The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-09
CaIS Demolished and Thrown
 from Their Tracks POSTAL CLERK WAS SCALDED Those Who Saw the Wreck Consider 1t Wonderful That Fifty or More
 Were Not killed-2o0 Peo.
 pie on the Train.

With two hundred passengers on board, the Louisville and Nashville express train No f. due in Birmingham at BOA o'clock last night, was wrecked at Silu- ria, twenty-one miles south of here about 9.0s o'clock. but only four people were injured. The only serious injury Is that of Postal Clerk J. c. West, who was so badly sealded by stem and hot water that 1t is feared he will die.
 The other injured are as follows:
 Albert Elmore. negro fireman. leg cut and shoulder and back bruised.
 Fisher Williams. negro passenger from Montgomery, leg cut and badly bruised.
 J. II. Barnes, East Lake or woodlawn. back sprained.
 The most remarkable feature of the wreck was the absence of loss of life. At first glance 1t seemed marvellous that fifty or more people were not seriously in- jured or killed.
 The engine was turned completely over, but Engineer Berry was not injured. He turned on the air brake before the engine went over, and afterwards crawled out of the top of his cab.
 Scene at the Wreck.
 The front end of the mail car struck the rear of the tender and drove that into the engine, completely demollshing he
  caught on the end of the engine and were torn away from the body of the car. which ran many yards in front anG on the left of the engine before 1t stopped. l Mall Clerk West was In the forward part of the car, but was thrown to the rear. and was there scalded by the escaping steam. He was quickly taken out and re- moved to one of the cars. The mail car was turned over
 The baggage car was smashed up bad ly, but little of the baggage was dam 1 aged The end of the car was torn out and 1t was partially turned over. The baggage master was not injured. Back of the baggage car was chair car, which was torn from its trucks and slid num- Der of yards before 1t stopped. It is rest Ing on the ground at an angle of 30 de- grees. Had 1t turned over probably number of people would have been in- 1ured, for every seat was occupied. A day coach In the rear of the chair car was treated the same way. and the tracks where the car should have been were torn away and one rail was carried twenty l feet from its original place. The cross l ties were torn up at the same time
 The dining car back of the coach was not dragged very far from the tracks. It's trucks were badly damaged, but the car was not broken up. The front sleep CT left the track, and the front trucks of the rear sleeper followed, but the rear trucks stopped on the track just at the l switch where the engine first left the track
 Exact Cause not Known.
 The exact cause of the wreck is not known Just about 100 yards beyond Slluria station is switch and 1t was at l this switch that the engine left the track. It cut it's way along the cross ties for some distance. and finally buried itself l in the mud. The mail coach being light CT ran some distance further
 At the time of the accident the train was running about forty miles an hour. It was B minutes late. The engine fol- lowed the main track. which Is on the right hand side and the other cars seemed to follow the side track partial ly.
 As soon as the accident happened. 1 Conductor Corbett called to all the pas sengers to remain as quiet as possible. as the worst was over There was no excitement, and not even a scream from the women. As soon as 1t was ascertain- ed that only one person was badly in- jured, many of the passengers returned to their seats. and some even retired in their berths in the sleepers.
 Wrecker Sent. A wrecker and special train was sent from Birmingham. The latter was In charge of Superintendent Starks and Train Master Haylow. On 1t was pr. Pressly. The train started with about twenty physicians. as the nrst reports led to the belief that many were killed and injured but just as the train was leaving the city second report came. which said that physicians were not needed. and all but Dr. Pressy were dis pensed with.
 On the wrecked train was Dr. John Vim cent, of Springfield, H.. and he attended | to the injured. pr. G. H. Smith. of Sag inaw. near by arrived In a short time l and assisted.
 The passengers were brought to Bir- mlngham about ? o'clock. and in short time the train went through to Nashville. There was a delay of less than five hours. The wrecking crew is at work and the track will probably be cleared this morn | ing. | The injured were carried 10 St. Vim cents hospital.
 w. B. cochren's Condition. Cairo Ill., March d-W Bourke Cock