ON THE ENGINE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 190, 12 August 1922, Page 5

ON THE ENGINE.

DRIVER'S COOLNESS FIREMAN SLIGHTLY HURT. There were two cows, or rather heifers, on the line, which caused tbe trouble, and one of them was white, but the night was dark, the moon not having risen, and the first anyone on the train knew there was anything on the line was when the engine took the chock. It was just about the overhead bridge (which is not far dently occurred, that is about 200 yards from where the engine pulled up. The carcase of the white blast lies alongside the overhead bridge ( which is not far from where the old station stood) and the remains of the other are about halfway between the engine and the overhead bridge. Judging from the look of the remains this latter animal must have got under the engine, and this is what caused the engine to leave the track. It is probable that all the wheels of the engine did not leave the rails at this moment, otherwise one would have expected the engine to have been thrown further from the line of rails than it has been. The driver of the engine was one of the most experienced and careful men on the line, Mr. A. Black well, and he has received the heartiest praise for the ■wonderful coolness and presence of mind he showed. He has been o4jphe Main Trunk run a long while, and some idea of the opinion the Department has of liis ability may be gathered from the fact that he was chosen for the Prince of Wales train when His Royal Highness was in New Zealand. Relating his experience last night Mr. Blackwell said he did not know how they had escaped. He said he bought it was all over with everybody. At the time of the mishap the engine was doing a steady thirty-five miles an hour, and just near the overhead bridge lie suddenly felt the engine jolt. He knew instinctively that they had run over something and at once he whipped on the emergency break. The engine swung from one side to the other in an alarming manner, and every moment lie expected the worst. The only thing to do was to hang on, and trust to luck and so he hung on to the cont.rols-J (The fireman, Mr. N. F. Millar, by the wav paid a very warm tribute to the way the driver had "just hung on. ) Incidents happened so suddenly that it was hard to tell what was happening, but the next tiling the driver knew waa that the tender had collapsed, or some of the couplings had gone, and ploughing into the .n-onnd l-.elped to stop the mad rush of the train. Mr. Blackwell spoke highly of the effect of the Westinghouse brakes. He says he cannot understand why none of the" vehicles telescoped. Mr. N. F. Millar, the fireman, when the bump came, was thrown against the back of. the boiler and had his face hurt with hot oil. but nothing serious. His experience was similar to that of Mr. Blackwell, and he also says he can't tell ■bow they got off so lightly.