Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-01-01
Frightful Wreck on an Ala
bama Road Caused by Re-
moving a Rail.
Entire Train Jumps the Track
on a Bridge and Drops a
Hundred Feet. l.fg=5
Twenty-seven Bodies Recov-
cred and Search for Vic
tins Continues.
Only Nine Persons Escaped
Alive and They Are Seri-
ously Injured.

Alive and They Are Seri-
ously Injured.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Dec 28.-Fiends
in human form wrecked Birmingham
Mineral passenger train No. 40 at
Cahaba river bridge, ~ miles from
here, at : 80 a. M, and at least ~ lives
were lost. That number of bodies have
been recovered from the wreck and
further search may swell the list of
dead. The wreck is regarded as almost
certainly accomplished by the removal
of rail on the middle span of the
trestle. This derailed the train, which
caused it to- fall down the two spans and
precipitated it 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 description of how it all hap
pened.
Number of Dead May Never BE Known.
1t is not known. and may never be
ascertained, just how many passengers
were on the train. Conductor A. P.
Cornell, who probably knew better
than anybody else as to how many pas
sengers were aboard, is dead. It is
thought, however, that there were not
exceeding rs or 80.
The Inflated train was local passen-
ger which left here at + 80 a. m. and
was scheduled to make circuit of the
Birmingham Mineral, which is a
branch line Of the Louisville and Nash
vile, reaching all the important min
ing towns in the district. The train,
consisting Of an engine, baggage car
and two coaches left here at = 80 a. m.
The Mineral trains operate over the
Southern railways Brierfeld, Blocton
and Birmingham branch.
The Trains Fearful Drop.
Six miles south of Guernee is the
Cahaba river, q shallow mountain
stream which has depth at this time
of only about three or four feet. This
river is spanned by an iron bridge with
wooden trestles on each side. Its en-.
tire length is 800 feet and the length of
the main span where the wreck oc.
CURED in ITO feet. The bridge was
built only four years ago and was re-
garded as very strong structure. The
main span and the span just beyond it,
both made of iron, gave way and pre-.
cipitated the entire train into the river
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 persons alone
escaped alive from all who went down
aud several of them will probably die
Were Beyond Aid of ! hysici ms.
When the relief train from Birm;ng-
ham arrived there was little need for
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 taking
out the dead was entered upon. Moth
ing was left of the wreckage but the
smouldering remains. Charred corpses
were packed in between the iron frame
work where the seats had been, most of
the bodies being burned beyond recog-
milton. As rapidly as possible the re-
mains were. taken out and laid in a row
on the river bank. At O'Clock ~
bodies had been found and no more
were in sight. 1t is possible, however.
Al, \ ok1
age and also that some may be hid by
the water. The bodies were brought
to Birmingham and are now at the sew
eral undertaking establishments await
ing identification. All of the bodies,
however, are charred beyond recogni-
ton. OF the nine survivors three were
children.
Was the Work of Wreckers.
DR.. Ray, Blocton physician, who
attended Will Gardner, one of the sur
vivors, telegraphs 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 three savage looking men rushing
from a hiding place down towards the
waters edge, and that after the wreck
they went through the wreckage, rob-
bling the dead and wounded, and then
fed to the woods. Other facts also
tend to show that it was the work of
train wreckers.
An examination Of the engine shows
that Engineer White had shut off the
steam and reversed before it went
down, indicating that he saw danger
ahead as he approached the bridge and
tried to stop his train. The survivors
nil agree that the train left the track
and bumped along the ties and then
with q crash plunged through the
bri1uo