Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1897-01-01
REPORTS TO RAILROAD OFFICERS
MeaEer Details of the Wreck Near
Rirmin CHAM,

MeaEer Details of the Wreck Near
Rirmin CHAM.
Louisville. Dec. N.-Reports to the
superintendent Of transportation, George
Evans, Of the Louisville & Nashville
railroad, indicate that the fatalities in
today's disaster near Birmingham, will
be at least q.
OF the total of persons, crew and pass
engers, on the train, but seven escaped,
and the number of dead can only be con-
jectured, for no one knows exactly how
many people there were on the train.
The fact that the train was destroyed
by fire almost Immediately after the ac-
cident and before the wrecking trains
could reach the scene, also adds to the
uncertainty on this point, as many bodies
were burned beyond recognition, and
some have been totally destroyed The
train was a local passenger, which, start
ing from Birmingham at a. M, runs to
point near Guerney, then goes over
connecting link of track controlled by the
Southern railway, and known as the Brl-
arfield Blocton & Birmingham road.
The train returns to the Louisville IL
Nashville tracks at Blocton, and makes
| the return trip to Birmingham after
circuit touching numerous mining towns
| in that region.
Between Guerney and Blocton the track
crosses the Cahabo river, an unimportant
stream which, except in times of heavy
rains, is quite shallow. The bridge was
| about 80 feet high, with a 200-foot span in
| the middle, and approaches several hun
dred feet long.
Into the bed of the Cahabo the unfor-
tunate passengers and crew were plung-
| ed. That anyone escaped with their life
| Is little short of miraculous. Almost i'm
| mediately the train, which consisted of
| an engine, combination baggage and
| express car and two coaches, took fire,
| increasing the horror of the calamity.
That any lives were saved is probably due
| to the fact that the crash was heard by
| the telegraph operator at Hargo, three
| miles from the river. He reported this
| to the train dispatcher about Sis o'clock,
| and half an hour later the news that the
train had gone down was carried to
Blocton, six miles away, by native, who
also heard the noise
| relief train bearing all the physicians
of Blocton and about 450 citizens was
made up hurriedly and sent to the scene
| of the wreck, closely followed by others
from Birmingham and Bessemer.
There is nothing in the reports to the
| oNNN~
a theory as to the cause of the accident.
The last report from the company's ply
sicians was that the known dead number
ed %.
Not a member of the train crew of nve
men lives to tell the story Of the accident,
IL indeed anyone on the train was aware
Of danger until the train was Launched
into the air.
The seven persons who escaped death
are badly injured. They include one fam
lily, consisting Of man, his wife and Two
children.
A bridge carpenter was killed and sew
eral persons injured by collision be-
tween an engine and one of the wreck
ing trains sent to the rescue of the VIC
| tins of the first accident.
Railroad Iist of Dead.
The railroad company tonight furnish
the following as list of the dead:
James Boiling of Guthrie, KY.
Frank White of Birmingham.
A. P. Connell of Helena.
George Carney of Birmingham.
R. w. Webb of Birmingham.
Bruce Phillips Of Blocton.
L. W. Martin of Brookwood, Ala.
Mr.. Henry Hanberry and two children
of Birmingham.
r. H Bloant of Birmingham.
Miss Ada Powers of Blocton.
D. R. Powers of Blocton.
Mrs. Emma Powers and two children
of Blocton.
Mrs. R. Little of Blocton.
Mr.. Gardner of Blocton.
Mrs Gardner of Blocton.
Miss Gardner of Blocton.
One unidentified body, supposed to be
Tom Struther, colored porter.
This makes q killed, instead Of q, as
previously reported.
The relief train from the scene of the
wreck reached Birmingham at O'Clock
tonight, bringing 10 corpses and three In
: jured persons. Ten other dead bodies
were left at Blocton, where the deceased
I resided, and one at Brookwood.