HEROIC SIGNALMAN

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8178, 20 July 1912, Page 9

HEROIC SIGNALMAN

REMAINED AT HIS POST AFTER BEING SHOT. Onoof the most striking examples of fortitude and devotion to duty ever recorded is reported from Manchester. A signalman named William Morrell was accidentally shot in the eye while at his post, but although ho suffered great pain lie continued to manipulate the signals until he was relieved nearly an hour afterwards. The Manchester and County Gun Club were holding a pigeon shoot in a field near the Lancashire County Cricket Ground at Old Trafford, and in a field close by, adjoining the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham railway lino, a number of men wore shooting at the birds that escaped (the guns of the members of the club. About ten minutes to four one of these men tried to bring down on escaping pigeon, but failed. The shot went through the glass of the signal box above, whc.ro Morrell was attending to h’s duties. One or more of the Indicts entered his left eye, and others struck him in various parts of the head. Morrell fell back into a chair, blinded and bleeding, and adjusted the levers for fifty minutes before relief came. If Morrell had not remained at his post the consequences might have been disastrous, for a number of trains went by before bo was relieved at twenty minutes to five and taken to the Manchester Eye Hospital, where he now lies. It is feared that tho sight of one eye is destroyed. A young man named Eden witnessed the accident, and immediately entered tho signal box. He stated aftodwards that Morrel was obviously in great pain. ‘‘But ho stuck to bis work,” said Eden, with a note of admiration in his voice. “He kept on dropping and getting up and shifting the levers. It was grand how ho stuck to his duty.” Eden went in. search of a doctor, hut failed to find ono at home. Eventually a doctor was summoned hy telephone from the cricket ground. He arrived hy a train which was stopped near tho signal box. The doctor bandaged Morrell s wound, and the heroic signalman was removed to the eye hospital.