The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-02-09
A PLUNGE TO DEATH.

Several Injured.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., Jan. a.
The accommodation train from Monon.
due here ut 10:30 o'clock q. M, had made
The last stop before reaching indianapolis,
and was just getting under Roadway when
it began to cross the bridge over White
River. The train consisted of an engine.
baggage and express car, smoking-car and
ladies'coach. Conductor w. s. Losey was
In charge, and John Bremen was engineer.
The latter, after leaving the station, how
ever, had gone into the baggage-car for
some purpose unknown, leaving james
Nonan, the fireman. in charge of the engine.
The bridge was of the ordinary Howe trusse
pattern, consisting of two spans, each 100
feet in length.
speed of about fifteen miles per hour
had been attained, and the train had 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
the engine shot forward the baggage-car
plunged downward, and the tender was
separated at both ends from its connections
and the engine fairly climbed into posi-
tiOn OF safety ON the remaining span. The
jerk lifted the tender of the rails, and it
ran short distance on the ties and string
ers without leaving the bridge.
The first break in the bridge occurred di-
rectly under the baggage car, which
seemed to- be pressed down by some SUPER
natural power, and it dropped like lead i'm
to the water below. The smoker forged
ahead a few feet and dropped sQuarely
upon the forward car. The rear coach
Went down through a second break in the
span and the channel was choked with the
debris of the bridge and of the forward
part of the train.
News of the disaster reached the city in a
few minutes. The railroad officials acted
with the most commendable promptness in
dispatching relief and wrecking train.
Inside of an hour after the accident occur
red the train was on the ground, but little
could be done owing to the want of pecul-
lar facilities with which to work.
The sight that presented itself was stuff
cient to justify the narrowing rumors that
rapidly found their way into circulation
through the streets. Half the bridge was
down and with the debris of the cars in
flames, which originated from the stoves in
the coaches, nothing but the wheels and
other iron work remained. A dozen men
were endeavoring to quench the flames with
buckets of water, but unavaiiingly. Soon
large bucket brigade was formed of vol
unteers on the relief train, and the burning
wreck was rapidly cooled so as permit
the work of recovering the bodies to begin.
The dead and seriously injured were all
confined in the ruins of the smoker and
baggage car, and these lying one on top of
the other were in deep water near the pier.
The river was high and the current strong
and icy, adding to the difficulties of the
work. which was quite tedious, there being
only one skif to work in. 1t was sicken-
ing and heart.reiding labor. Five form
less and almost unacceptable trunks or
other portions of the human body were
taken from the smoldering pile. The
names of those dead, together with their
residences, were:
John III. Brewer, engineer, Lafayette.
j. E. Ricketts,, baggage master, Monon.
Abel Smith, American Express Messen-
ger, Madison.
George Lowry, brakeman, Buena Vista.
John Bray, Deming, Ind, passenger.
Lynn Clark, Westfield, passenger, in
jured fatally.
The Others injured, all of whom were pas
sengers save White and Parker, are:
w. P. Houk, Westfeld, Ind, head cut
and bruised.
William A. Zamars, ex-Sheriff of Hamil-
ton County, arm broken, face cut, side
bruised.
William T. Stuttgart, Carmel, skull frac-
tured and hip hurt.
b. j. White, bridgeman, bruised.
Charles Parker, bridgeman, face and head
cut.
Mrs. Sullivan and baby, wife and child
of section boss, bruised.
]. B. Horton, slightly scorched and
bruised.
Thomas Parr, Superintendent of Bridge
Repairs on the road, who was working on
the bridge when it went down, is missing
and it is believed his body is underneath
the wreck at the bottom of the stream.
The ladies' car was thrown on end, ano
frightful scenes ensued. Mrs. Sullivan
with her babe tightly and securely clasped
stood on her head, wedged in between
seats. She was released and all made theil
way out, only to hear the frightful cries o.
the more unfortunate in the front cars. IL
the smoker were instances of unparalleled
sufferings and of great bravery. From thi:
car there was no escape for the unfortu
mates, whose injuries did not allow volun
tary motion.
The suspicion raised by statement o
Conductor Losey that three unknown bodies
are yet in the wreck is strengthened by thu
report that several persons are missing
Among them are Elwood Moon, merchan
at Hortonville, who is said to have been OF
the train and has not since been seen. III
has q wife and ten children. Another pas
senger of whom nothing is known is Ma
Hayes, OF Louisville, travelling agent 10
Fairbanks Scale Company. His wife l
the daughter of NJ. McCord, Secretary o
the indianapolis Car Company, who drov
out to the scene OF the wreck IN search o
his son.in-law.
Although the bridge was being repaired
stay bolts being frightened and nuts re
moved, no signals were displayed calm
for caution in running over tne structure
and the most ordinary precautions agains
danger under the circumstances appear t
have been neglected.
Those of the wounded who are so badl
injured that they could not be moved wer
cared for in the village, DR.. j. w. Bates
residence being turned into sort Of hosp
tai. Lindley Clark, Of Hadem, Kan, fol
merly resident of Westfield, is fatally in
iured, his hurts being internal and on tn
head. He has a family.
w. A. Seemans, proprietor Of the West
aold Mills and Vim. Il SwiQ cart are in