The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-02-07
AWFUL CALAMITY.
A Railroad Train Drops Through a De-
fectiye Bridge.
FfRe Also Adds Terror to the 'FrightfuI
A4air-Six Persons Known to have
Perished and others Fatally
Injured.

INDIANAPOLIS, January 31.-An accom-
mediation train on the I. & C. Air Line met
with terrible accident at Broad Ripple,
seven miles from this city, this morning.
AT that point the railway crosses White
River on truss bridge, of two spans, each
100 feet in length. The engineer had gone
to the baggage car for a drink of water,
and the locomotive was in charge of the
fireman. When the engine reached the GEN.
ter of the bridge the fireman felt the
structure sinking. He had his hand
On the throttle which he opened,
giving the locomotive all available
steami the engine sprang forward
with great force, breaking the couplings
between the tender and baggage car. The
locomotive kept the track, but the bag
gage, smoking car and another coach
dropped through and piled up in one mass
at the foot of the piers, the smoking car
being partially telescoped on the baggage
car. The wreck was partially submerged,
Dct the portion above water Immediately
took fire from the stoves. News of the
wreck reached the city in short time, and
wreckfng train with surgeons and other
Broad Ripple. On reaching the wreck a
cnaotlc scene was presented. The bridge
and cars were yet burning, and
those present were so lacking in
presence of mind as to be unable
to extinguish the flames or afford relief to
the sufferers. Six persons were either
Killed outright or burned to death. The re-
mains recovered were burned and charred
elmost beyond recognition, being horribly
mutilated; and the only means of identifi-
caton was the finding of incombustible
trinkets known to be the property of the
dead men. Following is list
of the dead: John Brewer, Lafayette,
Ind, engineer; ]. E. Ricketts,, bag
gage master, New Albany; George Lowry,
p3rakeman, buena Vista, Ind; Thomas
farr, bridge foreman. Indianapolis; Abel
Z. Smith, American Express messenger,
indianapolis. The only passenger killed
was john Bray, a stock dealer, residing at
Deming. Ex-Sheriff Seman, of Mobiles
vile, had bis right arm broken, and was
Lynn Clarke, of Westfeld, Ind, was in
lured internally, and viii die. The others
injured are: Joseph Claybough, Frank
fort, cut on the head; A. T. Beddigo,
Frankfort, body bruises; W. P. Howk,
Carmel, skull fractured; Mrs. Sullivan and
babe, Carmel, slightly; B. Snyder, Tro-
hoon, slightly. A gang of workmen
had been making repairs ON the
bridge all of whom were slightly
injured. The accident is attributed
20 defective thread on the supporting rods
Oh the bridge. The nuts on the ends of the
rods lifting so loosely that the bridge was
unable to support the weight of the train.
=: !. White was working under the bridge
when the train went over. He says he
shinks the rods pulled through the nuts,
letting the bridge down. To all appear
ances one break occurred within fif.
teen feet Of the pier, and another
about MIDWAY of the span. Whites es-
cape was truly marvellous. Standing on
the ice, the falling bridge and cars struck
him on the head, drove him through
the ice and down to the very bottom of the
river. The timbers did not rest upon him,
however, and he swan out more dead than
alive, covered with bruises but able tc
walk. The newsboy of the train says he
could have extinguished the fire with q
bucket of water, but it was not to be had.