The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-11-29
Two Pennsylvania Freight
Trains in a Spectacular
Wreck Wednesday, Wit
messed by Large Crowd.
CREWS OF TRAINS
ESCAPED INJURIES
One Train Was Stationary
on the Bridge When An
other Freight, East Bound,
Dashed Into 1t.

IN the mluOle Oh tne FeuHSt WANNA
railroad bridge over the Whitewater
river. second section of east bound
freight train No. 72 crashed into the
rear end of extra freight train. No.
1919, at noon Wednesday. hurling one
freight car. loaded with packed meats,
into the river and demolishing sever
al others, but injuring none of the
crews.
1t is charged that Engineer Eskey,
of No 72, was running his big engine
at speed he could not immediately
control This, it is alleged. was the
cause of the most serious wreck which
has occurred on the bridge in years,
and which tied up the south track
for several hours.
The miracle of the accident was
that none of the members of either
crew was injured, not even scratched.
The caboose of the extra train, which
was not moving when struck. was de-
serted by the crew, including Conduc-
tor c. F.. Mccarthy, flagman Jack lr-
win and brakeman Bowman. all of In
dianapolis, shortly before the wreck
took place. The caboose WAS practic-
ally demolished and ground under the
engine, and the remainder telescoped
on the nose of the engine. fire starting
in the car and practically destroying
it's ruins.
Stuck to Their Posts.
Engineer Eskey on second 72 and
his fireman, Moore, both of Indianap-
oils stuck to their posts and FORUM
ately for them, the engine remained
on the tracks. despite the fact that
much of the debris of the caboose col
lected on the rails, and might easily
have derailed the engine and tender.
tGondsckpf.- -1omeeo'lanna and his
hagman and brakeman were stationed
near the rear of the train when the
collision came. Although jolted. they
were able to keep their places on top
of the freight cars.
Happening just about the time the
shopmen were returning from lunch,
there were many eye Witnesses. 1t
was most spectacular, especially when
the carload of beef was forced sever
al feet in the air, then toppled over the
dred feet below into the river.
According to the crew on the extra
that train had stopped in order to cut
out some cars which we're consigned
here. The caboose was located about
the middle of the bridge. A few min.
utes later second freight No. 72 roun'
ded the curve from the west and
though tagged by flagman Irwin the
engineer was not able to bring his
train to a stop in time to avoid the col
| lision, which was of such impact that
the engine drove it's nose half way into
the caboose and pushed the extra sta
tionary train about fifty feet along the
bridge.
Some of the box cars on the second
~ were derailed and broken consider
ably, but only the one car loaded with
pork and other packed meats, was
hurled from the bridge. 1t seemed tc
double up. according to witnesses
then recoil and spring from the raj
over the bridge.
| Damage to the company is inestima
bic, just at present inasmuch as the
company officials have not had time te
make an examination of the wreck
age and also because it was impossi
BILE to ascertain If any damage hat
been done to the bridge. The Western
Union telegraph company had small
loss, its wires from indianapolis beins
broken by the box car which fell into
the river Both trains were on the In
Idianapois division. Members of botl
| crews were from that city.