The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1884-02-15

i>pIAx krorla txp.. Jan. O
The accommodation train from Moron.
due here ~ lo:3p o'clock a. M. Had made
the last stop before reaching indianapolis,
an<l was ju~t rrtting under hcaduhy when
II began 10 cross tho bridge over White
River. The train consisted ~ ~ Engine.
baggage aud express car. smolunrcar aud
ladies' coach. Conductor ". S--L>o<ey was
IN charge. and John Bremen was engineer.
The latter. after leaving the station. how.
ever, had gone into the hageaxe'car for
Some purpose unknewn.. leaving James
Nonan. the fireman, In charge az the ~ Zinc.
The bridge WINS ~ the ordinary Howetruss
pattern, consisting q two spans. each l5D
iect in length.
a speed ~ about fifteen miles PR hour
hal hcen attained. and the train had pulled
rs fun length On the bridge, when Nonan
felt tho hargage-car sinking. liz hail his
hand on the throttle-yalye Al The moment.
ana instinctisely pulled her wide open. As
The engine shot forward tie bagganc-cnr
plunged downward. aud the tender was
separated az both ends from HI, connections
and the engine fairly Climbed into a posi-.
fion o. safety On thu remaining span. The
Jerk lifted the tender on the rails. and IL
ran short distance On the Ties and string
crs without leaving the bridge.
The first hrenk In the bridge occurred d.
rectiy under the baggage car. which
seemed 10 he pressed down l,y some super
natural power, and Il DROPPED like lead In
10 the water below The smoker forged
ahead 4 few feet and dropped squnrely
upon the forward err. Tic tcar coach
went down through second break ia the
span and the channel was chnl,ed with the
debris ~ the bridge and ~ the forward
part OF the train
News % the disaster reached the city in
few minutes. The railroad officials acted
with the most commrndnble prpiupfness in
dispatching a relief and wreeking train.
Inside of IN hour after thenccident occur
red the train was on The ground. but little
could he done owing 70 the want VI Pccui-
lar facilities With which a. voric
The sight that prescnfe 81 hsclf was stfi'l-
cient % justify the narrowing funors that
rapidly found their wav iffy circulation
through the streets. Half the bridge was
down ana with the debris IL the cars III
flames. which originated from the stoves in
the coaches. nothing but the wheels and
other iron work remained. IA lQxcn men
notwithstanding toquench ihH Hamcs with
buckets ~ water. but unava,linHly. Soon
a large bucket brigade ~ns formed 81 vol
unteers on the relief train. and the burning
wreck was rapidly cooled ~ - torcrmit
The work ~ recovering tLe hellts ~ begin
The dond and seriously injured were aii
confined ln the ruins ~ tie smoker and
baggage car. andFth.se LYNX ono on top u
the otter were in deep wafer near the pier.
The river was high and tile current strong
and icy. adding 70 the difficulties ~ the
work. which was quite Tedious. there being
only one Skiif - work in. II was sicien-
inE AMI nenrtrending inhnr. Five form
ls~~ anil almost unrecugnixable trunks o.
ether portions of the human body were
taken from the smaldering pile. The
names ~ those dead, together with their
residences. wcrc-
John H. Brewer. engineer. Lafayette.
y =. Ricketts,, baggage master. Monon.
Abel smith, American Express Messen-
ger. Madison.
George Lowry. brakeman. Buena Vista
John Bray, beming. Ind. passenger
lynn Clark, Nestiieid, passenger. In
The others injured. all ofwhom were pas
w. r. Houk, Wextneld, Ind, head cut
and bruised.
William A. zamars. ex-sherisr az Hamil-
ton County, arm broken, fate en- side
William 7. Stuttgart. Carmel, skull frac-
turcd and hip hurt.
y. J. White. bridgeman. bruised.
Charles Parker. bridgeman. face and head
Mrs. sullivan and baby. wife and child
Of section boss. bruised.
j. b. Horton. slightly scorclci aud
bruised.
Thomas Parr. Superintendent IL Eriixo
Repairs onthc road, who was working 81
the bridge when il went down. Is missing.
and Il Il believed his body II undarr,c ala
the wre<k NJ the hott ,m ~ the sfreaik. j
The ladies' car was thrown on end. and
friChtful scenes cnsued. Mrs. sullivan.
with her babe tightly and securely clnsped.
stood On her head. wetlged i'll between
way out. only 10 hear the frirhtfn, cries of
the more unfortunate III the fionf ears. II
the smoker were instances IL unparalleled
sufferings nndo great bravery. From this
cor there WAS no escape. f,r TIE unfort,,
nateS. whose injuries aid not allow volnn-
tary motion.