The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-11
Special to The Journal

Mobile, Ala. Jan. 10.-In a disas-
trous wreck on the Alabama and Mis-
sissippi Railroad. twelve miles west of
Vinegar Bend, Ala, a town about 80
miles from here, at 7:3U O'Clock this
morning. betwesn a west-bound pas
senger train and an extra freight,
bound east, seven persons are report
ed Killed and a number injured
The Collision occurred on a bridge
spanning ravine at a very sharp
curve. The force of the collision
caused both engines and part of the
equipment to crash through the trestle
to the bottom OF the rayine fully 20
feet below.
Death List Placed at Seven.
A later report reaching here is that
the number killed Is seven.
The dead:
Charles Busby. section foreman of
the road.
Payne, white rn
Five negro conyicts.
The injured:
Engineer Frank Marks was not dead
at noon, but is reported fatally in
jUred.
Details of the frightfuI collision are
meager. There is no absolute certain
ty as to the number killed and injured,
but it is known that Engineer Marks
and his fireman were caught under the
falling engine. The engineer and fire
man of the extra freight are reported
to have saved themselves by jumping
when seeing the approaching pasSen-
ger train when rounding the curve
at the scene OF the wreck.
gar Bend, the nearest point to the
scene of disaster, are to the effect that
considerable excitement prevails there
through the reports of the number
killed and injured Physicians and
help in charge OF the officials of the
road left Vinegar Bend snor1iy after
the wreck on hand cars and other
available vehicles to render assistance
The Alabama and Mississippi Rail
road is a small road running from
Leakesville, Miss. to Vinegar Bend
Ala, and is owned by the Turner in
terests of this city. and of Vinegar
Bend. 1t IS principally "a logging road
operated in the interests of the extern
Sive lumber business of the territory
Train Was Running Fast.
The. westbound passenger train> of
INC AidDdI1lL1 anu lSS1oSlDDl fldilEOdu
left Vinegar Bend, Ala this morning
about Z O'clock, bound west for Leakes-
vile. Twelve mics west of Vinegar
Bend the roGd turns sharply and the
greater portion of this curve is made
up of trestling that spans ravine and
a small brook at the bottom.
Bowling along at fair rate of speed
with a number of passengers, the pas
seuger train took the curve and tres
tie Just as an extra freight train came
into view ON the opposite end Before
Engineer Marks could bring his train
to stop both trains met head-on in
the very center of the trestle
Simultaneously with the collision
the trestie game way, and born engines
and trains crashed through, falling
to the bottomof the ravine On the
logging train were I number of CON
vtcts, as were also c.iIeFs on the pas
senger train, going n various points
operated along the road by the Turner
interests. Several of these convicts
are reported under the wreckage.
Engineer Marks resides at Vinegar
Bend, Ala. where he has a wife and
several children. He has the distinc-
ton of pulling the first train over the
read sixteen years as>. The names of
Ghe otnerS reported Killed cannot De
ascertained at this time.
Physicians Go to the Scene.
AS soon as news of the wreck was
received at Vinegar bend, all avail
able physicians there anu a number of
other persons were placed on the hand
car and hurried to the scene There
are conflicting reports as to the num-
Der injured. Some place the number
at ten, and Others as high as fifteen.
Whether the entire trestle went down
under the trains is not known. There
Is nothing definite as 90 the coaches
rha. followed the engine in Its fright
ful crash to the bottom of the raviae.
j. Tyler Turner, brother OF n. E.
Turner who owns the Alaoama and
Railroad, reaching here to-
day, could not give any details as 10
the wreck. What information he re-