The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-10
A CRASH AT A CURVE
NINE PEOPLE HURT BY A COLL
sI0N OF BROAD RIPPLE CARS.
A MotOrman CareIessIy Tried to Make
q switch mt Illinois and Twenty
Sixth Streets.

badly scared yesterday afternoon In a
street-car wreck at Twenty-sixth and Ili-
nois streets. The injured, so far as their
names are known. are:
MARTHA SWEENEY. 27 West Ohio
street, leg broken in two places and badly
bruised.
MRS. MARTIN, 1Ss North Alabama street.
badly bruised and Frustrated.
SUSAN DENNIS. SO Buchanan street. bad
MAGGIE RICE, s2s North West street.
head and face badly battered and bruised.
EDITH CHRIST. 201 Columbia avenue,
limbs bruised and other injuries.
l.. II. SMITH, POI Columbia avenue. badly
MARY IL and SARAH LANHAN. of 1sl
East Market street, bruised about the lower
II. b. BROWN. 127 East Ohio street.
shaken up and some internal pain.
WILLIAM j. MCCULLOUGH, 26S East st.
Clair street, slightly bruised.
There were nearly twice as many more
who suffered all sorts OF minor injuries.
but not such as to necessitate immediate
medical attention. They took the first car
for their home or for Broad Ripple, and
their names could not be learned.
The wreck was caused by two Broad Rip
pie trains. and occurred at 4 o'clock, at a
time when the south-bound trains were
crowded with people returning from a days
outing and the north-bound trains were
well filed with those who could not take
the entire day. but desired to spend a part
Of the evening at Broad Ripple. The cor
ner Of Illinois and Twenty-second street Is
where the Broad Ripple trains always
meet and change conductors, those in the
employ of the Citizens company returning
to the city. The motormen On both trains
were In the employ OF the Broad Ripple
company 1t is customary for the trains to
stop wherever they meet and change crews,
but, on account of the heavy load. each mo-
tor pulling two heavily-loaded t~railers. the
motormen thought 1t best to get around the
curves before stopping. The south-bound
train reached the curve first, and was about
half clear OF ii when the other train
reached it. c. II. Pierce, the motorman OF
the north-bound train. attempted to make
the curve without stopping to throw the
switch, expecting TO throw ii while running.
he missed his calculation. and his train
rushed forward up the Ilinois-street track,
striking the front end OF the rear trailer of
the south-bound train. The crash was ac-
compsnied by the screams of many women
and children. This so frightened the motor
man OF the snouth-bound train. j. H. Rob
crts, that in attempting to stop his train
ne reversed 1t instead OF cutting off the
and. seeing his mistake. Roberts again
out first cutting off the current,
causing the train to go forward
time it was impossible to move farther than
the e~ntangled motor of the other train
would allow, and his train came to a stand
still with the current still on. About this
time Roberts recovered himself and threw
of the current.
All was confusion in an instant. The UNI
injured in the wrecked train and the pas
sengers OF the other train Jumped off the
cars and went to the assistance OF the in
jured ones. With the people of the neigh
s 9ornood there was soon a CROWD OF 500 or
bic for the suffering ones. DIR. House, OF
Twenty-second and Illinois street. was no.
tined uhe and and was soon mlnistering to those
city dispensary was called, and for once
did not ask to know all about the trouble
lance was also called into service and re-
sponded promptly.
The most seriously hurt is Mrs. Sarah
Sweeney. Of 207 West Ohio street. She was
sitting near the front OF the wrecked car,
and when the crash came had risen to
leave the car, seeing that danger was
position to be caught by the crushing of the
seats when the shock came. One of her
legs was broken In two places. Ii is be-
leave the hea car II she sns wo ahd have nUs s escaped With IL
only a few bruises. 1t was on account of
her standing position that the timbers
caught her In such a way as to break her
Mrs. Rice was near the outer side of the
car, and when the crash came she, also,
had risen to jump. The jar threw her from
was picked up in a much dazed condition
and a conclusion OF the brain is feared in
INJURIES hsr Gsse. viii II s Se t PROVES mos to s De sns case of a ner
otherwise they are slight. Mrs. John Mar
tin was sitting near the middle of the car
and seemed to be too much frightened to
move. The jar was sufficient to throw her
from her seat to the floor Of the car. She
was completely Frustrated, but other than
a few bruises, was not injured.
T.. b. Brown. who suffered a few bruises,
was seen last night. He was sitting In
front Of his home on East Ohio street, and
said he did not feel as If his injury would
ternal pain. but thought ii would not prove
serious. He was sitting in the. last seat of
was in a position to see all that happened.
He said the train he was on seemed to be
going unusually fast, as though IL were try
ing to clear the curve TO save the possi-
striking 1t. He thought nothing OF it until
he saw that the northbound train was GO
ing at an unusually fast rate of speed. He
did not see whether or not Pierce. the
northbound motorman, attempted to throw
the switch. 1t was only an instant after he
notice1 the unusual speed that the crash
came. The front end OF the car ne was in
was crushed in and the floor ripped up:
the seats were overturned and broken. Az
ter this he felt several jerks of the train
anG then began TO extricate himself from
the people who were piled on him.
From all that can be learned from those
who saw the accident. it seems that the en-
tire blame rests upon the northbound mo-
torman, Pierce. He was roundiy censured
by the people who were witnesses to the
accident. The rules of the COMPANY re-
quire that a full stop shall be made at all
switches and all crossings. and IL seems
evident from the story of witnesses that
this rule was disregarded. 1t is said that
this rule Is constantly violated at this
curve Thursday night an accident occurred
there that, happily, did not result In the
loss OF life or serious injury. A young man
and his sister were riding east on Twenty
sixth street on bicycles. The way Is mar
row between the tracks and the sidewalk.
A Broad Ripple car was coming around the
same curve at a high rate Of speed and
struck the lady. throwing her from her
wheel. under the trailer. Her brother
jumped of and pulled her out before any
injury resulted. The trainmen did not even
stop to see the result of the accident.
Tn conductor Of the next train UP called
TO them. without stopping. TO know II
they were much hurt. but did not offer any
assistance. Fortunately, the wheel was all
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