A NARROW ESCAPE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11666, 19 September 1905, Page 7

A NARROW ESCAPE.

The Attempt to Wreck the

Dunedln Express*

(Per United Press Association.)

CHRISTCHUUCH, September ,19.

The attempt to derail tho second express from Dnncdin on Friday near Chertsey, appears to have resulted in a narrow escape from a severe calamity. Just as the train had passed through the station, the passengers experienced a slight jolt. It is understood that the driver and guard reported the contact, about nic same nine, with some foreign object on the line, but it remained for a platelayer to discover, on the following morning, the real nature of the obstacle.

About three-quarters of a mile north of the station, he found that four sleepers. weighing 901 hs each, hud been removed from a bide lino, where they had boen lying with others, and had apparently lvoen placed across the rails. Foiiimately the cowcatcher of Hie express was running low enough to catch tho sleepers, which must have been carried 50 yards, as the permanent way was strewn with splinters, and tho battered sleepers were found where evideutly they had been eventually thrown off. jko damage was done to the traffc.

The train, which was heavily freighted, was running about '.id miles an hour at the time of the collision.

The- matter has been placed in the bands of the Ashburton police.

The driving, npiironehing. and jmt-tougf competitions of the Ladies' Golf Club will be held to-morrow ( Wednesday) commencing- at 1.30 o'clock.

The final arbiter — Death — put an end .lo some litigation which was to have occupied the attention of the Supreme Court at the sessions now being hold hero. The case- was a civil one of Dalton v Leo. The plaintiff died on Thursday last at Inalu: and the defendant (Mrs Leo) on Saturday in Wanganui. v

At the Police Court this morning William Armstrong and Arthur Tullocli. who are at present undergoing sentences for clothes-line thefts, were charged with stealing a hay- stack cover on the Hdth August, at Castlecliff, valued at <£;}. the property o&the Wanganui Meat FreezingCoy, The case was adjourned till 10.30 to-morrow morning.