ACCIDENT TO A RAILWAYMAN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 215, 5 June 1919, Page 4

ACCIDENT TO A RAILWAYMAN

' REMARKABLE F-SCAPE FJ3OM DEATH. (By TeleEraph-Spjcial Correspondent.) Palmerston North, June i. An accident occurred in the Palmerston railway yard Inst evening, through which Mr. Justin Ronayne, a married man. who with his wife resides at Coutts Slfeet. Kilbirnie, Wellington, had a marvellous escape from death. It appears that Mr. Ronayne, who was visiting Palmerston for the purpose of inspecting the brakes on the rolling stock, had just finished his duties at the locomotive shed last evening, and was making his way to tho, station, walking between the rails. Nearly opposite the south signal box the trains leave the- mam lino, and run round a loop. Mr. Ronayne was apparently unaware of this, and was on the loop-line when the second Wellington to Auckland express, running at over twenty miles an hour, ran into him; and threw him clear pf the rails. The cowcatcher evidently caught him. as his left leg was fractured below the knee, and he also sustained a broken rib. His hat was afterwards found on top of. the engine. Neither the driver nor the fireman saw tho man, and the train continued on to tho platform, when they reported that they had felt a bump at the spot where the accident happened.. ■ •.■■'.'. When found Mr., Ronayne was quite conscious, but badly shaken, and he was able to give a coherent account of how the accident happsned. As no medical man was available ho was removed to the hospital in an ambulance, where his injuries were attended to. , He is progressing satisfactorily.