The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-06
A TERRIBLE WRECK.
THIRTY PERSONS PERISH NEAR BIR-
MlNGHAM. ALABAMA.

A Rail Was Removed by wreckers and the
Train Plunged Hundred Feet Through
TrestIe-A Second Accident.
BIRMINGHAM, Dec. N.-One Of the
most disastrous wrecks in the history
of Southern railroads happened 36;
miles south of here this morning at
7:50 o'clock, in which % persons were
! killed outright and 10 others injured,
two of whom will die.
The Ill. .fated. train was Louisville
and Nashville accommodation, which
runs from here to blocktou, a distance
of 40 miles. The train left here at
$50 in charge of Engineer Frank
White and Conductor A. P. Connell.
-Four miles north of Blockton, the
entire train made up an engine, bag
gage and two passenger coaches,
crashed through the bridge 700 feet
long and 12O feet high, into the Caha-
ba river. A rail had been removed
from the track and when the engine
struck this, 800 feet of the bridge gave
way and went down with the train.
Immediately the wreck took fire, the
water being only about three feet
deep, and before sufficient help could
be secured, the unfortunate passen-
gers and trainmen who were pinion-
ed under the debris were burned to
death in sight of other unfortunates.
Some of the passengers, not so bad
ly hurt, managed to crawl out and do
all they could in assisting others, but
with little avail. The dead are:
Fank White, engineer, OF Birming-
ham.
George Carney, fagman, Of Birm-
4. P. Connel, conductor, Of Birm-
ingham.
Tom Sreetor, colored porter, Of
Birmingham.
Jordon Powell, wife and eight chill
dren, of Blocton.
Mrs. Henry Ranberry and two chill
dren, of Birmingham.
James Boiling, express messenger,
of Guthrie, KY.
L. W. Martin, Bro0kwood.
Bruce Phillips, Blockton.
8. w. Tbbs and wife, Cambletown.
Andrew Bryson, Blockton.
Geo. Glendall, Helena.
Four others unidentified.
The injured are: Ed. Echols,
slightly; Henry Hanbury, ribs brok-
en-; Powell, child, feet badly burned;
Mrs. Walker of Blockton, internally,
will die; Mrs. Walkers three chill.
dren, slightly; Miss Booth, Blockton,
internally, will die; Stan Stewart,
arm broken.
The bridge was ponderous wood
structure with an iron span of 200 feet.
In the center and just at the Begin
ming of the iron work train wreckers
had pulled the spikes and removed
one of the rails. When the engineer
discovered this, as was evident from
the position of his throttle and reverse
lever, he Immediately attempted to
stop, but was running at such rate
of speed as to carry down the bridge.
Every evidence showed that the train
wreckers had been at work.
As soon as news was received here
both the Louisville and Nashville and
Southern railroads sent out relief
trains loaded with physicians and
others, and everything possible was
done for those who had been fortu-
nate enough to get out Of reach OF the
flames, which quickly consumed all OF
the coaches and q part OF the bridge.
Many of the killed were completely
charred beyond recognition.
The exact number who perished will
never be known, but it is thought
that it will reach 35.
To cap the climax, one of the relief
trains which left here ran into the
rear end of the working train
which was stopped about 150 feet from
the bridge, and came near knocking
it in on top Of the burning train.
In this accident the following were.
injured: Sam Eastis, will die; Will
lam Rast, will die; Wood Campbell,
leg broken; Charles Elston, leges bad
ly hurt; John Rittenberry, ankle bro
ken.
The scene at the wreck presenteda q
most heart rending and sickening
spectacle. The cars were smashed to
splinters on the rocks fully. 100 feet
below the track from which the train
had been hurled. The groans OF the
injured and lamentations Of those who
crowded around were pitiable in the
extreme.