Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1890 — ANOTHER MONON WRECK. [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER MONON WRECK.

81* Pass infer* Kit.il and Twcnty-fivs Another appalling calamity occurred on the Monon road one-half mile north oi Carmel in Hamilton county, Ind., at 7:30 a m. on the 27th. There is a long trestle over Wilkinson’s Creek at that point. The truck of the engine jumped the track before the bride was reached. The engine and baggage car cleared the trestle in safety, but the remaining cars went over it intd the creek and took fire. A scene of fright-, ful disorder ensued. The concussion killed and injured many persons and the flames added their horrors. The work of rescue was begun with all possible dispatch. Charred bodies were carried out to the bank of the streamrecalling the awful wreck at Broad Ripple on the same road, four years ago, when the bridge over White River gave way, and the train was thrown to the bod of the stream and burned, together with many persons. The passengers killed or burned to death were Mrs. Nellie Eubank, Broad Ripple; C. O. Deming, Frankfort; two daughters of Mrs. Oldham, Sheridan; Miss Mary Hoover, Horton, Ind., and one unknown. The injured number at least twenty-five, some of whom will die. Otto Gresham, son of Judge Walter Q. Gresham, was among the slightly injured. “It was an awful wreck,” he said te a News reporter on the way down on the train, “and Ido not see how any of us escaped alive. I was in my berth in t-lie sleeper when the accident occurred-; - The porter had Just tapped me on the shoulder to awake me, and I was turning over when the oar went off the track. We lunged forward and then went over on the side. 1 managed to get out. Ido not know ho w, with only a bruised body and a sprained arm. In a moment the ladies’ car took fire, and was soon destroyed. The cries es the tw* children and one woman pinioned in the ruins were heart-rending, but We could d« nothing toward rescuing them then. I Looked for Abe Angle, the conductor, and tound him walking round and round i n a field near the wreck. The blood was streaming down over his face, and he seems to have lost his mind entirely for the time being. As soon as he came to his senses he per. aisted in trying to save the lives of the injured, though he was so weak he could hardly stand. As soon as I could find Dis trict Passenger Agent Baldwin, who vvaa on the ill-fated train, we ran to the tele graph office at Carmel and sent in a report of the accident. I talked with the engineer, and he told me that the accident was caused by the front wheels of the trucks spreading. The jar broke the air brake, and the engine was unable to stop the train in time to save it.” Henry Blusber, another passenger, as great tears rolled down his cheeks, recit ed, in broken sentences, what he saw. “I was in the car,” said he, “and when the crash came two women were thrown eve* against me. They were caught near tme by some broken timbers, and two little children were pinioned to the floor just across the aisle from me. The car at once took fire and 1 was barely able to get out in time to save my life. Oh I the cries ol those women and little children, fastened to the floor within my reach, and yet 1 was unable to render any assistance. J tried tj> unloose them, but I couldn’t do it, and had to leave them to their fate.” An Indianapolis News reporter was sent out to the scene of the disaster. There h< found an appauling condition of affairs The trestle, about 100 feet long and twen ty feet high, is a mass of ruined timbers, and many of them seem to be unsound. The dead lay about on the banks from morning until 3 o’clock. Crowds of pea pie swarm about discussing the matter. The disaster occurred this way: The en gine L baggage car and smoker passed ovei

the trestle in safety although the hind trucks of the tender had jumped the tract before the trestle was reached. The Road master of the Monon says this derailed truck was the cause of the disaster. Wher the ladies’ day coach reached the center oi the bridge it fell through with a crash t« the depths below. The wreck thus created took fire from the stove and that cai was entirely consumed. It was in this csaoh that all the casualties occurred. Three were burned to death; the others were killed by the fall or crushed in the wreck. The sleeper (hind car) also fell from the bridge into the creek, but fortun ately did not take fire. After the engine and first two cars had passed over, these cars left the track and rolled down the twenty foot embankment. The engine staid on the rails, and its front wheels alone of the whole train remained on the track. The injury to the express and baggage train men occurred on the far side of the death chasm. There was not oaly prevalent adverse criticism of the condition of the bridge, but of the failure for hours of the railroad company to do anything in caring for the filled. Of the corpses lying on the bank, the two once beautiful twin daughters of Mrs. Oldham were charred and unrecognizable masses. Anothe passenger gave the following experience: “A jewelry man from Indi anapolis sat in front of me, and across the aisle from him were two men who fell on him as the car went over. I tell you 1 never was happier in my life than when ] found I was able to stand up. It washor rible to hear the screams for help in the car next to ours. I have heard of Buck things, but I never saw anything like if before. The car was burning and we knew the two little children were in the flames. Oh, it is awful 1 awful! A woman with nei head crushed in was dragged from the car, and rising to her feet, started toward a wheat field screaming for her children. 1 don’t know whether she died or not. It was notiong until the neighboring fanners were at the scene and did everything in their power to suocor the wounded and dying. The sleeping car porters threw out blanket* and bedding for the injured. I don’t know how many were injured, but I think there were more than twenty.” J. T. Altizen, of Chicago, made this state ment: “Near me were three women piled ill a heap, one almost doubled up, another pariMly uhdei-aseat “TKTSr IwTfuST of dirt, gravel and smoke. I dragged thr woman that was on top of the heap, to tb« other odoCthe psefaed my way out

aide, and carrying her to the bank IsKTher flown. I ran back to the car and was foined by a brave fellow , whose name X don’t know. I caught up another woman and carried her out and started back after the other. I found the conductor about midway the car under a seat and dragged him out. But ! could do no more. The car was on fire. The little children, who five minutes before had laughed so gleefully, were held down by the roof and the Upturned stove roasted them to death. I' Suppose the woman I left in the car was turned to death. It was the most horri-, le thing I ever witnessed, and I was theonly one in the front end of the car who escaped.