTER the wreck. apparent
10 crazed from fright The railroad OF
!, rciols have not been able 20 End him.
10 or the eight other survivors three wcr
r children. ali of whom had their fos
e. burned ard mashed and a lady who ha
!. both feet crushed. Their names ha,
~ - not yet been learned. The other thrs
= were Henry IIanbtrry, q conduct