Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-08-07
Engineer Beams Death.

Of twenty-three loaded freight cars ap.
proach the high bridge over the Tippe-
canoe river near Monticello, Ind. the
locomotive healing eastward. The
cars contained wheat and corn. The
engineer slowed the train up as it uear-
ed the tresle work connecting with the
west end OF the bridge. As he did so
the bridge tender mounted the steps OF
the locomotive anG said that he would
ride to the east end Of the structure. A
few seconds later the whole Of west
span OF the bridge, with the locomotive
and twenty-five cars. went crashing in
to the river, falling ninety feet into six
feet Of water.
The forward brakemcn says that he
was standing on the fifth car from the
locomotive when the car ahead Of him
dropped from the bridge. lie ran back
over the tops Of the cars with all posi-
bic speed. each one plunging into the
abyss before his heels had hardly clear
ed it. After he had run the race for life
over the topsto the fourteenth, he felt that
sinking under his feet. Escape FROM
the awful leap was no longer possible.
With a firm Grip on the brake, and an
eve to the chances for life, he stood still
until the car had fallen fifty or seventy
five feet. Then he jumped. Among
the cars thai had preceded him vas one
that was resting on the bottom Of the
river in a slanting position. The brake
man struck feet foremost against the in
clined surface OF the side Of the car and
shot Off into the water. He ploughed the
bottom Of the river for an instant, and
reappeared on the surface. AS he open
ed his eyes he saw car or two falling
through the air, and his ears were stun
ned by the dcalening crash Of timbers
and boards.
By the time this man had made his
way to shore, five other persons were
discovered by him scrambling out OF the
wreck in the river. Their escape from
death had been not less wonderful than
his own. One Of these was the fireman,
who had clung 10 the tender until with
in a few feet of the water. and then
Jumped, and, fortunately for him, aligh-
ted in heap Of corn, the contents OF
one OF the cars. which, in striking
against the rest Of the wreck, had been
split open. The freman's injuries con-
sisted Of cash on the scalp,a confusion
on the face, and some bruises about the
body. The other four men who emerg-
from the wrecks were tramps. They
had been stealing a ride, and were
clinging to the tracks when the acci-
dent happened. The car ON which
they had been riding turned bottom-side
up in the fall, and they were hurled
from their blace Of conccalment into the
water. One Of the four had two fingers
cut of, but with this exception the
whole gang escaped comparatively un-
hurt, Beam, the engineer, and jerome
Durphee, the bridge tender, who, con-
trary to his custom, had boardedl the
locomotive to ride across the river, were
buried under the wreck.
The twenty-third car Of the train was
the conductors 'caboOse.' In this car
were seven passengers, travelling from
one local station to another. The
brakeman in charge Of the rear half OF
the train was Barney Morgan. He was
near the centre Of the train when he
heard the bridge crashing and saw the
forward cars and locomotive plunging
into the river. lie ran back to the
'caboose, and hurriedly pulling out the
coupllng-pin between 1t and the freight
car applled the brakes with all his might.
Had he made false movement or been
moment later, the car must have gone
to mingle with rest Of the train in the
bottom of the TIppecanoe. But it stop
ned within seven feet Of the precipice.
The passengers occupying this car did
not know what had happened until al
ter the wreck had settled into perfect
quiet at the bottom or the river. The
fireman says that the last he saw OF tho
engineer, Louis Beam, he was holding
on the throttle-liner and bending ior-
ward in his cab. lie neyor fiinched
from duty as he followed his ponderous
machine through that fall Of ninety
feet.
The bridge did not break down until
after several of the cars had been thrown
from it. 1t was the wrenchlng OF the
train that producde the strain that broke
the bridge. The span that was 100
feet long.