The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-12
North Span Gave Way Under a Gravel
Train, Leaving the Motor Car
Hanging by a Girder.
LUKE KANE'S SKULL INJURED
HE WAS WORKING ON THE DEBRIS
AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
Car Operators Escape Injury-Mone.
Spent Last Year to Strengthen
h Bridge.

The north span OF the Central-avenue
bridge over Fall creek gave ava under a
south-bound motor car and two gravel cars
last evening at $40 o'clock. The bridge
structure fell, a mass Of wreckage, into the
water. The two gravel cars were over
turned. The motor car fell only a short
distance. 1t being supported by an iron
girder, and it was by this that w. b.. Trum-
BILE, the motorman, and Fleming Howe, the
trolley boy, escaped People for squares
around heard the great crash and went run
ming to the scene. The first to arrive saw
the motorman crawl out of the windo Of
his compartment and climb up to the whole
part OF the bridge, and the trolley boy wade
ashore. He had quietly slid into the water
as the motor car tilted up. But he was not
10 get away untouched. The trolley wire
was pulled down with the bridge and 1t
caught Howe around the neck. By a
chance he was freed from the death-dealing
wire and 1t only left its brand across the
back OF his neck.
Its a wonder you were not killed." said
someone to the motorman.
II guess I'm deathproof." he replied.
That it was a good and remarkable thing
that 1t was not a car full of passengers that
went down with the bridge was the COM
ment that ran through the crowd. 1t was
Immediately recalled that the bridge had
been shaky for a long time. The cars that
fell had been engaged In hauling gravel
from "a pit near the fair grounds to Irving
ton for two weeks. a similar train had
been doing the same work, in charge of
Motorman Charles Harris. His train had
passed over the bridge an hour before with
n load one-third heavier than that on
Trumble's train. Trumble's train had just
cleared the north bank when the north end
OF the bridge tore from Its mornings and
fell. The bridge has two spans and the
center is supported by a stone pier. The
south end Of the Orders Of the north span
held and kept up the motorman's end OF the
car, but the flooring OF the bridge, with the
exception of that between the east track,
broke away. The east track supported the
flooring and thus was left a %swaying, mar
row path across the abyss of wreckage.
WORKMAN'S KUL FRACTURED.
The crowd pressed forward on the bridge
TO cape into the hole. and the police had
difficulty in keeping the people back out of
danger. Gangs Of men were called out to
brace up the track that held firm. so that
people might have a way over, but dark
ness had fallen before the men got to work,
and this was the cause of an accident by
which one workman narrowly escaped
death. The men were sent down into the
creek under the bridge and timbers were
hauled to the place. The men went to work
TO brace up the ~passageway above. The
only light they had was from the lamps on
the bicycles of spectators, who flashed the
beams of light into the pit so they might
see and watch the operations of the work
men. The men stumbled over the wreckage
In handling the heavy timbers. II was
awkward work. The people above. strain
ing their eyes 10 satisfy their curiosity, sud-
denly heard the sound of a falling timber
and the sounds from the men working below
ceased. Then a man rushed up and across
the swaying strip Of boarding, calling for
some one to get a doctor. Two men dragged
a third out of the pit and half carried him
across the p~aSsageway. He was stupid n
helpless and blood flowed over his face.
One of the tfmberS that had been set up
right as a support mad TOPPED over, and. II
being dark, Luke Kane a no chance TO get
out of the way. 1t struck his head and he
fell on the rough mass OF wreckaso. The
ambulance was called and he was taken 10
showed that under the cash in his scalp
there was a fracture OF the skull. a
the physicians do not doubt that he win re-
cover. He lives at n restaurant at West
and Washington streets.
climbed up TO firm ground. There was no
grumbling; the men simply quit work and
they were not asked TO return. The police
had stretched ropes across the ends of the
bridge and no one was allowed TO pass over.
The street car service was continued TO the
south end of the bridge.
Roadmaster Lewis said he had no idea
what made the bridge give away 1t
must have been unequal to the steady
strain, he said. He did not express
criticism OF the engineers department
of the city administration for not
knowing the condition of the bridge and re-
pairing Il. but he called 10 mind that the
street-railroad company spent 81, 700 I'm brac-
ing and repairing the bridge just before the
knights Of PythiaS encampment In this city
last fall. 1t is remembered by people who
patronize the Central-avenue line that dur
ing the times when the street cars were
crowded by visitors TO the military camp or
the state fair the briage creaked and
Swayed in a manner that seemed to Indicate
that IL was unsafe. 1t is expected that this
morning gangs Of men will be put TO work
clearing away the wreckage preparatory to