RAILWAY BRIDGE COLLAPSES.

THIRTY-ONE BIG FOUR FREIGHT CARS FALL INTO THE WABASH RIVER -- ONE MAN KILLED, ANOTHER DYING.

Special to the New York Times.
Terre Haute, Ind., Feb. 23 -- The west span of the "Big Four" railroad bridge across the Wabash River in this city gave way this afternoon just as east-bound Freight Train No. 96 was crossing, and Engine No. 440 and thirty-one cars out of a total of fifty dashed into the river.
The bridge had been weakened by the ice gorge, and people who saw the span swaying just a few minutes before the arrival of the train tried to flag it, but they were not quick enough. The train was loaded with lumber, wheat, and cotton, and the wreck is a costly one, not to speak of the delay to trains, which will have to detour by way of Paris, Ill., and the Vandalia.
Three of the freight crew went down with the train and were gotten out with much difficulty. They are the engineer, HARRY ADAMS, seriously injured, but probably not fatally; the fireman, DAN RUDDELL, who died at St. Anthony's Hospital to-night, and the brakeman, GEORGE WHITEMAN, of Worthington, Ind., who is fatally hurt.
The Southeastern Limited, due here at 1:30 o'clock this afternoon on its way East, had a narrow escape. All that saved a fearful passenger wreck was that it was an hour and a half late, and the freight was given the right of way. The Knickerbocker would have passed over at 4:20 o'clock.

The New York Times New York 1900-02-24

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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!