DELIBERATE ATTEMPT

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 164, 11 July 1919, Page 5

DELIBERATE ATTEMPT

TO DERAIL A TRAIN. OBSTRUCTIONS ON THE TRACK. DISCOVERED BY FIREMAN. fßy Telegraph.—Press Association.) WANGANUI, this day. A deliberate attempt to derail a train near Manutahi was frustrated yesterday afternoon by a firemaji named Annabell, who saw obstructions on the line while a special was ascending a hill on a filling. The driver (Allan) promptly applied the brakes, and the train was brought to a standstill. Examination of the line showed that four different lots of material had been placed across the rails. The first consisted of two ehovels, a few yards further on were four picks and several shovels and spades, a pick had been laid I lengthwise on the rails, then a kerosene! tin full of bolts, etc., had been piled up along the rails, and a heel plate placed; on the rail, while 20 yards further on', there was a piece of rail ajbout three feet ; long, and a board two feet wide had been put in a dangerous position. The material was principally platelayers' gear belonging to men working about a mile and a°half away from the locality. Had the train been descending the grade instead of elowly ascending serioui results would have followed.