The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-27
Garfield Park Car Struck by a Belt
Locomotive at East Street
and Wrecked.
CAUGHT BETWEEN TRAINS
CONDUCTOR SWEENEY MAY HAVE
MIsJUDGED THE DISTANCE.
Car Was Hurled from Track and One
Passenger Injured-FIagman
Refused TO Talk.

CURED yesterday morning at 1880 O'Clock
at East street and the Belt Railroad. in
which a Garfield Park car was struck by
a Belt engine and Conductor Barney Swee-
ney. of the street car, was instantly killed
and JOhn Hickman, a switchman on the
Belt engine. received injuries from which
he died at noon at st. Vincent's Hospital.
Motorman Frank Pitts was badly cut and
bruised, and Miss Bessie Young, a pas
senger, living at 1854 South East street,
was slightly bruised. The street car was
wrecked. The Belt engine was but slight
ly damaged. the front trucks being only
slightly displaced. Four box cars. stand
ing on a siding, were also damaged.
The street car was struck by but one
engine, which was Belt engine No. 4 haul
ing a train of cars. 1t was thrown to the
east on the tracks and wedged between
box cars on opposite tracks.
The Belt road at this point is made up
of three sets of tracks. The north tracks
are used for west-bound trains. the middle
tracks for east bound and the south tracks
for switching purposes. No. IL, on
the north track, was hauling five cars
loaded with hogs. and was running west
at good speed. No. 4 was east
bound and was hauling several box
cars. 1t was said that cars were to be
taken to the east switch and placed on the
south tracks. This train was also running
at lively speed. Both trains were nearing,
the crossing at the same time. with
engine No. 4 slightly in the lead.
BRAKES DID NOT WORK.
Garfield Park car No. 239, in charge of
Conductor Sweeney and Motorman Pitts.
was running north from the park toward
Il "
reached the crossing 1t slowed down and
Conductor Sweeney jumped off and ran
ahead to note the approach of the trains.
On the south track were a number of box
cars standing almost flush with the side
walk. Conductor Sweeney walked past
these cars and saw that Engine 4 was
still some distance from the crossing. Mo-
torman Pitts sent the car ahead and
Sweeney returned to the rear vestibule.
When the car arrived in the middle of the
tracks 1T was seen by Motorman Pitts that
he could not cross before the approaching
No. 4. He tried to adjust the brakes,
but the dog would not work. The car
slowed down, but on account Of the brake
refusing to work the car slowly moved on
to the middle of the tracks, and
engine No. 4 dashed into the car,
nlIllUB IL III liz CCAlCI. car
was knocked about one hundred feet east.
No. II, which was running at good
speed on the north tracks, stopped when
the engineer saw that the car was in the
center of the tracks. When the street car
was struck it landed between the box cars
on the south track and the trainload of
hogs on the north tracks. The car was
one of the large double-truck pattern, and
in wedging itself between the freight cars
caused them to tilt.
Sweeney and Pitts had no time to jump
from the car when IL was struck. Sweeney
tried TO crawl over the rear dashboard,
but in so doing was dashed against the
box cars and his head was nearly severed.
His left arm was cut off. He was also cut
wa jammed against the box car the BODY
Of Sweeney rolled off and fell under the
box car. Pitts could not get out of his
squeezed between the controlling box and
} the front door of the car. He received a
! large cash across the left cheek and sew
) eral small scalp wounds. He was injured
Z internally.
) SWITCHMAN CRUSHED.
I No. 4. which was running east ten.
) der first. was in charge of Engineer NJ. Ru-
} genstein. Fireman Frank Patton and b. F
! Smead, conductor. Frank Hickman, &
! switchman, was sitting on the front of the
{ tender. When the collision came he die
I not have time to jump and was crushed be
: tween the tender and the car. When thu
! street car was hurled away the uncon
{ scious form of Hickman fell TO one side o.
) the track. he received a number of wounds
} on the left side and back besides being in
} jured internally.
} Miss Bessie Young. the only passengel
( on the street car, remained in the car unit
{ II came to a stop and calmly opened tn,
door and walked away. She received Sigh
bruises on the body by being jolted from
! one side to the other.
News of the accident was Immediately tel
- 4 nnhnnDh hnuEnfnuvn onA II nfrnl MO nnn
. with two ambulances, hurried to the scene
The injured were looked after by Drs
Schenck and Lambert, of the City Dispen
sary. They took Hickman to St. Vincent
Hospital and returned to the scene of tn
wreck. In the meantime Pitts and Mis-
Young had been taken to Painters druI
store, where DR.. Petersdorf attended thei
n injuries.
a wrecking train from the Belt round
> house assisted in clearing the tracks. TIL
wrecked street car was placed aboard
3 freight car and transferred to the Yves
I. WaShtngton-Street barns. When pulle
away from the box cars where ii rested tn
cars settled down. The box cars were onl
2 slightly damaged. New trucks were place,
. under the front of the tender on engin
: No. 4 and the engine continued its switch
5 ing.
e DEAF AMI INJURED.
$ Sweeney. the dead conductor, was un
= married and lived with his sister at So
South Senate avenue. He had been I'm
e ployed by the street-car company abou
? eight months, and only yesterday told hi
sister that he intended giving up his pres
e ent position and going to work for an
= other company. He was twenty-one year
= old, and had a brother living in this city.
Z JOhn Hickman. the dead s~witchman, wa
n married and leaves a widow and thre
e small children He resided at 1854 Hard
: ing street, in West indianapolis. He ha
z been working for several years for tn
Union Railway Company.
: Frank Pitts is unmarried and boards a
: the Illinois House on South Illinois street
; Patrick Griffin, fiagman at the CROSSING
where the accident occurred, refused to dis
: cuss the matter yesterday afternoon. III
said he was there attending TO his duty
y that he had nothing TO say. He saws h
: will tell what he knows TO the proper au
q thorities.
! BLINDED BY SNOW.