The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1897-01-01
WAS AN AWFUL WRECK
TRAIN PLUNGED THROUGH
BRIDGE TO ROCKS BELOW.
Rails Had Been Removed by GhOuls
Who, 1t Is Said, Afterward
RObbed the bend.

MGHlpHlS, IeIIlJ Lee. Gn-A SpoCldI
the Commercial-Appeal from Birmingham
Ala, says: WIN
Fiends in human form wrecked the Bill
Observation-Disclosures passenger train, No. d
at Cahabo river bridge, 81 miles from hers
at 1850 o'clock this morning, and 20 live
were lost. That number of bodies hav
been recovered from the wreck, and fu1
Their search may swell the list of dead
The wreck is regarded as almost c~ertainl
accomplished by he removal of a rail O
the middle SPAN of the ~trestle. This de
rallied the train, which caused it to fal
down the two spans and p%reciptated i
into the river, Ito feet below.
The wreck was the worst that ha.S~cve
occurred in the state, and the survivor
are so few and are so badly hurt that the,
are unable to give any detailed description
of how it happened. 1t is not known, ant
may never be ascertained. just how man.
passengers were on the train. Most o
them were miners and residents of mining
towns in this district, who had regular tril
tickets. and We're returning to their home
along the 1ine of the Birmingham Mine-a
road.
Conductor Cornell, who probably knew
better than any one else as to how many
passengers were aboard, is dead. 1t is
thought, however, there were not exceed
ing % or 30, but no passenger purchased a
ticket at Birmingham.
The Inflated train was a local passenger
which left here at $50 a.. m. and was
scheduled to make a circuit of the Biz
mingham-Mineral, which is a branch line
of the Louisville & Nashville road, reach
Ing the nipipp fouD,c IN tho l;ctri,t J,bo
train consisted of an engine, a baggage
car and two coaches, and left here at $50
a. m. and went to Tacclo, on the main line
of the Louisville & Nashville. There it
switched off to the Observation-Disclosures
track and went to Guerney, from Guerney
to Blocton. The Mineral trains operate
over the Southern railways Briarfield,
Blocton & Birmingham branch undn r a
contract arrangement.
A Frightful Drop.
Six miles south Of Quincy Is the CahaDo
river, a shallow mountain stream, which
has a depth at this time Of only about
three or four feet. This river is SPAWNED
by an iron bridge with wooden ~trestles on
each side. Its entire length is 700 feet, and
the length of the span whore the wreck &C.
Cured is 10 feet. III bridge was built
oIly Oll SCSLlS iSO SCliu WOE IpSaIut as u
very safe structure.
The main span and the span just beyond
1t, both made of iron, gave way n precip-
itated the entire train into the river. The
engine landed on its side almost at right
angles with the track. The cars piled upon
each other through the main span. J he
wreck took fire soon afterwards and was
rapidly burned to the waters edge. Mine
persons alone escaped alive from all who
went down, and several of them will prob
ably die.
Only n Few Survivors,.
The first news of the wreck was brought
to Hargrove, a telegraph station four
miles from the river, by a farmer who
said hat while passing nea the place he
heard a crash. Going nearer he saw the
two spans of the bridge broker out. He
then discovered the burning wreck in the
shallow water below. He could hear the
groans of the wounded and dying, but
without waiting to see further, he rode
horseback to Hargrove as rapidly as he
could, where the operator telegraphed to
Birmingham and Blocton for relief.
Many Victims Burned.
Meanwhile a few country people gath
cred at the scene to render what aid they
could, but it was too late to do much.
Nine people had gotten out and the rest
burned up in the w~reckage. When the
relief train from Birmingham arrived
there was little need for the army of
physicians that had gone along. The
wounded We're quickly attended to and
then sent to Blocton for further atten-
ton. The work Of taking out the dead
was entered pom
Nothing was left of the wreckage but
the smouldering remains, which had burn
ed to the waters edge. Charred corpses
we're packed in between the iron frame
work where the seats had been. Most of
the bodies had been burned beyond recog-
milton. Some had their heads burned off
and of Others nothing was left but the
mere skeleton. AS rapidly as possible the
remains were taken cut and laid in a row
on the river bank.
AT o'clock 20 bodies had been found
and no more were in sight. 1t is possible.
however, that there are others under the
wreckage and also that some may be
hidden by the water.
Survivors Dnzed.
OF the survivors, Sam Spencer was the
only one of the train crew who escaped
alive. He was the colored fireman. he
Jumped from the engine while it was in
midair and landed in me water some
distance from where the engine fell. His
only injury was a broken arm. He left
the scene for Blocton on foot almost i'm
mediately after the wreck, apparently
crazed with fright. The railroad officials
have not yet been able to see him and
get a statement.
OF the eight other survivors three were
children, all of whom had their feet
burned and mashed, and a lady who had
both feet crushed. Their names have not
been earned. The other three men were
Henry Hanberry, q conductor from Biz
mingham, who was taking his wife and
two children out for q ride around the
circle, and Will Gardner and Andrew
Bryson, miners, from Blocton.
Hanberry was on the Same seat with
his wife and children when the crash
came. The latter three were killed and
he was pinned down and would a been
burned alive had he not been rescued by
Bryson n Gardner. These two men also
saved the unknown woman and three
children, who were likewise pinned and
appealing piteously for help, but by the
time they had rescued those five persons
the heat had become SO intense that they
were compelled to desist in their work.
1t is thought that fully three-fourths
Of the dead were killed outright In the
crash, while the other five were pinioned
down and cremated.