The commonwealth., 1897-01-07
FEARFUL HOLOCAUST.
TRAIN DASHED FROM A BRIDGE
AND BURNED.
The Fearful Deed Of Train Wrecke1s.

Baltimore Sltm.
Birmingham, Ala, December 81
lives were lost by the
wrecklng of passenger train OF the
Birmingham Mineral Railroad Compa-
nv at Cahaba River bridge, twenty
seven miles from this city, at 90
O'Clock this morning.
The wreck was caused by the remov-
al of rail on the middle span OF the
bridge. The train plunged into the
shallow river, ITO feet below. 1t took
fire after the fall and burned to the
edge of the water, which was between
three and four feet deep.
After the crash robbers rushed to the
scene and plundered the dead and dying.
There seems to be little doubt that
these robbers removed the rail which
was missing from the bridge.
OF the passengers and crew but nine
persons escaped alive. Most OF the pas
sengers were miners, who had round
trip holiday tickets and we're return
ing to their homes.
The Mineral railroad trains are OPP
Grated over the Southern railways
Brierfeld. Blockton and Birmingham
branch under contract. On this part
of the route the disaster occurred.
ty:- 81 10 tho Ia.
haba river, shallow mountain stream.
This river is spanned by an iron bridge
with wooden trestles on each side. The
entire length of the bridge is 500 feet
and the length of the main span, on
| which the wreck occurred, Is ITO feet.
| The brid ge was built four years ago and
was regarded as strong. The main
span is made of iron.
When the crash came, the locono-
tive landed on it's side, almost at right
angles with the track. The cars were
piled upon each other. The entire
wreck took fire soon afterward, and was
rapidly burned.
Meanwhile few persons gathered at
the scene to render what aid they could
but it was TOO late to do much. Nine
persons had gotten out OF the wreck
and the others had been burned.
When the relief train from Blrmlng
ham arrived the wounded were quick
ly attended to and sent to Blockton fol
further attention. The work Of taking
! out the dead then began. Nothing was
left of the wreckage but the shoulder
ing ruins. Charred bodies were packeo
f in between the iron framework where
: the seats had been.
Most of the bodies had been burnet
beyond recognition. Some had thel
+ heads burned off and of others nothln.
was left but skeletons. AS rapidly a
y possible the bodies of the victims wer
q taken out and laid in a row on tn
n river bank.
b Samuel Spencer, colored, was the or
q lv one of the train crew who escape
e alive. He was the fireman. Spence
X iumped from the locomotive while
@ was in midair and landed in the waite
Y some distance from where the train fel
His only injury was broken arm. ii
= left the scene for Blockton on loot 500
n after the wreck almost crazed wit
e fright.
le OF the other survivors three al
4 children, all of whom had their 1e
4 burned and mashed. A lady, who hs
1T both her feet crushed, also escape
al alive. Among the other survivors
!. Henry Handberry, railroad condu
y tor from Birmingham, who was takll
x his wife and two children out for trl
1e and William Gardiner and Andrew Br
&c son, miners from Blocton.
ia Handberry was on the same Sc
n with his wife and children when t.
sr, crash came. The wife and chlldr
,al were killed and he was pinned do'
and would have been burned alive n
he not been rescued by Bryson
Gardner. These two men also saw
the lady and three children mention
ch above, who were pinned down and
ne pealed piteously for help.
ire Rv the time these five persons n
ch been rescued the heat had become
I'M intense that Gardner and Bryson we
be compelled.to desist their work OF resc
,g. It is believed that fully three-four'
is of the dead were killed outright In t
he crash. while the other five were plnr
be down and burned to death. Gardr
er- and Bryson we're both severely hurt.
lily DIR. Ray, Riocton physician. "
attended Gardner, telegraphs to-ms
the statement made by Gardner as
the cause of the wreck. Gardner 81
that when he felt the cars leave
track he looked out and saw three
out age looking. men rushing from hldl
her place near the waters edge. After
ave wreck, he says, they robbed the d.
per and injured, and then fled to the woo
Iii They did their work quickly, and OF
big ed no assistance toward rescue. Ut
is facts tend to show that the disaster
lily the work OF train wreckers.
out An examination OF the locomot
oar- shows that Engineer White had 81
o,,d rovorco6 hlfOr(