Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-02-07
ANOTHER CATASTROPHE
Several Cars Crush Through a
Frail T russ Bridge.

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 31-The south
bound accommodate tiOn train on the
Indianapolis and Chicago Air line, due
here at 1890 o'clock this morning, met
with terrible accident at Broad Rip
pie, Z miles from this city. At that
point the railroad crosses the White
river over truss ridge of two spans,
each $50 feet in length. The engineer
had gone to the baggage ear for drink
of water and the locomotive was in
charge of the Gleman when the engine
had reached the centre of the bridge
the fireman felt the structure sinking.
He at the time had his hand on the
throttle, which he opened, giving the
locomotive all the available steam. The
engine sprang forward with great force,
breaking the coupling between the ten
der..and the baggage car. The loco
motive kept the track, but the baggage
and the smoking car and a passenger
coach dropped through the bridge and
were piled up in one mess at the foot
of the pier, the smoking car being tele
scoped by the baggage car. The wreck
was partially submerged, but the por-
ton above water Immediately took fire
from the stoves.
THE FIREMAN'S STATEMENT.
The fireman states that Wien he
looked back, after the locomotive had
reached the south end of the bridge, the
cars were on fire and the smoke was
obscuring the scene. The news of the
wreck reached this C ity shortly after it
occurred, and wrecking train with sur
Broad Ripple. On reaching the wreck
a chaotic scene was presented. The
bridge and cars Wer e yet burning and
hose persons were so lacking presence
Of mind as to be unable to extinguish
the flames or re lieVe the sufferers. The
officials of the road worked vigorously
and Systematically ly and in short time
the flames were eXtinguished. Then a
search for bodies was begun. Six per-
sons had either been killed outright or
burned to death, their bodies being
Charred almost beyond recognition and
horribly mutilated. The only means of
identification was by incombustible
trinkets, known to be the property of
the dead.
The accident is now attributed to de-
feats i'll the supporting rods in the
bridge. The nuts on the ends of the
rods fitting SO badly that the bridge
was unable to support the weight of
the train. The scenes at the wreck
were extremely distressing. The dead
were in the ruins Of the smoking car,
and those on top of the Others were in
deep water. A skiff was used in trans
ferring the bodies from the ruins of the
cars to the land. B. j. White, Wh0 |
was walking under the bridge when the
train went over, says he thinks the rods
pulled through the nuts, letting the
bridge down.
WHAT THE CONDUCTOR SAYS.
Conductor Losly says that in five
after the train went down the
entire wreck was wrapped in flames and
in less time than that all who had not
already escaped were drowned. Fear
full screames came from the ruins near
the SSpier, but with only two buckets
and. no boat we were powerless, and all
we could do was to close our ears and
pray for death to relieve our comrades.
It is believed th2t Qll the bodies of the
killed haYe been recovered e. 43ept that
of Thomas Parr, who was working on
the bridge and whose remains are sup
posed to be at the bottom of the river. !
The bridge and train were entirely de-
molished.