The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-02
THE BROAD RIPPLE WRECK.
A Belief that the Bridge Repairers
We're Responsible for the Wreck.
Beginning Of the COrOner's Inquest and the
TeStimOny-Burial of the Dead, and
Condition of the Wounded.

All day yesterday and last night large force
of men were engaged in clearing away the wreck
of the bridge over White river above Broad Rip
pie, and in putting up a temporary trestle for
the passage of trains. The work was necessarily
slow and tedious for the water had risen con
siderably and the current was swift But little
progress was made in removing the debris, and
the body of Thomas Parr, the superintendent of
the work, is yet under the fallen timber, but
will probably be extricated to-day. General
Agent Brecount said last night that he hoped to
have trains running as usual by tomorrow
The body of John Brewer, the dead engineer
was taken to Lafayette yesterday for burial by a
committee of the Firemen's Brotherhood, which
had come here for that purpose. The remains of
John NJ. Bray were claimed by his son andtaken
to his home near Deming twenty miles above
the scene of the accident The remains of
Smith, the express messenger, were sent to his
parents at Madison, and those of Lowry, the
brakeman, to his relatives at Buena Vista.
Ricketts, the baggage master, will be buried
here to-day. Roth Clark and Semans, the most
dangerously wounded of those who were in
jured were resting better yesterday, and some
hopes are now entertained of the recovery of the
former, but this is doubtful. Semans will prob
ably get well, with careful treatment, and the
other wounded people are getting along nicely,
and are not seriously hurt
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
Opinions as to the cause of the accident vary
widely Yesterday a wild rumor gained consid
cradle credence that the bridge repairers had
removed some of the principal supports and that
the accommodation was considerably ahead
of time, and the men failing to
give the proper signals, it rushed on the
bridge at high rate of speed, causing the struc
ture to gave way. Another report was that the
taps had been taken from the principal rods
which held the tfmbers together, and that this
caused the accident Still another theory is
that the train ran from the track and knocked
some of the supports Of the bridge loose but
there is no evidence to support this. The facts
are as follows: The bridge repairers had taken
out several of the supporting rods for the pur-
pose of putting caps on them, and in their place
were substituted temporary rods. They claim
that these were larger and stronger than the
original and that they were properly and Sc
curely fastened. They say, further. that this is
a very common process in bridge repairing and
that it is regarded perfectly safe, and that as
far as their work is concerned, it was in exactly
the same condition when the heavy freight train
passed over it. as it was when the accommoda
ton came. The latter was running at the usual
rate of speed, which was slightly slaekened as it
neared the river
From the present outlook it is evident that
the cause of the accident can only be
definitely established by careful examina
ton and inspection of the remaining timbers
by those who are experts, and by considering
their opinions thus adduced, in conjunction with
the testimony of the men who were at work.
The coroner is determined to make his examina
ton as searching as possible, and the railroad
officials claim that they will give him every as
sistance in their power for they are equally
anxious to locate the responsibility for the acct
dent.