Morris tribune., 1884-02-06
ACCIDENTAL HORRORS.
Fearful Plunge Of Passenger Train
From an Abutment.
FriEhtful Explosion Of Gasoline.
Six lives Lost. and Two
Three-St0ry Buildings
Demolished.

| INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Feb. 1.-The Chicago
81 Indianapolis Airline division of tht
Louisville, New Albany g. Chicago railroad
known as the Monon route, which has beer
opened for business only u few weeks, wa
baptized in fire and blood at Broad Ripple
eight miles north of Indianapolis
The accommodation train from Monon
due here at 1880, had male its last stop be
fore reaching Indianapolis, and was just get
ting under headway when it began to cross
the bridge over White river. The train con,
sisted of an engine, baggage and express
car, smoking-car and ladies' coach. Con
ductor w. S. Losey was in charge ans
John Bremen was engineer. The latter
after leaving the station, however, hac
gone into the baggage-car for a drink Of
water, leaving James Nonan, fireman, in
charge of the engine. The bridge was of the
ordinary Howe truss pattern, consisting OF
two spans, each 150 feet in length. A speed
of about fifteen miles per hour
had been attained, and the train had
pulled its full length on the bridge, when
Nonan felt tho baggage-car sinking. He
had his hands on the throttle-valye at the
moment and instinctivoly pulled her wide
open. AS the engine shot forward the bag
gage-car plunged downward, and the tender
was separated at both ends from it's
connections and the engine fairly
climbed into position of safety on
the remaining span. The jerk lifted
the tender off the rails, AMI it ran short
distance on tie ties and stringers without
leaving the bridge. The first break in the
bridge occurred directly under the baggage
car, which seemed to be pressed down
by some supernatural power, and it
dropped like lead into the water below
The smoker forged ahead a few feet
and dropped squarely upon the forward cars.
The rear coach went down through second
break in tho span, and, the channel being
choked with the debris of the bridge and of
the forward part of the train, all the occu-
pants escaped death. The wreck immedi-
ately took fire.
The relief train left this city only thirty
minutes after news Of the accident was
received. The scene at the wreck was hor-
ribie The wreckers formed in line, and
buckets of water were rapidly thrown upon
the blazing cars and surrounding debris of
the bridge, so that the work of recovering
the bodies was soon begun. The dead were
in the ruins of the smoker, piled one on top
of another in deep water When the car took
fire those who had not escaped were speedily
consumed or drowned. A skiff was pressed
into the service for ferrying the remains to
the banks of the river. 1t was sickening
work. Six charred trunas, formless and un-
recognizable, were dug from the ruins.
ALLIANCE, O., Feb. "A barrel of gaso-
line standing in the hardware and tin store of
Frank Orr, exploded from some unknown
cause. The building was three-story brick,
o1l =
the ground, entirely demolishing three
story frame building adjoining. Before any
thing could be done, the ruins took fire and
destroyed the two buildings adjoining The
work of destruction eccupied an incredibly
sEssal ~ e. OF time, anus was finished before
the people could reach it and realize what d
terrible accident had taken place.
1t is not yet known, nor will it be
for some time, just how many are
buried in the ruins AS many citizens
as can are working at the debris
clearing it away, and so far but four
bodies have been recovered, although it is
certain that more will be found, as Mrs.
Evans and her two children, Mrs. Highland,
Mary Abriey, and the servant, are missing,
and it is known they We're upstairs when the
explosion took place.
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 2.-The coroner has
begun an inquest into the causes of the terri
ble accident on the Air line, on the Broad
Ripple bridge. Tt is generally believed that
the men on the bridge had loosened the
bolts, although experts who have examined
The structure say it was apparently safe.
The body of Superintendent Thomas
Parr has not yet been recovered His home
was at Delphia, and he was unmarried. The
bodies of the five other men have been de-
ivered to their friends for burial Of the
ii ght who were injured, six are said to be in
4 fair way of recovery The other two,
Lindley Clark and W. E. Semans, have been
reported in a critical condition. Loss to the
company is $25, 900.