TWO PROMPT YOUTHS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 1, 2 January 1936, Page 8

TWO PROMPT YOUTHS

QUICK ACTION FOLLOWS CAR SMASH INJURED MEN DRAGGED FROM RAILWAY EXPRESS TRAIN HELD UP. MISHAP NEAR POKENO. [ Per Pie«« A»«vciaton. ] AUCKLAND. Jan. I. Crashing through the railway of the approach to an overhead bridge at Pokeno at about 5.20 o'clock this morning on to the Main Truna railway 301 t. below in an eight cylinder sedan car. two Auckland residents were injured, but the prompt action of two youths saved them from death, and can, in at least some measure, be credited •with preventing damage to the New Plymouth-Auckland express. The (wo victims of ’he accident ar*: Janie* Alexander Grayson. dentist, or Epsom—injury to let! knee and numer ous abrasions. William Gaitt < lav is, Mt. Eden —ex tensive head abrasions The youths, whose presence of mit. and quirk work were so in v a Ina ble. James Leathern and Walter Kusse.l. farm hands in the employ of t. former’s father. Mr. V. Leathern, wh.-t* residence fronts the road about !•»” yard# from the bridge. After remaining awake see the New Year in, Grayson and Glavis le»t Auckland for Napier. While seated th** farm bouse taking theii ing cup of tea the two youths h»*u - i the rar pass and then the crash. Th lushed out on to the road and noticed that the bridge railing had been rained away. A small column of dust was aisn rising. Thev ran to the spot and saw the rar on it« ho<»<’ with the bonnet across the rails and the ba ci; again**! the side of the rutting. One man, w :»o proved to be Grayson, the ownei ami driver of the car. "a* lying inert a«-ro*< the rails, face downward by the fr«»i.; window. The youths were quo .Jy n the rutting and lifted him to safely in the water channel at thr edge of permanent way. They then became ■ ot a -nuth train approaching. It was t.u ex press rounding a bend hail a mile a«:i at about 4’l mile* an hour. \nung Leathern ran as fast as he .mil I along the line towards it. waving h:* and shouting. Foitunatelv. the driver I Meanwhile, » oung Rus-cll had looked into the rar. t'la'i’ was lying stunned across the ser.t*. He seized hi- clothing vnd managed to drag him througu one ■>f the shattered windows and awtv from the rail*. The fain rrew and a •arge number of passengers who hi ! Cis