A PERILOUS RAILWAY RIDE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 217, 12 September 1900, Page 3

A PERILOUS RAILWAY RIDE.

THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF A

PASSENGER,

Mr G .S. Duane, formerly of Auckland, N.Z., and more recently of Casterton, Victoria, is very anxious to get to South Africa, otherwise the experiences through which he has gone to reach that country would have deterred him from making further efforts in that direction. His first attempt was made in New Zealand, when he offered his services for the contingent. On his way to Auckland from Taranaki by train the locomotive ran over a cow, and was derailed; and, though no injury was caused to any of the passengers, the mishap caused a delay of some hours. Failing to secure a place in the contingent, he determined to go to South Africa on his own account, trusting to luck to get into one of the companies being formed there for active service. The steamer on which he embarked encountered heavy weather, in the course' of which she struck either a sunken rock or some wreckage, and broke three of the blades of her propeller. This necessitated a return to the nearest port, but Mr Duane took passage by another steamer, and duly reached Melbourne. So great was the demand for passages to Capetown that, after waiting for seven weeks In a vain endeavour to gain a berth, he accepted a situation at Casterton. A few days ago he heard from two New Zealand friends who are now in Ladysmith, and determined to join them there. He resigned his appointment, and on Saturday took train for Melbourne, when he met with an experience which might easily have terminated fatally. At Hamilton he met a gentleman who was taking some valuable sheep to Melbourne, and at his invitation went along the station to inspect them. The owner of the sheep went into the truck, and shut the door, and, whilst he was showing some of the points of the animals, the train moved. Thinking it was only in consequence of shunting operations, Mr Duane caught hold of the bars of the sheep truck, and in this way was carried .along for some distance. To his dismay, however, he found that the train had actually started, and when he became convinced of this fact it was travelling at such a rate that to drop off would have been risky in the extreme. Added to this, all his luggage was in the train, so he determined to see the matter through. In a very short- time, however, he repented of his., determination. The train was rapidly acquiring additional speed, and he had no foothold, for the tiny projecting ledge was , so small that the oscillation of the train shook his feet off each time he tried to re-, lieve the tension upon his arms. .He was wearing his overcoat at the time, and the tails were blown out in a manner which made him feel alarmed at the possible result should they pass n bridge. Meanwhile his friend in the sheep truck was trying to open tne door so as to admit him, but' Mr Duane's weight upon the doors prevented the possibility of this. The occupant of the truck also endeavoured to catch hold of his arms, so as to relieve the "strain upon them, but this was impossible, as the space between the iron bars was too small. By this time many of the passengers had descried his terrible predicament, and were endeavouring to attract the attention of the guard and , enginedriver. The train was travelling at the rate of 20 miles an hour, and Mr Duane's hands were becoming numbed with the prolonged strain and the jerks caused by the oscillation of the train. He was just wondering how he would fare when he pould no longer hold on, and looking for a suitable place to throw himself off so as to fall with the least injury, when the train slowed down. His unpleasantsituation had been observed by the engine-driver ,who stopped the train, and he continued the journey on the engine as far as the next station—Moutajup—l2J miles away, when he regained his carriage, and his friend joined him. He was heartily congratulated upon his escape by all who had witnessed his perilous position. Mr Duane does not hanker after another experience of the same kind, but he is still determined- to go to South ! Africa.—Ballarat "Star," September 3.