Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-12-31

IN human form wrecked Birmingham
Mineral passenger train No. 40 at Ca
mana river bridge, twenty-seven miles
from here, at 7:50 o'clock this morning.
and twenty-one lives we're lost. That
number OF bodies have been recovered
from the wreck, and further search
may swell the number of dead. The
wreck Is regarded as almost certainly
accomplished by the removal of a rail-
on the middle span OF the trestle. This
dcrailed the train and precipitated II
into the river, 10 feet below. The
wreck was the worst that has ever oc-
Cured In the state, and the survivors
are so few, and are so badly hurt, that
they are unable to give n detailed
description of how II all happened.
1t is no known and may never be as
certained Just how many passengers
were on the train. Most of them were
miners and residents of mining towns
in this district, who had round-trfp
holiday tickets and were returning to
their homes along the line of the Biz
mingham Mineral road.
Conductor A. +. Connen. who prob
ably knew better than anybody else
as to how many passengers were on
board. is dead. 1t is thought, how
ever, that there were not exceeding 30
or 80. But one passenger purchased a
ticket at Birmingham.
Only Nine Escaped Alive.
The engine landed on it's 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 per
sons alone escaped alive from all who
went down. and several of them viii
probably die.
When the relief train from Birming-
ham arrived there was little need of
the army OF physicians that had gone
along. The wounded were quickly at
tended TO and then sent to Blocton for
further attention. The work OF TAX
ing out the dead was entered upon.
Nothing was left of the wreckage but
the smouldering remains which had
burned TO the waters edge. Charred
eorpses were packed In between the
iron frame work where the seats had
been. Most of the bodies had been
burned beyond recognition. Some had
their heads burned off and of others
nothing remained but the mere skele-
ton. AS rapidly as possible the re-
mains were taken out and laid in q
row on the river bank.
Dead and Injured Robbed.
Or. Ray, a Blocton physician who at
tended Gardner, n Of the survivors,
tclegTaphs 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
thre savage looking men rushing from
q hiding place down toward the
waters edge. and that after the wreck
they went through the wreckage, rob-
bing the dead and wounded, and then
fed tn the woods. They did the work
quickly and offered no assistance
whatever in the way of rescuing the
imprisoned and injured passengers
This story. however. has not yet been
eorrohorated. but other facts tend to
show that 1t was the work of train
wreckers.
An examination OF the engine shows
that Engineer White had shut off the
steam and reversed before 1t went
down. indicating that he saw danger
ahead and tried 80 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 sscag the ties and then
with a crash plunged through the
bridge. Expert engineers say that
there Is every indication that a rail
was removed which derailed the train
and caused it 10 pull down the
bridge. The ~cross-ties show marks OF
the wheels. To add to this Is he fact
that three men tried to wreck a South
ern railway train near Henry Ellen,
fifteen miles east of here. five days ago
by removing a rail on n trestle ninety
feet high. the fast express left the
track but the engineer managed 6y
superhuman efforts to ston 1t before
II tore down the trestie. This was re-
gardcd as n most remarkable escape.
In this case three men were seen I'M
ming from The place, and a crowhar,
with which the spikes had been With
drawn, WIS found.
Killed and Injured.
The railroad company has furnished
the following list Of dead:
James Boiling, Guthrie. Ky, EXPRESS
essenge Frank White. Birming-
nam. engineer, n. II. OonlF1i, i'ei'h"",
conductor: George Carney, Birming-
ham, fagman; r. Webb, BIRMINGHAM;
Bruce Phillips. Blocton; L. W. Martin,
Brookwocd. Ale: Mrs. Henry Hand
b,rry ard two children, r. IA. Bloant
Birmingham: Miss Ada Powers. DR..
l.. N. Powers, Mrs. Emma Powers and
two children. Mrs. II. Little, Mr.. Gard
ner. Mrs. Gardner, Miss Gardner,
Biocton: enc unidentified body, but
supposed to be Tom Struther, a col
ored Porter.
The following are the injured' Henry
Handberry, birmingham. a Louisville
& Nashville conductor; seriously. ID.
r.. Eckles. Helena; slightly. sam
Spencer. fireman; arm broken. An
drew Pryson. Blocton: fatally. Miss
Booth. Biocton; slightly. Mrs. Powers
child. Blocton; SLIGHTLY. Mrr. Walker,
slightly. Mrs. Walqer's three children
ESCAPED practically uninJured.
The relief train from the scene Or
he wreck reached Birmingham bring
ing ten corrseS and three injured rer-
sons. Ten other dead bodies were LETT
at RIocton. where the deceased re-
sided. and one at Brookwcod.
- ~ar~-