The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-12-15
YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WITH
FATAL RESULTS
BRAKEMAN DEWITT KILLED
.r.7
Meets His Death in a Horrible Man.
ner-Accident Caused by De-,
rallied Car.

While the residents of the peace
full little town of East Germantown
were recovering from the effects
brought about by yesterday MORN
ing's big fire, they were plunged into
another furor of excitement yester-
day afternoon about 2:10 O'Clock
when the last three ears on the sec
ond section of the west-bound Penn
sylvania fast freight No. SO plunged
through the bridge over Martinsdale
creek on the western outskirts of
the town, pulling down the bridge,
killing rear brakeman Charles De-
Witt. of Indianapolis, and slightly
injuring Conductor Edward Hulz,
also of Indianapolis.
All traffic was completely blocked
yesterday afternoon and the wreck
crew of the Richmond division was
at work clearing up the debris.
About 8 O'Clock in the afternoon a
wrecking crew from indianapolis ar
rived and the work continued with
out interruption all of last night.
1t is not definitely known just how
the wreck occurred, but judging from
the appearances of the ties, some Of
which We're nearly cut in two, the
axle on the third car from the rear
of the train, which consisted of ten
cars, broke, derailing this car and
tearing up the bridge to such an ex-
tent that it collapsed under the
heavy freight. The train was
through-bound freight and it left
Richmond about l 80 p. m., and was
running at fast rate of speed when
going through East Germantown. It
Is evident that the axle on the car
which was derailed, a coal car. broke
just before the bridge was reached.
The car was thrown lengthwise.
Suddenly, when the fourth car from
the rear reached the western end of
the bridge, the structure broke in
twain and with crash the whole
bridge gave in, hurling the two rear
coal ears down into the ice-covered
creek and dropping the caboose on
top of them.
Riding in the caboose was rear
brakeman Dewitt and Conductor
Hulz, who is a brother of Charles
Hulz, of this city. De Witt was in
the top bunk of the caboose, while
Hultz was seated below. When the
car fell Dewitt was hurled through
a window and the unfortunate man
fell into the water underneath the
wreckage and was literally crushed
to death. Hulz stayed in the ca
boose. When the wreck crew arriv-
ed they at once turned their atten-
tion to the caboose, where they ex-
pected TO find the lifeless body Of
the conductor. The side Of the car,
which remained above water was
ripped off and Hull pulled out. By
some freak Of chance he was found
to be suffering with only a few slight
1t lOoh sDHAC Il4lIt w titoi
out the wreckage over the dead
brakeman. He was found lying In
the water and his body crushed so
badly as to be nearly unrecognizable.
The bridge was built in 1889 and
was an iron structure. When II fell
the top row of massive stones on the
east abutment were torn from their
places and deposited into the creek.
A few minutes after the accident oc-
CURED crowds began to swarm about
the scene, attracted there by the ter
rible crash that was made when the
structure fell and when the news
reached Richmond many went out on
the 3 O'Clock interurban. The
scene presented shortly after the ac-
cident beggars description. The re-
mains of the two freight cars and
the caboose with the iron work and
ties of the bridge were strewn about
Continued on page four.)