The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-02-08
A HOOSIER HORROR.

a Passenger Train on the Monon" Route
Crashes Through a Weak Bridge Into
the White River-The Wreck Takes Fire,
and six Persons Are Burned Beyond
RecognitioR--A Number Wounded.
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 1.-The south-boune
accommodation train ON the Indiana polls &
Chicago Air Line due here at 1890 o'clock
yesterday morning met with terrible acci-
dent when seven miles from this city, at
Broad Ripple, where the railway crosses
the White River on truss bridge of two
spans, each one hundred and fifty feet
in length. The engineer had gone to
the baggage car for drink of water,
and the locomotive was in charge of the
fireman. When the locomotive reached the
structure sinking. He had his hand on the
throttle, which he opened giving the loco
motive all the available steam. The en-
CINE sprang forward with great force,
breaking the coupling between the tender
and the baggage car. The locomotive kept
the track, but the baggage and snlok-
ing-cars and another coach dropped
through and piled up in a mass at
the foot of the piers, the smoking car being
partially teleScoped on the baggage car. The
wreck was partially submerged, but the
portion above the water Immediately took
fire from the stoves The tiremen declares
that when he looked back after the l0cOmO-
tive reached the south end of the bridge the
cars were on fire and smoke was obScuring
the scene.
News of the wreck reached this city in
short time, and wrecking train, with sur
geons and other assistance, was at once
made up and sent to Broad Ripple. On
reaching the wreck a chaotic scene was pre-
sented. The bridge and cars were yet
burning, and those present were so lacking
I'M presence of mind as to be unable to ex-
tinguish the flames or afford relief to the
sufferers. The officials of the road went to
work vigorously and systematically, and
in short time the fire was extinguished
and the search for bodies was begun. Six
persons were either killed outright or burned
to death. The remains recovered were
burned and charred almost beyond recogni-
ton, being horribly mutilated, and the only
means Of Identification was the finding of
incOmbustible trlnketS known to be the
property of the dead men. The following
is the list of the dead and wounded:
Ind. j. E. Ricketts,, baggage-master, New
Albany. George Lowry, brakeman, Buena
Vista Ind Thomas Parr. bridge foreman,
Indianapolis A. Il. Smith, American Express
MESSENGER, INDIANAPOLIS John Bray a stock
dealer, residing at Deming, N. NJ.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Seman, Noblesville;
right arm broken, and injured severely about
the head and body. Lynn Ozark, Westheld,
Ind; injured internally; will die. Joseph
Claybough, Frankfort: cut on the head. A. T.
Peddigo, Frankfort; body bruised. w: I.
Howk, W5stfeld; head badly cut. w. L.
Swigart Carmel; skull fractured. Mrs. Sulli-
van and babe. Carmel; Slightly injured. b.
Snyder, Trohoon, slightly injured.
The scenes at the wreck were extremely
distressing. The dead were in the ruins of
the smoking and baggage cars, and these,
the one on top of the other, were in deep
water. At one end of the smoking-car lay
man with his skull crushed and life eX-
tinct Across him, close to the red hot stove,
lay Lynn Clark, heavy timber binding one
leg immoyably. q. c. FODDER, one of the
passengers, tried to find the ak with
which each car was provided, but it was on
the other side of the car. in three feet of
water. "For Gods sake, don't desert me!'
cried Clark. " We did not desert him." said
Loder, 8 until the flames scOrched us, and
we were almost sutfocated with smoke.
| Before leaving | kicked out the window
close by Clark, and left him in agony.
Presently the flames burned the timber in
two close by Clark, and he crawled out of
the window which we had broken for him.
B. j. White WAS working under the
bridge when the train went over. He says
he thinks the rods pulled through the nuts,
| letting the bridge down. TO all appear
ances one break occurred within fifteen feet
| of the pier and another about midway
of the span. Whites escape was truly mar
veIous. Standing on the ice, the fax
ing 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 cut more dead than alive,
covered with bruises, but able to walk.
| The newsboy of the train says he could
have extinguished the fire with one bucket
| of water, but it was not to be had
The accident is attributed to defective
threads on the supporting rods of the bridge,
the nuts on the ends of the rods fitting SO
! loosely that the bridge was unable to sup
port the weight of the train.