ARMORED TRAIN FIGHT.

Thames Star, Issue 9504, 24 November 1899, Page 4

ARMORED TRAIN FIGHT.

THE ENGINE-DRIVER'S STORY

A London paper of the '22nd ulto. contains the following: Flowerday, the driver of the pilot engine, has had a marvellous escape, and has returned to Kimberley via Maribqgq, He is said to be a modest, unassuming Englishman, and he told the following story to a Mail representative: "I was in charge of the pilot engine. The armored train consisted of an armored carriage containing fifteen men, a short truck full of ammunition, and a bogy carriage with two big guns and a quantity of lyddite shells. I kept the pilot engine about forty yards in front, until we ran off the line. Then I got off the engine, and showed a red light to the engine of the armored train to stop it. I found a pair of rails that had been removed, find tried to fix them up. Suddenly the Boers began to fire from a. dried-up watercourse, where they seem to have been hiding, and some of our me were wounded. The Boers snipped at us all night, and at daybreak they started with big guns. All.their shells were aimed at the engines, which were soon in a bad way. All this time I was lying down inside a truck, until I heard the officer order a flag of truce to be shown. Two flags were raised, but the Boers paid w heed*

for about a quarter of an hour, when they ceased firing. I got out of my truck and crawled along, on my stomach for about a mile and a half, until the Boers were out of sight. I had a miraculous escape, and made the best of my way to Maribogo. I don't know what became of the others, but I feel certain they are all prisoners. The Boer shells did not touch thei trucks containing the guns and ammunition, and they must have fallen into the hands of the Boers undamaged."

Flowerday was only slightly wounded in the face. Lieutenant Nesbitt was also wounded in the face. En-gine-driver Booth, who drove the engine of the armored train, had four fingers Bhot off, and a native platelayer, who was shot through the back, is reported dead. Three other men were slightly wounded. A Red Cross train has been sent from Kimberley to fetch the body of the -platelayer and the wounded if the Boers will give them up.