Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-01-02
PLUNGE OF A TRAIN.
II Goes Through a Trestle on an
Alabama Railway.
Tho Disaster Caused by wreckers who,
It Is Said, Rob Dead and wounded
Twenty-Eight Persons Killed;
Ton Hurs.

Birmingham, Ala, Dec. 2S.-One of
the most disastrous wrecks in the his
tory of southern railroads happened SO
miles south of here Sunday morning
at 1850 o'clock, in which 2S persons
were killed outright and ten others in
jured, two of whom will die. The
ill-fated train was Louisville g. Nash
vile one, which runs from here to
Blockton, distance of 40 miles The
train left here at $3.50 a. m. in charge
of Engineer Frank White and Con-
ductor A. p. Connell. Four miles north
of Blocton the entire train. made up
of an engine, baggage and two passen-
ger coaches, crashed through bridge
700 feet long and 1870 feet high into the
Cahaba river.
1t is the belief that the wreck was
caused by fiends for the purpose of rob-
berry. A rail had been removed from the
track, and when the engine struck this
300 feet of the bridge gave way and
went down with the train. Immediate
ly the wreck took fire, the water being
only about three feet deep. and before
sufficient help could be secured the un-
fortunate passengers and trainmen who
were pinioned under the debris were
burned TO death in sight of other un-
fortunate victims of the disaster. Some
of the passengers not so badly hurt
managed to crawl out and do all they
could in assisting the others, but with
| little avail. The dead are:
Frank White. engineer. Of birmingham;
George Carney. fireman, of Birmingham;
| A. p. Connell, conductor. of Birmingham: /:
| Tom Streeter. colored porter of Birming-
ham: Jordan Powell. wife and eight chill
| dren of Blocton: Mrs. Henry Hanberry and
| two children, of Birmingham: James Boil
| ing, express messenger, of Guthrie, KY:
l.. w. Martin, of Brookwood Bruce
Phillips, of Blocton: S. w. Tibbs and wife,
| of Campbelltown Andrew Bryson. of Bloc
ton: George Glendall. Helena; four others
| unidentified
The injured are: Ed Echols, slightly:
| Henry Hanbury ribs broken Powell child.
feet badly burned; Mrs. Walker, of Bloc
| ton, internally, will die; Mrs. Walkers
| three children, slightly; Miss Booth. Bloc
| ton internally. will die; Stan Stewart, arm
| broken.
The engine fell at right angles to
the line of the bridge, with the cars
piled on top of it and around it. Engi
neer White was found with his charred
hand still grasping the throttle.
| The only one of the train crew that
escaped with his life from the wreck
was the colored fireman, Sam Spencer.
He jumped from the engine while it was
in midair, and, falling into the river,
escaped almost by miracle with only
| broken arm. Wild with fright, he
| fed for the nearest station to give the
alarm, but ere he reached there farm
| ho nDrlt+iOn rf of ~,
and went to a telegraph station with
his horse at full speed. Wires were sent
to Birmingham and relief train went
to the scene. but ere it reached there
the flames had done all of their work.
AS soon as the news was received here
both the Louisville g. Nashville and
Southern railways sent out relief trains
loaded with physicians and others, and
everything possible was done for those
who had been fortunate enough to get
away from the reach of the flames
which quickly consumed all of the
coaches and part of the bridge. Many
of the dead were charred completely
beyond recognition. The exact number
who perished will never be known, but
ii is believed it will reach 35. The train
contained men. women and children
living at the mines who had gone to
birmingham to spend Christmas and
were returning home.
Physicians who have returned from
the scene say that the sight when the
first relief train arrived was shocking
beyond description. There were red
hot stoves in all the cars, and no sooner
had the wreck occurred than the de-
bris took fire. Soon the entire mass was
In blaze. and it burned to the waters
edge, the water not being over three or
four feet deep. 1t is reckoned that most
of those killed met death before the
fire reached them. though the surviv.
ors say that several who were injured
and pinned down were burned to death
as they could hear the piteous appeals
for help. Those few who were not killed
and were able to release themselves
from the wreckage were so badly in
jured that they could render but little
aid to those less fortunate.
DR.. Ray, Blocton physician, who ut.
tended Gardner. one of the survivors
telegraphs the statement made by Gard
ner as to the cause of the wreck. Gard
ner says WneT ne leif Lne cars leaNe Jft
track he looked out and saw three saw
age-lookng men rushing from hiding
place down toward the waters edge
and that after the wreck they wen
through the wreclIage, robbing the deat
and wounded. and then fled to the
woods, They did their work quickly
and offered no assistance whatever il
the way of rescusing the imprisoned
and injured passengers. This story
however, has not yet been corroborated
but other facts tend TO show that it wa'
the work of train wreckers.
On the approaches of the same bridge
Sunday afternoon another fatal acci
dent occurred. A bridge carpenter was
killed and several persons We're injured
by collision between an engine an,
one of the wrecking traine sent to th'
rescue of the victims of the first acci