SAVED BY BAYONET.
The attempt of a soldier named Thenard, belonging to the balloon corps, to commit suicide at Paris on May 27th, was responsible for a chapter of curious events.
Thenard, mounting the bridge 6panning the railway, near Batignolles Station, tried to leap on to the line and in front of a passing train. His bayonet, however, became entangled in the electric light cables and in the telegraph wires, both of which are immediately beneath the bridge. So he hung suspended in mid-air unable to help himself. The railway •employees who witnessed his plight, rushed .to his aid. In seeking to disentangle the would-be suicide, the rescuers in some way damaged the electric light cable, with the. result that a- short circuit occurred. ■ This caused a tire, and the flames spread to a lead gaspipe, melting it, so that the gas, too, became ignited. The fire brigade were summoned, and prevented the outbreak from destroying the,station building. The bridge from which Thenard sought, to jump was ecnfi>iderab!v dumag'ed by the fire-
The soldier after his experience . of hanging head downwards for a few minuses, said he had been cured of his wish to die. ' .
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THD19080722.2.6
Bibliographic details
Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13652, 22 July 1908, Page 3
Word Count
195SAVED BY BAYONET. Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13652, 22 July 1908, Page 3
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Timaru Herald. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in