DASTARDLY OUTRAGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4763, 2 October 1893, Page 2

DASTARDLY OUTRAGE.

WRECKING THE TASMANIAN EXPRESS- TRAIN. The Tasmanian Mail gives the following details of the diabolical and partly successful attempt to wreck the express train from Lauuceston to Hobart:— The up express left Launceston at its usual time, three o'clock in the afternoon, in oharge of Guard Reynolds, Driver Jones and Fireman Bagley. Everything went well on the journey till the train arrived at the Horseshoe bridge. Here, according to Mr S. Hawkes, member for Ringarooma, and Mr Conway, tho member for George Town, both passengers on their way to Parliament, there was a violent bumping, whioh continued till the train suddenly came to a standstill.. Oa alighting it was found that the full length of the train waß on the bridge, the engine and one or two Of the carriages being rolled on their sides and hanging over the bridge. The bridge is a wood trossel structure on stone piers, its length is about ISOft, and its height above the Jordan Valley, which it spans, about 65ft. It was found that the bolts holding the fishplates at the Northern approach to the bridge had been broken off, and the permanent way put ont of gauge j the object of the fiends who did thiß apparently being to throw the train and its living freight over the bridge into the chasm. The front part of the 1 train appears to have left the rails at this point and dragged itself a full length along the sleepers. The miracle is how it remained on the bridge. When the passengers had sufficiently recovered from the fright, it was found that the wreckers were so fully determined to accomplish their end, that if the train waß not thrown over the bridge, a half mile of obstacles, consisting of railß, sleepers, navvies' tools, &c, would at least ensure its being cast off the line, and for the distance named the line waß found blocked in suoh a manner as to make escape impossible. The passengers all agree that they owe their lives to the ooolnesß and courage of the driver, fireman and guard. Had it not been that the two men* stuck bravely to their engine and applied the vacuum brake with a promptness that pulled the train up after it had but time to travel its own length on the first warning of danger, the loss of life must have been fearful. Though these men must have known the dangerous Bpot at which their engine left the rails, it did not have the slightest effect on their courage, for when found the fireman was hanging to tho rail of his engine over the chasm. Mr C. W. Rocher relates : — On the north Bide of the bridge we found that the' bolts - of tbe fishplates had been knocked off with a hammer, and the plates taken off. A hammer of a fair Bize was. lying cloae by. About 10ft from where the engine lay, on the Hobart side of the bridge, there was a log across the. line, and close to it two fishplates had been broken off. Further alorfg the line, at a distance of about two hundred yard 1 ?, there were seven' sleepers piled aoross the line; fifty yards farther on there was a rail, and so on for half a mile we found similar obstructions. The engine is leaning over the side of the bridge, her wheels in the air, with the two leading carriages in a similar position,; though not quite at so dangerouß an ant»le as the engine. The train, and the lives of the passengers were undoubtedly saved by the prompt action of the driver and fireman in applying the vacuum brake. The bridge is an elevation of some 65ft, aud our escape can only be regarded as marvellous. The carriage I was in was thrown to the edge of the bridge and leant over, and when I looked out I could see a distance of about 100 ft below. It iB difficult to conceive what the terrible results would havo been had the train gone over the viaduct. At the time the train was going, possibly, at the rate of about fifteen miles an hour. The doors of the carriages were jammed by the pressure of the carriages tilted over, and it was only with an application of much force, in most instances, that we were able to get them opan. .