Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-01-09
Many Bodies OF the Victims Crema-
ted I'm the burning Cars---
Charred Remains Are
Brought in for
Recognition.

COIlSulltu lII1 III ~
Reports are conflicting as to the num-
Der OF killed, and there Is no n left to
tell the sad story. A farmer living near
by heard the dreadful crash and COM
municated the information to the first
telegraph station, which was six miles
away. The first news which reached
this city stated that all were killed, but
later reports state that the fireman was
not killed but fatally injured.
A relief train with Superintendent
Frazier Of the Southern railroad, and
eight trained physicians, nurses and
supplies left here at 10 o'clock yester-
day morning for the scene Of the wreck.
This train returned at 8 o'clock last
evening with twenty-seven bodies.
These corpses are now at the several
undertaking establishments In this city
awaiting Identification. All of the bod
les, however, are charred beyond recog-
milton.
Among those known to have been on
the fatal train are the following:
Frank White, engineer, Birmingham.
A. Pionnell, conductor, Birmingham.
George Carney, flagman, Birming-
ham.
Jim Bowling, baggageman, Birming-
ham.
Andrew Bryson, Blocton.
j. II. Hoffer, Blocton.
M. T.. Clark, Blocton.
Will Dusten, Blocton.
G.. Jackson, Blocton.
John McGinnis.
Peter Thurston.
John Gallagher.
The relief train ran into the wrecking
train near the scene Of the wreck. The
bridge foreman was killed and two 9TH
er train hands sustained serious inju-
ries. T~elegraphic communication was
not established with the scene of the
wreck until IL o'clock. Intense excite
ment prevails in this city. The union
depot and the general offices of the
Southern railroad me the Louisville
and Nashville have been besieged by
anxious friends and relatives since the
first news of the wreck. Men, women
and children In tears and outward man
ifestations OF mental agony are seen
about the railroad offices a~nxiously
awaiting authentic news. Railroad Of
ficials are very reticent and little infor
nation can be obtained from them.
Work of Train Wreckers.
Memphis, Tenn, Dec. 2S.-A CONNER
~cial-appeal special from Birmingham,
Ala. says:
Fiends In human form wrecked the
Birmingham Mineral passenger train,
No. 40. at Kahaba river bridge, twenty
seven miles from here, at 1850 Sunday
morning, and twenty lives were lost.
That number of bodies have been re-
covered from the wreck and further
search may swell the list of dead. The
wreck is regarded as almost certainly
accomplished by the removal of a rail
on the middle span of the trestle. This
derailed the train, which caused 1t to
fall down the two spans and precipi-
tated IL into the river, 10 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 de-
scription of how it all happened. 1t is
not known, and may lever be ascer-
tanned, 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 one day
tickets and were returning to their
homes along the line of the Birming-
ham Mineral road. 1t is thought there
were not exceeding twenty-five OF thir-
ty passengers on the train.
The engine landed on its side almost
at right angles with the track. The
cars piled up On 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.
When the relief train from Birming-
ham arrived at the scene of the wreck.
there was little nee for the army OF
physicians that had gone along.
The wounded were quickly attended
to and then sent to Blocton for fur
Their attention. The work OF taking out
the dead was entered upon. Charred
corpses 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 was left but the mere skeletons,
The remains were taken out as rapidly
as possible and laid in a row on the
river bank.
At 4 o'clock twenty bodies had beer
found and no more were in sight. 1t 1.
possible, however, that there are 9th
ers under the wreckage and also that
some may be hid by the water. OF the
survivors Sam Spencer was the only
n of the train crew that escaped alive
He was the colored fireman. He jumped
from the engine while 1t was In midail
and landed in the water some distanc,
from where the engine fell. His only
injury was a broken arm. He left thu
scene for Blocton on foot, almost imme
diately after the wreck, apparently
crazed with fright. The railroad offl
Gals have not yet been able to see hin
and get a statement.
OF the eight other survivors thre,
were children, all of whom had theil
feet burned and mashed, and a lad,
who had both feet crushed. Theil
names have not yet been learned.
1t is thought that fully three-fourth.
of the dead were killed outright in tn,
crash, while the others were pinned
down and cremated. Gardener ant
Bryson were both badly hurt, while
Handberry will probably die. TIL,
flames had completed the work Of de
%struction before any help arrived
The country around the scene of the &C
cident Is sparsely settled and the few
farmers who heard OF the wreck anC
went to the scene arrived too late to b.
of any assistance except to the surviv
ors.
DR.. Ray, a Blocton physician who at
tended Gardener. one of the injured sur
vivors, telegraphed the statement made
by Gardener as to the cause OF the
wreck. Gardener says that when III
felt the cars leave the track he looked
out and saw three savage looking mer
rushing from a hiding place dowr
down toward the waters edge and tha1
after the wreck they went through the
wreckage, robbing the dead and wound
ed and then fled to the woods. They die
their work quickly and offered no as
,sistance whatever in the way of res
hing h imprisoned n injured pas