The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-24
PASSENGER TRAN WRECKED.
Bridge Gives Way with Big Four En-
gine md Tender.

Passenger train No. IS on the Peoria divi-
sion of the Big Four east which left here
at 1925 O'Clock Tuesday afternoon, was
wrecked near Laura, o., at $50 O'Clock that
night. Engineer J. r. Dwyer, 1705 West
Market street, and Fireman ]. F. Fink, ACC
West Washington street, were injured. The
wreck was the result of the floods, which
undermined the supports of a bridge over a
small stream.
The train pulled out of Laura a little be-
mind time and was running slowly on ac-
count of the possible danger from the floods.
About half way between Laura and Ludlow
Falls the engine struck small trestle and
went through. 1t had barely struck the
structure when it sank into the water be-
low, the tender falling upon it. The bag
gage car butted up against the tender,
which happened to blockade the track and
held the train from going into the stream.
The fact that the stream was small and
the distance from the trestle to the bed of
the stream where the engine went down
was short probably saved many lives. AS
1t was, the passengers were shaken up by
the sudden stop, but were not injured.
Dwyer crawled out of the engine and was
carried down by the stream. His leg was
broken by the fall and he was nearly
y
drowned, and was almost too much ex-
hausted to help himself out of the torrent.
He managed to catch the branches of a
tree and chung to them until O'Clock yes
terday morning, when a searching party
found him. He suffered more from the eX-
posture than from the Injury received in
the fall. Fireman Fink was in a position on
the engine to have both his feet crushed,
and he was slightly scalded
Both the injured men were taken to the
house of a hospitable farmer and were given
the best care possible. They will probably
not be brought to this city for q day or two:
General Manager Barnard did not learn of
the wreck until yesterday morning. The
telegraph communication was cut Off. When
the news reached him he sent d wrecking
train and large force of men, with In
structionS to care for the injured first and
then put the road back into shape for the
running of trains. When the Wrecking train
reached the place they found that the first
injunction had been performed, and they
found a bad condition of affairs regarding
the roadbed. The engine was down in sew
eral feet of water. The passenger coaches
and the baggage car were standing IN
water up to the axles. The main part of
the bridge did not go out-only the trestle
approaching it. The engine did not go into
the bed of the stream, but into the water
where the embankment which supported the
trestle had been. The water covered the
track for a half mile on either side of the
stream "
The train was in charge of Conductor
Noah p. Pangborn, who lives at the Grand
Hotel in this city He returned from the
scene of the wreck yesterday AFTERNOON,
uninjured. He says the first dispatches
that went out concerning the wreck were
incorrect in saying that Conductor Nice
wonger was in charge of the train. Nice
wonger is a freight conductor and was rid
that he had waded and swan half mile
for help was also somewhat exaggerated.