The Penn's Grove record., 1897-01-01
AWFUL RAILWAY WRECK
An Alabama Train Flung From a
High Bridge Into a River.
HORRIBLE WORK OF FlENDS.

Robbers DernIled q Passenger Train and
1t Plunged Down no Feet, Carrying
the Middle Span of u Trestle---Fire
Followed the Crash--.Pinned Down
and Incinerated.--Dead P~lundered.
B-rRMINaHAM, Ala. (5pecial) The most
horrible train wreck III the South since the
,ns at Statesvllle, s. g., in 1891, occurred at
In early hour Sunday morning near thlsc city,
when q passenger train crashed through a
:restle to o river ITO feet below. It'll known
hat twenty-eight lives weresost and q more
,omplete search OF tae charred train may re-
zeal more. it is 'aImoss certain tndt me
wreck was caused by fends for the purpose
Of robbery. OF those on the train nine es-
saped death and several of these will die of
serious injuries.
The train was a local on the birmingham
Mineral, a branch o! the Louisville and Nash
vile system. 1t left Birmingham about 8
a. m, to make the daily circuit OF the min
Ing owns In that section OF the country, and
most of the persons on board were miners
and their families, taking advantage of the
excursion tickets on sale for the holidays.
In crossing the Cahaba River there is an
iron t~restle, surmounted by woodwork, ITO
feet above the water. which at this stags Is
only three feet deep. 1t is 800 feet long, the
main span being ITO feet in length. This,
with tho span next beyond, went into the
river with the train. The engine fell at right
angles to the line OF the bridge, 18th the cars
piled on top Of it and around 1t. Engineer
White was found with his charrod hand still
grasplng the throttle.
To add horror to the wreck the flames from
the stoves in the coaches ignited the wreck
age and the entire mass was burned to the
edge OF the water.
The only one ofthe train crew hat escaped
with his life from the wreck was the colored
fireman, Sam" Spencer. He jumped from
the engine while it was in mid-air, and falling
in the river, escaped almost by miracle with
only a broken arm. Wild with fright he fed for
the nearest station to give alarm, but ere
he reached this n farmer passing saw the
condition OF affairs and went to a telegraph
station with his horse at full speed. Tele-
grams were sent to Birmingham and a relief
train went to the scene. but before it reached
there the flames had done all Of their work
and the destruction was complete.
A rail had been removed from the track,
aud when the engine struck this $50 feet of
the bridge gave way and went down with
the train. Immediately the wreck took FIRE,
and the unfortunate passengers and train
We're burned to death in sight Of other un-
fortunate victims.
Some Of the passengers not so badly hurt
managed TO crawl out and do all they could
in assisting others, but with little avail.
The dead are Frank White, engineer, of
Birmingham; George Carney, 1agman,
OF Birmingham; A. P. Council, conductor, OF
Birmingham; Thomas Streeter, colored
porter, Of Birmingham; Jordan
Powell, wife and eight children, OF
Bloeton; Mrs. Henry Hanberry and two chill
dren, of Birmingham; James Boiling, express
messenger, OF Guthrie. KY; l.. W.. Martin,
of ~Brookwood; Bruce Phillips, OF Blocton;
8. w. Tibbs and wife, OF Campbelltown; An
drew Bryson, OF Blocton; George Glendale,
OF Helena, and four Others unidentified.
One of the survivors OF the wreck told one
OF the physicians that Just after the train
pitched into the abyss three rou~gh-looking
men came from the woods near the wreck
and went through the coaches as far as the
flames would admit them and then made off
hurriedly. 1t is also said that these men
aided the flames by sotting fire to other
parts of the wreck.
1t is confidently believed the train was
wrecked by these three men, and that the
work was accomplished by removing a rail
on the bridge. The weight of the engine
humping across the ties is supposed to have
made the bridge give away.