The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-02-07

A Passenger TrRin on the monoh Route
PIunges Through Bridge over Nhit"
River. Near Indianapolis-SiN Persons
Roasted to Death in the Burning Cars and
Several Injured.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., Jan. ~.
The accommodation train from Monon'
due here at 10 80 O'Clock n. M, had ma1o
tholast stop before reaching indianapolis
and was Just getting under Roadway wheh
il beran to cross the bridge over Nhite
River. The train consisted of an engine,
baggage and express car, smoking-car ana
ladies', coach. Conductor W. :. Losey was
in charge, and john Bremen was engineer
The latter, after leaving the station, now
ever. had gone into the baggage-car Tor
some purpose unknown, leaving James
Nonan, the fireman, in charge OF the engine
The bridge was Of the ordinary Howe russo
pattern, consisting of two spans, each l''
feet in length. 'lu
A speed of about fifteen miles per hour
had been attained, and the trainhad pulled
its full length on the bridge, when Nonan
felt the baggage-car sinking. He had his
hand on the throttle-valve at the moment
and instinctively pulled her wide open. AS
tho eno-ine shot forward the .baggage-car
plunged downward, and tho tchutI We
separated at both ends from IT'S cohhstll'H7
and the engine fairly climbed INTO posi-
tion of safety on the remainnRSpah' nc
jerk lifted the tender of the rallsI ana ~
ran short distance on the ties and string
ers without leaving the bridge ,
The first break in the bridge occurred az
/. rectlv under the baggage car which
seemed to be pressed down by some super
natural power, and it dropped like lead nm,
to the water below. The smoker IoIE,n
ahead a few feet and dropped squarelN
upon the forward car. The rear cpach
went down through second break III tnN
span and the channel was choked WIN lht
] 4 4 al ftf "a
/ part of the train.
/ News of the disaster reached the city IN a
/ few, IuinIltes The railroad officials acted
with the most commendabte promptness in
/ dispatching a relief and wrccking train,
! Inside of all hour after the accident occur
red the train was on the ground, uuu IlllI'
could be done owing TO the want ot pe'ul-
! lar facilities with which TO work,
The sight that presented itself was sutli-
cient to justify the narrowing runners tha7
4 rapidly found their way INTO cllCulalion
] through the streets. Halt the bridge was
down ana with the debris of the cars iu
/ flames, which originated from the stoves u
the coaches, nothing but the wheels amt
| other iron work remained. a dozen men
| were endeavUring to queneh the flames Win
buckets of water, but unavailinsIy, soon
a large bucket brigade was formed Of vol
! uDteeTs on the relief train, ana the burning
| wreck was rapidly cooled SO as 20 permit
/ the work of recovering the bodies TO begin.
! The dead and seriously injured were an
confined in the ruins of the smoker ana
baggage car, ana lhese lyl,E % o,. ~, i,, y, w.
/ the other were III dcep Waloi Hc"l v"o Wv l'.,.
The river was high ana uh1 me- CuJiSll' ~ 54''s
! and icy, adding 10 the 3lIlcull,le7 ll,e7 2l t e'c
work which was quito leulVu guel ,,I,',s
! only one SKIN 10 WORK III. ~ VIZ go
! ing and heart-rendlng lapoI. IiNU iu. '.l i,
! less and almost uureCOgnZablc trunks nf
/ other portions of the human ho1y We're
! taken from the smoldcrnE PIE; 4.ea 4e
names OF those dead toSeUue' win '"'''
residences, were'
John II. Brewer, engineer, Lafayette
j. +. Ricketts,, baggage mastcr, Monon.
Abel Smith, American Express Messeu'
! ger, Madison
George Lowry, bIakeHah' bueHa ls'a'
John Bray, - ,mlnE, ma passenger
| Lynn Clark, Westheld, n passenger IN
! jured fatally.
| The others injured, all OF whom were pas
| sengers save White and Parker, are:
W. Z. Houk, Westhcld, Ind, head cut
! and bruised.
! William A. Iamars, eN-Shcrtit OF ialnil
! ton County, arm broken, face CUT SIDE
bruised
! william J.. SwiGgart' 'armel, aNuIl IIae-
| tured aud mp hurt.
Is. y. W Hlle, bIld2tlliIl' bI ulN'''
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