BRAVE ENGINE DRIVER.
DARING EXPLOIT THAT GAINED
THE ALBERT MEDAL
The London Gazette intimates that the Albert medal — the highest civil reward for bravery— has been conferred by the King on William Henry Pearce, ■of Islington, near Newcastle;, New South Wales, for one of the most remarkable exploits m the history of railway travelling. l ' ■•'■.-.
Pearce was the fireman of a passenger train, which was running between Muitltind- and Sydney at forty-five miles,; an hour ■when a boiler plate collapsed. The driver was scalded so> severely that he died of his injuries, and Pearce was also scalded.
Though ho was exposed to all the force of the escaping steamj Pearce managed at great personal risk to lift the injured, driver into a place of safety. After he had failed to close the throttle valve, he climbed over the cab of the engine along the boiler, exposing himself again to the escaping water ana steam. •
Having reached the foot-plate, and placed one leg on the draw hook for support, he reached' \irider the buffer plank for a distance of about eighteen inches, and opened the cock of the air pipe, thus applying the automatic brake, and * bringing the train to < a standstill.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PBH19071102.2.112
Bibliographic details
Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11116, 2 November 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)
Word Count
201BRAVE ENGINE DRIVER. Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11116, 2 November 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)
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