The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-01-02

away. The first news which reached
his city stated that all were killed, but
later reports state hat the fireman was
not killed but fatally injured.
A relief train with Superintendent
Frazier of the Southern railroad, and
eight trained physicians, nurses and
supplies left here at 10 O'Clock yester-
day morning for the scene of the wreck.
This train returned at 8 o'clock last
evening with twenty-seven bodies.
These corpses are now at the several
undertaking establishments in this city
awaiting identification. All of the bod
les, however, are charred beyond recog-
milton.
Among those known to have been on
the fatal train are the following:
Frank White, engineer, Birmingham.
A. Pionnell, conductor, Birmingham.
George Carney, tlagman, Birming-
ham.
Jim Bowling. baggageman, Birming-
ham.
Andrew Bryson, Blocton.
]. H. Hoffer, Blocton.
NJ. e. Clark, Blocton.
Will Dusten, Blocton.
G. Jackson. Blocton.
John McGinnis.
Peter Thurston.
John Gallagher.
The relief train ran into the wrecking
train near h scene of the wreck. The
bridge foreman was killed and two 9TH
er train hands sustained serious inju-
ries. Telegraphic communication was
not established with the scene of the
wreck until ~ o'clock. Intense excite
ment prevails in this city. The union
depot n the general offices of the
Southern railroad and the Louisville
and Nashville have been besieged by
anxious friends and relatives since the
first news of the wreck. Men, women
and children In tears and outward man.
ifestations of mental agony are seen
about the railroad offices anxiously
awaiting authentic news. Railroad Of
ficials are very reticent and little infor-
nation can be obtained from them.
Work of Train Wreckers.
cial-appeal special from Birmingham,
Ala, says:
Fiends in human form wrecked the
Birmingham Mineral passenger train,
No. 40. at Kahaba river bridge, twenty
seven miles from here, at 1850 Sunday
morning, and twenty lives We're lost.
That number Of bodies have been re-
covered from the wreck and further
search may swell the list Of dead. The
wreck Is regarded as almost certainly
accomplished by the renov of a rail
on the middle span Of the trestle. This
derailed he train, which caused it to
fall down the two spans and precipi-
tated it into the river, ITO 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 + unable to give any detailed de-
scription of how it all happened. It is
not known, n may never be ascer-
tanned, just how many passengers We're
on the train. Most of them were miners
and residents of mining towns in this
district who had round trip one day
tickets and were returning to their
homes along the line of the Bir1ning-
ham Mineral road. 1t is thought there
were not exceeding twenty-five or thir-
ty passengers or the train.
The engine landed on its side , almost
at right angles with the track. The
cars piled up on 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
and several of them will probably die.
When the relief train from Birming-
ham arrived at the scene of the wreck,
there was little need for the army of
physicians that had gone along.
h wounded We're quickly attended
to and then ent to Blocton for fur
ther attention. The work of taking out
the dead was entered upon Charred
corpses were packed in between the
iron frame work here the seats had
been. Most Of the bodies had been
burned beyond recognition. Some had
their. heads burned off, and Of others
nothing was left but the mere skeletons.
The emains were taken out as RAPIDLY
as possible and laid in a row on the
river bank.
At 4 o'clock twenty bodies had beer
found and nc more were in sight. 1t Is
possible, however, that there are 9th.
ers under the wreckage and also thai
some may be hid by the water. OF the
survivors Sam Spencer was the only
one of the train crew that escaped alive
He was the colored fireman. He jumped
from the engine while it was in midail
and landed in the water some distance
from where the engine fell. His only
injury was a broken arm. He left the
scene for Blocton on foot, almost imme.
diately after the wreck, apparently
crazed with fright. The railroad Off.
Gals have not yet been able to see hin
and get a statement.
Of the eight other survivors three
were children. all of whom had theil
feet burned and mashed, and a lad,
who had both feet crushed. Theil
names have not yet been learned.
1t is thought that fully th%ree-fourth.
of the dead were killed outright in the
crash, while the others were pinned
down and cremated. Gardener ant
Bryson We're both badly hurt, while
Handberry will probably die. The
flames had completed the work of de,
struction before any help arrived
The country aroun the scene Of the ac
cident Is sparsely settled and the few
farmers who heard of the wreck anc
went to the scene arrived too late to BIZ
Of any assistance except to the survlv,
ors.
Dr.. Ray, a Blocton physician who at,
ended Gardener. one of the injured sur
vivors, telegraphed the statement made
by Gardener as to the cause of ths
wreck. Gardener says that when hi
felt the cars leave the track he looked
out and saw three savage looking mer
rushing from a hiding place dowr
down toward the waters edge and tina
after the wreck they rel through the
wreckage, robbing the dead and wound
ed and then fed to the woods. They die
their work quickly and offered no as
sistance whatever In the way of res
ling the Imprisoned and injured pas