A NARROW ESCAPE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 667, 3 April 1879, Page 2

A NARROW ESCAPE.

A correspondent of the'- Port Augusta Dispatch (South Australia), writing on the 10th inst., relates the following sensational incident : — " An engine drawing eight waggons containing- railway materials, <fcc., left our local station at about 4 o'clock on Monday morning for the Fif fceeh-mile Camp. Several persons on the train were admiring the beautiful effect produced by the sparks from the engine, when just after entering the hills this side of Saltia their admiration was turned to dismay as the guard from the end trucks was aeon leaping from one truck to another in an excited manner, exclaiming 'A fire in the powder truck. ' Of course the driver stopped the engine at once. The truck in which the fire was contained, besides tools for workmen, 12 kegs of gunpowder, each containing 501b. The guard before leaving the end trucks uncoupled the last three under the impression than there was no other chance of escaping destruction than by leaving such dangerous company behind as soon as full speed could do it. Mr. Harrison, an overseer on the line, was a passenger. He took a bucket, filled it from the tender, and rushed to the sixth truck containing the powder, and after using four buckets of water the fire was extinguished, the other passengers leaving the train and running in various directions. The only covering over the powder was two bags, one of which, was totally destroyed and the other partially. The end of one keg containing powder was charred almost through, and a second one being also slightly damaged. A more miraculous escape can hardly be imagined, and had it not been for the presence of mind of Mr. Harrison it is doubtful if the whole train would have escaped total destruction, together 'with the loss of seven or eight lives, besides damage to the permanent way."