Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 December 1899 — INDIANA INCIDENTS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA INCIDENTS.

RECORD OF EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK. Boy Prevents a Train Wreck—Student's Hearing Destroyed by Initiation—Explosive Under an Undertaking Establisment - Schoolgirl’s Brave Deed. The presence of mind of 14-year-old Frank Williams prevented a disastrous wreck and doubtless great loss of life on the Vandalia railroad. Williams was going from Knightsville to Brazil when he noticed a broken rail, which had been pressed out of position by a freight train. He heard the west-bound passenger and mail train whistle for the Knightsville station. Knowing that the train did not stop there, the fioy ran up the track and when he sighted the train stood between the rails and waved his hat. The engineer, seeing the boy would not leave the track, stopped the train. The engine then was within a few feet of the broken rail. The engineer said he was running fifty miles an hour when he saw the boy signaling him to stop. Serious Result of a Prank. At the Eastern Indiana Normal University in M uncle Clarence Deaton was initiated into the mysteries of class society. Wagon axle grease wgs smeared all over his body. His clothing was then torn off in shreds und an electric battery was applied. The shock was so great that his sense of hearing has been destroyed. Another candidate "was tied to a tombstone in the cemetery and kept there all uight. Girl Saves Child’s Life. Miss Ethel Smock, a girl in the Centennial school at Lafayette, distinguished herself by saving the life of a child. The child fell between the Monon tracks just as the Louisville express dashed on to the crossing. Miss Sinock rushed in front of the engine, seized the baby and barely escaped. House Wrecked by Dynamite. Farmersburg was the scene of a terrible explosion. Some unknown person or persons placed dynamite beneath the undertaking establishment of W. J. Wood of that place and the explosion wrecked the building and broke window glass throughout the town. Large Water Tank Collapses. In Indianapolis the immense water tank of Ivingan & Co.'s packing house collapsed. The paiut shop and other smaller buildings were destroyed by the avalanche of water. The tank was 100 feet high and held 38,000 gallons or 140 tons of water. No one was injured.

*V itnm Our Boraer*. Martinsville will have a sewer system. Anderson bolt works will be moved to Louisville. Muncie trades council will establish a free library. Krein chain works, Marion, has gone into the trust. Chas. Curtner, 24, Union City, was cut in two by a train. The electric railroad from Logansport to Kendallville is a go. Benson Wantz, 65. Goshen, was instantly killed by a train. W. F. Edwards, agent for the Lake Erie at Hobbs, is missing. Oliver B. Arthur, Waterloo, has been appointed railway mail clerk. Fern McGovern, 4, Anderson, fell from a toy wagon and broke his neck. Theodore Pratt was instantly lulled by a runaway team near Ross station. Beds of shale near Martinsville may be the means of locating a large steel mill there. Farmers in DeKalb County complain because there are no little potatoes to feed the pigs. Mrs. Louis Schorr, near Baiesville, found several lumps of gold in a duck’s craw the other day. Three mules at Brazil bad glanders, aud they were ordered shot aud ihe stable burned over them. Lafayette physicians bold a private meeting the other day to take steps to stamp out diphtheria. Haynes & Appersou, automobile mauil-. facturers, Kokomo, have turued out a motor to propel farm machiucry. Three children of Cou.au Bakei, Pleasant township, died vvuhm a few hours of each other, of diphtheria. Benson Wantz, aged u>. a prominent and wealthy early settler, w as struck aud instantly killed by a Luke Whore train at Millersburg. Little child of Ryan Hickcrsou. Petersburg, got hold of a box of puls and swallowed all of them. He will live, out will never do it again. A new sidewheel steamer hue, Known as the Pittsburg# Cinciuuau and Louisville Packet Compauy, has been organized with SISU,UUO capital, iu ouch tne Louisville aud Cincinnati Pu> uei Company. Employes of the Midland Wtcel tiimpany, Muncie, have requested that ihe weekly pay law be not euioued, us .ue mills would be closed Saturday uuoration to make out the pay rolls, which means a loss to each of $2 a week. While Ambrose Colby, No'blesville blacksmith, was shoeing John L. *vert heval’s horse, Kerchevul's dog jumped through a window, ’lht* horse was frightened and kicked Colby on ibe log. crippling him for life. Colby bus now sued ■or SIO,OOO damages. The custodian of the Indiana wire fence factory at Crawlorusvdle. winch was recently absorbed by the trust, acting under instructions rrom headquarters, destroyed three new wire feme machines. These cost $1,500 each und nad been used but a few weeks when the lactory closed. They were broken to bits and the fragments will be sold’ to junk dealers. Win. Anderson, Greensburg, lost a foot under a Big Four train, and he sued for $20,000. T. G, Simpson, Crawfordsville school teacher, has been fired for writing love letters to a 14-year-old pupil. He has dis appeared. ' W. J. Smith, who has been president of the American flint glass workers’ onion for seventeen years, will resign Jan. 1. No reason given. Directors of Winona assembly have decided to sell thirty acres of the ground to wipe oat the debt and use what is left for improvements. .. - •