A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 181, 10 November 1910, Page 5

A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE

A PLUCKY JOCKEY BOY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. An exciting incident which nearly ended in a tragedy occurred at the Fendalton railway crossing shortly before G o'clock last night. The Fendalton coach, driven by its owner, Mr. Charles Brown, with a fair number of passengers aboard, was jogging along peacefully to connect with the ear for town. At the crossing there is a slight rise, and on either side of the road are several poplar trees, shutting the railway line from sight. Suspecting nothing tin driver of the coach had just gained the rails, when a rapidly approaching train, stated to have been only twenty-five yards away, suddenly blew its whistle. In a fraction of a second the startled horses had bolted, and Brown, in attempting to pull them up, was jolted out of his seat, two of the wheels of the coach passing over his legs. To tin. spectators' horror he fell on to the railway lines, only a few feet away from the advancing train, and a tragedy seemed imminent. Almost by a miracle, however, he managed to escape being .crunched to death by rolling clear just as the train thundered past him. In the meantime, the coach had cleared the rails safely. Luckily, a jockey boy was sitting next to the driver, and he had seized hold of the reins when the horses bolted, but when the driver fell to the 'ground he was forced to leave go, and the reins fell to the ground amongst the horses' feet. Nothing dismayed, the jockey ran along the shaft, and from his risky perch, with the terrified animals in full career, succeeded in rescuing the reins and pulling up the horses within four or five chains, much to the relief of the terrified passengers. Brown luckily escaped with no worse injuries than severe cuts and bruises to his legs.