The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-22
MUCH EXCITEMENT
 AT ROUNDHOUSE Lives Endangered by Collapse
 in Selma
WAS VERY OLD STRUCTURE
Building Was Erected In 1852 By the Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad company-Now
 Used By Southern.


 Selma was thrown into a furor of ex- citement this morning by telephone message sent from -c Southern hali- way shops asking that every avallaple doctor and assistance be sent lmmeul' ately to that place, the round mousse having collapsed, and it was reared that twenty or thirty persons had been carebt beneath the falling debris.
 Some six or eight physicians quickly jumped into their buggies and hast ened out 10 the scene. They were fol' lowed by hundreds of citizens, who secured hacks as fast as they could. Of course, the report grew larger with each telling, and in a short while tele- phones were ringing all over the city asking for particulars.
 At the shops the excitement was little less than up town, where the rumors had magnified the affair. An engine tender which was being pinch ca onto the turn-table with crowbars suddenly started otf as its weight tilted t-e table, and before the latter could be turned to allow it to go onto a track leading into a proper stall 1t crashed into one one of the columns holding the circular front of the round house, and down came half of the en- tire front, the southeastern wall and the roof also tumbling in.
 By a happy circumstance the majority of the fifty men working in the round house were in the office of the shops getting their pay checks and the few that were at worn received sufficient warning from the creaking timbers to reach a point of safety. Viewing the wreck it was nothing short of miracle that somebody was not caught and per- haps killed. The aamage to the engines in the round house was comparatively slight, Master Mechanic Boyden stating that $2OO would cover 1t. The damage to the round 5.ouse will amount to two or three thousand dollars.
 Built In 1852.
 The round house was probably built in 1852. On a stone which was embedded in the brick in the center of the circular front was cut Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad, 1850" This stone fell this morning the collapse extending right up to it. This is the first time that the stone itself has been displaced, the south west wing having been rebuilt many years ago and the southeast wing hay ing also been rebuilt when the roof was burned off, December 1885.
 The date '1S50'' on the stone probably refers to the year the railroad was start ed. The road was chartered in 1SiS, but 1t was not until 1850 that everything was gotten under way, ana the work on the actual building of the road did not com mence until 1851. The first locomotive 'The Alabama was put on the road in May of that year. The next year saw the track completed to what is now Dixie on the Southern, and the next year, 1853, II, was complete to Montevallo. On July of that year a big dinner was given at Monte vallo in honor of the arrival of the road, and a second engine, Shelby" was put on. Track laying was not continued until fifteen months afterwards, when il reached Talladega, in 1859.
 The shops were built in 1852, and until 1879 the same engine put in in 1852 wat running the shops. It was exchanged later for a larger and more powerful ma chine.
 Big Farm Land Deal. deal was consummated this morning | by which E. c. Melvin disposes of tht l old Bait Smith place, about nine miles from Selma to Clifford Kirkpatrick anc | others. The place contains 2500 acres and was purchased by MT. Melvin a few years ago for about $l6500. The price paid for it today was about S26,00O a little over $10 an acre. It Is a splendid piece oi farming land and the price paid Is moi | considered excessive.
 Rates Have Been Announced.
 The management of the Selma Fall Fes- tival association were very much grati- fled this morning to receive notice that round trip rates of one fare plus 20 cents had been granted for the occasion of the third annual festival, which takes place October 3l to November 5. Tickets will be on sale on October 90. and daily unti the 9th, and will have a final limit oi November 6. They will be sold at Talla' dega, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Akron Meridian, Jackson, Camden. Flomaton Montgomery and all Intermediate points The festival has the endorsement ant backing of the merchants and business men, who have contributed liberally tc